The Whitharral Panthers and Lady Panthers, and Anton Lady Dawgs golf teams all competed at the 1A Region 1 Golf Tournament this past Monday and Tuesday at Meadowbrook Country Club, resulting in the Panthers advancing to the State Tournament as a team.
The Panthers overall score as a team was 712, which tied with Springlake Earth for second place, resulting in a play-off. Springlake would win the play-off, slotting the Panthers in third place, but nevertheless, they still advanced as a team to State for the first time in school history.
That punched ticket was a result of the Panthers’ great individual performances. They were led by Copper Popelka, who shot a 155 to place third. He was followed by Hudson Prowell shooting a 175 to place 11th, Dillon Johnson shooting a 180 to place 16th, Cale Dockery shooting a 202 to place 56th and Bryar Sherrill shooting a 210 to place 73rd.
“I’m very proud of how the boys hung in there and gutted it out over the two days,” Whitharral Head Golf Coach Ben Prowell said. “It came down to the wire. We are excited to be taking a team to the State Tournament in a couple of weeks.”
For the Lady Panthers, Emberly Prowell was their lone competitor, placing 39th with after shooting a 236.
Meanwhile, the Anton Lady Dawgs placed ninth as a team with an overall score of 962. They were led by Alyssa Mancias, who shot a 224 and placed 27th. She was followed by Ally Ramirez shooting a 227 to place 32nd, Miliana Castillo shooting a 245 to place 47th, Alisiah Alafa shooting a 266 to place 64th and Liberty Peek shooting a 295 to placed 76th.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this group. In our first ever regional appearance, they didn’t just show up— they got better every single round,” Anton Head Golf Coach Brian Duncan said. “Over two days of competition, every girl finished with a personal best, and that says everything about their work ethic and growth. Finishing ninth is something to be proud of, but more importantly, they’ve set the standard and laid the foundation for the future of this entire program.”
Following the Regional Tournament, the Panthers are set to compete in the State Tournament at Crystal Falls Country Club in Leander on April 13-14.
(Whitharral ISD Photo)