By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Harlingen High’s golfers are eager to take the next step at this week’s Region IV-6A Tournament in San Antonio.
The Cardinals finished fifth as a team at the regional tournament one year ago and now are ready to challenge for a trip to state. The UIL state tournament for Class 6A boys is scheduled May 20-21 at Georgetown’s Legacy Hills Golf Club.
Golfers can qualify for state from this week’s regional tournament by finishing as one of the top three teams or finishing as one of the top three individual golfers not on a state-qualifying team.
Regional competition for girls takes place today and Tuesday. The 6A girls play at San Antonio’s Republic Golf Club. The Class 5A girls play at McAllen’s Palmview Golf Course. The 6A boys play at Republic Golf Club on Wednesday and Thursday, and the 5A boys play those same days at Palmview.
Class 4A boys and girls play their regional tournaments today and Tuesday in Corpus Christi. The boys play at Lozano Golf Course and the girls play at Oso Golf Course.
Cardinals coach Chris Milligan believes his three-time District 32-6A champion boys squad is confident going into this week’s regional action.
Everyone is back for the Cardinals except Dylan Martinez, who graduated last spring and is playing golf at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.
“Our region is always tough with back-to-back defending state champ Austin Westlake (in the field), and the depth of some of the San Antonio schools,” Milligan said. “With that said, I think our guys are fairly comfortable at the (Republic) course and with the way we want to attack it. We’ve been building momentum all semester, and I truly feel we are peaking at the right time.
“Westlake and San Antonio Johnson are tough, but I think we’ve got a shot at that third qualifying spot (to state),” Milligan added. “As a team, all we can fixate on is competing for 36 holes and keeping the blinders on (by not being concerned about how the other teams are doing). Our focus is on making good decisions and keeping ourselves in the mix.
“You have to relish the test to perform your best.”
Members of the Cardinals squad are Nate Newman, Aaron Salinas, Nicholas Galvan, Mikey Bullock and Larry Bolt.
Bullock owns the second-best 18-hole average in the Rio Grande Valley for high school boys this school year with a 74.94. Newman ranks eighth in the Valley with a 78.13 average.
At the 32-6A tournament April 1-2 at Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club, Newman took top medalist honors by defeating Bullock on a two-hole playoff. Both shot 152s over the two days despite cold and wet conditions.
The Harlingen High boys won their third straight district team title with a 619 score followed by Harlingen South with a 657. With their second-place district finish, the Hawks also qualified as a team for regional competition.
Boys qualifying individually from 32-6A for the regional tournament were Harlingen High’s Chris Galvan and San Benito’s Mike Robles.
Also at the 32-6A tournament April 1-2 at Rancho Viejo, the Los Fresnos girls qualified their first and second teams for the regional tournament, which starts today and runs through Tuesday.
The Los Fresnos “A” girls squad won district with a 712 score, and the Lady Falcons’ “B” squad was second with an 821.
The top three medalists in the 32-6A tournament were Los Fresnos teammates Gabriana Garrido (174), Natali Barrera (176) and Jossie Garcia (177).
Qualifying as individual players at the 32-6A tournament for the regional were Harlingen High’s Micaela Leandro and Harlingen South’s Andrea Pimentel.
Milligan said a wrist injury is preventing Leandro from playing in the regional. He said teammate Olivia Garza will take her place.