Kaylee Cruz and Joslyn Lopez fired a 72 and 73, respectively, and helped put the Sharyland Pioneer golf team on the verge of the school’s first girls district title in school history.
The Diamondbacks scored a 319 as a team, giving them a 21-stroke lead over rival Sharyland High (340) going into today’s final round of the District 31-5A golf championship at Tierra Del Sol Golf Course in Pharr.
Meanwhile, all five players on the McAllen Memorial “A” team shot a sub-80 round as the Mustangs grabbed an 18-stroke advantage over McAllen High heading into today’s round.
Cruz, a senior transfer from San Antonio Reagan, and Lopez, a sophomore, both started on No. 10 and started fast. Cruz opened the round with four straight birdies, while Lopez registered an Eagle on 10 in the group right behind Cruz and her group.
“You could say we are finishing where we left off last year, some unfinished business,” Pioneer head coach Susan Lopez said. “We haven’t had a district title for the girls. We could have had one last year but didn’t because of COVID.”
Lopez has coached the Pioneer girls and boys teams since the school opened seven years ago. Prior to that she coached at Sharyland High for 15 years, building the Rattlers into a perennial power.
Carolina Tirado shot one of the other two sub-80 rounds of the tournament with a 79 to help Sharyland High finish in second on the day.
McAllen High’s Jordan Gabrielson also fired a 79, from the No. 3 player spot, to pace the Bulldogs to a 366 total and in third place. McAllen Memorial’s Sofia Alaniz Choy scored an 87 to lead the Mustangs to fourth place after the first day with a 376.
Memorial flexed its muscles Monday. Dylan Villareal’s 2-under 70 led all boys, while Estaban Gonzalez followed with a 71. Max Martinez, who won one-round pre-district event Saturday, came in at 73 while teammates Daniel Garza Garza and Ryan Avila registered a 77 and 79, respectively. Maverick Erickson, the No. 1 Memorial “B” team golfer, also got into the sub-80 action with a 75.
“We’ve been grinding it out all year and the kids have come together as a team both on and off the course,” said Memorial head coach Celso Gonzales, in his 32nd season at the helm of the program. “They looked good today. Tomorrow is day two and we believe in the power of the Mighty Mustang.”
Justin Ochoa came in at an even par-72 for the second-place Bulldogs after one round. For McHi at No. 5, Carson Wegener shot a 77.
Players will tee off with an 8 a.m. shotgun start today for the final round.