AHS golfers qualify first team legs at season opener
Lady 'Dog golfers take first, 'Dogs third at Hobbs Invite
AHS golfers deliver impressive results in final pre-district outings
AHS golfers sweep district tournament
Published: 1:42 pm, Tue. May. 2nd, 2017Updated: 1:40 pm
The Artesia High School golf teams headed to Roswell Monday morning with a specific set of goals in mind; they headed home that afternoon with a list full of check marks and two District 4-AAAAA champion trophies in tow.
Taysea Powell chips onto the green on No. 7 Monday at NMMI. (Brienne Green – Daily Press)
"I've been saying it all year – 'When we fire on all cylinders…'" head coach Dusty Bean said today. "And we did it at the district tournament."
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs cleared the NMMI Golf Course with team totals of 299 and 318 of the sweep, respectively ahead by wide margins of runners-up Lovington (342) and Goddard (348).
"Any time a high-school golf team goes under 300, that's impressive," Bean said. "We go into state now with both teams ranked first. With the boys shooting a 299 and the girls shooting a 318, we have the lowest rounds in 5A."
In addition, the Artesia squads notched both the district champs and runners-up individually, with Jake Craft and Parker Sanders topping the boys' field with rounds of 70 and 73, and Josey Jackson and Taysea Powell taking the girls' tourney with rounds of 75 and 78.
Rounding out the boys' performance were Tanner Parker (77), Wesley Davis (79) and Giovanni Huitron (82), while Brehnan Davis finished with a 79 for the Lady 'Dogs, followed by Teagan Archer (86) and Bri'Le Ybarra (89).
"High school golf is an individual sport played as a team, so you have to have individual goals along with your team goals," said Bean. "So one thing we've done is we've sat down with each player and said, 'Here's your goal, you have this goal.' And we met every goal yesterday.
Parker Sanders takes a swing during the District 4-AAAAA Tournament Monday at NMMI in Roswell. (Brienne Green – Daily Press)
"Josey kind of struggled yesterday and yet still shot a 75. Teagan shot her low round ever yesterday. Taysea won second in a playoff with Haley Cain (of Goddard), and for a ninth-grader to step up and beat a senior in a playoff is pretty impressive. And Tanner, for him to step up as the No. 5 and shoot a 77, that's just out of this world. This team is amazing. The way they put together scores, they're just unstoppable. And if we go to state, keep our minds focused, and do everything we're supposed to do… we hold our future in our own hands."
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will depart Sunday for Albuquerque and the site of this year's Class 5A State Tournament, The Canyon Club. They'll take in a practice round before kicking off the two-day tournament Monday.
"We have two more rounds left in the season – two more rounds to reach the rest of our goals," said Bean. "And when we do, we're going to reach our main goal of a state championship.
"I'm excited. I think we're right there. We're playing quality golf, and not just that – we have great kids. And I feel like this team is bonded, is together, and is rooting for each other more than we ever have. I think we're ready to go to state and bring back two blue trophies."