No matter how big the target on its back becomes, the Andrews girls golf team finds a way to ignore it and keep moving forward.
That was apparent Monday and Tuesday as the Lady Mustangs again competed at the UIL Class 4A State Girls Golf Tournament.
They entered the competition as the heavy favorite and when the two rounds at Slick Rock Golf Course at Horseshoe Bay in Marble Falls ended, Andrews not only lifted another title, but left with another accolade.
The Lady Mustangs — Rachel Huffman, Kinzee McAllister, Macy Schulze, Skyler Strube and Paige Jennings — carded a 36-holte total of 644 (317-327) to win the program’s eighth straight crown, this time by 31 strokes over second-place Frisco Lebanon Trail (342-333—675). Rounding out the podium was Abilene Wylie (338-340—678) in third place.
Seminole finished fourth (357-338—695), following last year’s second-place finish.
“We played really well (Monday) and came out with a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” Andrews head golf coach Jeff Williamson said. “We’ll relish this for a long time.”
Despite finishing his first year at Andrews, this isn’t Williamson’s first team that’s won state. He led the Graham boys in 2008 and Tuscola Jim Ned girls in 2011 to championships.
He said this one didn’t feel much different than the previous two, other than the expectations the Lady Mustangs had to face all season.
With the winning streak, Andrews ties the UIL record for consecutive girls golf championships, which was held solely by Booker. The Lady Kiowas won their titles from 1986 to 1993.
The quest for No. 9 won’t begin for some time, but that chase will be with that record somewhere in the back of the Lady Mustangs’ minds.
“I think it was business as usual,” Huffman said. “But this year we had some tougher competition, so there was more of an incentive to work hard.”
Only Huffman, Schulze and McAllister graduate from Andrews this year. The team returns seven juniors, including a few from the Lady Mustangs’ Gold team that finished fourth at the Region I-4A Tournament.
Another roadblock out of the way for a ninth straight crown comes with realignment. While Andrews will stay at Class 4A for at least the next two seasons, Frisco Lebanon Trail and Abilene Wylie are moving up to Class 5A.
“We were really pumped up to be here. Lebanon Trial and Wylie were playing so well this year,” Williamson said, also mentioning Seminole. “We were excited to get the competition. We come down here and have three solid teams that are going to make you play golf.”
Carrollton Ranchview’s Bohyun Park (67-70—137) won the individual title by 13 strokes as the only competitor to break par on the course, doing so in both rounds.
Frisco Lebanon Trail’s Madison Phung (74-76—150) took second place. Huffman (73-80—153) and Abilene Wylie’s Maddi Olson (72-81—153) tied for third place.
Andrews individual Brynlee Dyas finished with a two-round score of 184, ending up in the middle of the pack. Seminole’s lowest individual finisher was Alyssa Garcia (81-78—159), who tied for ninth.
“It feels very relieving and it’s something to look back on and be proud of,” Schulze said. “I think individually I could’ve played better, but I’m proud of how I finished.”
Things could’ve derailed for Andrews, with some rain not letting the team practice the way it wanted before the tournament began.
Nothing, however, has gotten in the Lady Mustangs’ way this decade and there’s no sign of them stopping any time soon.
