Sharyland golf contingent looking to make impact at state

MISSION - Sharyland golfer Alejandra Cantu looked for a place to rest following the final round of last week's Region IV-5A girls golf tournament in San Antonio. After carding a bunch of birdies in her round of 70, Cantu wanted to catch a couple of z's.

But Cantu's coach and father alerted her that she was in a playoff for first place with friend and Rio Grande Valley rival Felicia Espericueta of Edinburg North. The Sharyland senior shook off her desire for slumber and won the regional championship on the playoff's third hole.

Cantu hopes to take the momentum from that triumph, along with teammates Ana Choi, Samantha Garcia, Alejandra Valdez and Lisa Garza who finished second as a team at regionals, to the Class 5A girls state golf tournament May 8 and 9 at the Jimmy Clay Golf Course in Austin.

"I kind of freaked out because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Am I in it for second, third, what?' And when I found out for first, I was just like, OK," Cantu said of the playoff.

"It made it even harder because I was like, I have it in my hand, now I just have to put my grip on it and take it and I went out there and I played my best. I just played a little better. It just really came down to that."

Cantu and her teammates aren't the only Sharyland state qualifiers as junior Abraham Ancer from the boys team also punched a ticket to state.

While Ancer made the state trip once before when Rattlers qualified in 2006 during his freshman year, this will be the Lady Rattlers' first appearance in the big golf tournament despite a number of solid teams during coach Susan Lopez's six-year tenure.

As such, this state tournament berth has been a long time coming for the Lady Rattlers, who have won four straight district titles but always saw their season end just short of their ultimate goal.

"We'd love to make a statement at state because everybody thinks the Valley doesn't have any kind of potential in golf," Lopez said. "I saw a poll in The Monitor asking what we would win a state championship in first and I was kind of disappointed in the six percent or eight percent or whatever it was for golf. I would really like for them, because it's their first time going and a new experience for them, I would just like to make a good showing."

Todd Mavreles covers high school golf for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4451.