DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
All season long, Sharyland High’s girls golf team had one goal: win state.
On Thursday, it took a step closer to claiming the crown.
The Lady Rattlers finished as runner-up to Austin Vandegrift at the Region IV-5A meet in San Antonio, falling a stroke short of their central Texas rivals at the Golf Club of Texas.
Sharyland High had a team score of 599 to Austin Vandegrift’s 598. Austin Vandegrift’s ‘silver’ team finished third. Those three teams advance to the Class 5A state tournament April 26-27 at Wolfdancer Golf Club.
“We played good,” said Sharyland senior Ana Jose Erana, a second-place medalist after posting a two-day score of 146. “We played to the best of our abilities. Of course we wanted to win, and to be so close is motivating for state. We’re looking forward to practicing and working even harder.”
The Lady Rattlers are making their fourth consecutive trip to state. Last year, they finished four strokes back of medaling. Four players return from that state qualifier — Erana, the Flores sisters Raquel and Mariana, and Christina Shinn-Roldan.
“We just want to go up there and play our game and play mentally focused,” coach Fernando Rodriguez said. “We don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves. We just want to play the course. We can’t worry too much about the grand prize.”
Raquel Flores was a third-place medalist, finishing one stroke behind teammate Erana. Mariana tied for sixth, Laura Rodriguez tied for 14th and Shinn-Roldan finished 17th.
The Lady Rattlers shot a 301 on Thursday after scoring 298 on Day 1. They were the top finishers on Day 2, but Vandegrift’s 293 score on Day 1 helped edge it past Sharyland High overall and earn a repeat as regional champion.
“Ever since last year, we’ve been really close as a team and really focused,” Erana said. “We know what it takes to get to state, and for us to have qualified the past four years in a row, I’m really proud of that. But we have the mentality to win. We’re not there to have fun. So that’s what we’ve been doing all year.”
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Region IV-5A Girls Meet
April 14, 2016
Golf Club of Texas
Second Round
Par = 72
Girls
Team Scores
1. Austin Vandegrift ‘Black’ 293-305-598
2. Sharyland High 298-301-599
3. Austin Vandegrift ‘Silver’ 324-326-650
4. Victoria East 329-333-662
5. Alamo Heights 1 346-336-682
6. Sharyland Pioneer 361-359-720
7. Castroville Medina Valley 371-369-740
8. Alamo Heights 2 371-377-748
9. Bastrop 385-392-777
10. Mercedes 406-420-826
11. Edcouch-Elsa 422-409-831
12. Uvalde 445-418-863
13. S.A. Harlandale 506-491-997
Individual Scores
1. Kelly Xac, Tuloso-Midway, 73-71-144
2. Ana Jose Erana, Sharyland High, 72-74-146
3. Raquel Flores, Sharyland High, 72-75-147
T-4. Sophia Di Gesualdo, Austin Vadegrift ‘Black,’ 76-73-149
T-4. Hailey Derrickson, Austin Vandegrift ‘Black,’ 70-79-149
T-6. Jensen Jalufka, Austin Vandegrift ‘Black,’ 73-77-150
T-6. Mariana Flores, Sharyland High, 77-73-150
8. Story Shaw, Austin Vandegrift ‘Black,’ 74-77-151
T-9. Charlotte Davis, Tuloso-Midway, 75-78-153
T-9. Madi Lake, Victoria East, 77-76-153
T-11. Jordyn Caruso, Alamo Heights 1, 76-80-156
T-11. Jordan Jalufka, Austin Vandegrift ‘Silver,’ 82-74-156
13. Lindsay Koppel, Dripping Springs, 81-77-158
T-14. Laura Rodriguez, Sharyland High, 77-82-159
T-14. Alex Ozuna, Cedar Park Vista Ridge, 80-79-159
16. Annika Ellrott, Edinburg Vela, 79-81-160
17. Christina Shinn-Roldan, Sharyland High, 82-79-161
18. Sarah Beamer, Austin Vandegrift ‘Silver,’ 81-81-162
19. Maddie Mattocks, Victoria East, 81-82-163
20. Sarah Rovenstine, Austin Vandegrift ‘Black,’ 86-78-164