The boys’ and girls’ golf team competed at the regional level this month. The boys advanced to the state level as a team, and junior Fallon Payne advanced individually. The boys’ team will compete April 27-28, and Payne will compete May 4-5.
In the recent competition, the boys’ team placed third overall, the girls’ team placed fifth overall with Payne receiving third place as an individual.
“This was the first time the boys’ team advanced to state,” golf coach Mark Perkins said. “That was our goal, and that was historic for us.”
The regional competition provides an opportunity for golfers to play against intense competition and refine their skills.
“My favorite part about competing at regionals was getting the experience to play with some competition for the first time in a while,” Payne said. “It was good for me to play with and against other girls who are better or just about the same skill level as me. It drove me to play my best and compete with them.”
Payne said that one of the most difficult parts of trying to qualify for state was staying disciplined mentally and physically. These attributes allowed both her and her teammates to improve their scores on the second day of the regional meet with Payne shooting an 84 the first day and a 79 the second day.
“It was very easy to give up and lose my mind after one bad hole, but having the discipline to stay engaged and to forget about it was a task that had to be done if I wanted to play the golf that I know I am capable of,” Payne said. “After day one, I was tired, and my body just wanted to not do anything for the rest of the day, and forcing myself to get up and go back to work for day two was quite the challenge, but I got it done, and I was glad that I did.”
Perkins said his favorite part of coaching is watching his golfers do what they’re capable of and seeing them improve and talk about the new things they’re learning. He has high hopes for the upcoming state meet.
“The boys compete against 12 teams at state, and I think we can be in the top six,” Perkins said, “but I hope to finish in the top three.”