Girls golf shatters team record twice, finishes second in Heart of Texas invitational tournament
October 8, 2019
Personal and team records were broken under a blazing sun on Sept. 14-15 in Glen Rose, Texas. Coppell girls varsity I golf finished second in the Heart of Texas Invitational tournament, its first tournament of the year. The tournament took place on the Squaw Valley golf course.
The young team was three strokes off from claiming the first place prize, but they walked off the course with their heads held high and looking confidently towards the future.
“I was super proud of them,” Coppell coach Jan Bourg said. “We’re still pretty young, we don’t have any seniors and 36 holes in one day is a grind. The biggest thing for me is they improved every round, we’re the only team that did that.”
Though second place was an acclaimed accomplishment for the team, the thought of first never ceased to linger.
“We wanted to be first but we were all so proud of each other,” Coppell junior Jamie Welsh said. “We are so excited for this year. This was one of our most competitive tournaments, it almost serves as a preview to regionals. We were all proud of how we did but we were all still thinking ‘what about first?’.”
Coppell beat its personal best twice during the tournament. On Friday, the team shot a 298. On Saturday, it improved by six strokes. Leading up to the tournament, the team had not shot under 300 with the current crop of players. Coppell junior Chelsea Romas lead the team on Saturday, shooting one under par.
The Heart of Texas Invitational was a tournament to remember for Welsh, as she shattered her personal record by shooting 75.
“I had previously shot 165 over two days,” Welsh said. “This was the first time I play in a three-round tournament. This was definitely an improvement, it was my first tournament shooting all my rounds in the 70s.”
Welsh attributes much of her improvement to Bourg.
“I’m thankful for our coach helping us with short work,” Welsh said. “She also helps us learn to make good decisions around the course. The two things have really helped me.”
Coppell sophomore Mia Gaboriau lead the team in the tournament, shooting par on both days. Gaboriau is confident the best is still to come.
“Being a young team was a disadvantage for us last year, but as we get better, it’ll be an advantage,” Gaboriau said. “We’re already good as a young team, so as we get older we’re only going to be better.”
There are two tournaments left in Coppell’s fall season. The first, the Texas Two Step tournament, takes place at Tangle Ridge on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9. The latter, the State Preview tournament, takes place at Legacy Hills on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16. These two tournaments serve as a preparation for the spring season, in which the district tournament is played. Fall tournaments have no impact on District 6-6A standings.
Competition is an important factor in keeping the team focused throughout the sporadic schedule.
“We compete against each other, each one of us wants to be the best,” Gaboriau said. “This pushes us to be better and it helps us stay focused and on our toes.”
With plenty of time to go until the district tournament that is played next year, the goal is not being forgotten.
“Our ultimate goal is to get to state this year,” Bourg said.
Coppell girls varsity I golf plays next on Nov. 8 at the Texas Two-Step Tournament at Tangle Ridge.
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