GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – Looking to defend their UIL State Championship in Class 6A, the Vandegrift girls golf team found themselves behind San Antonio Reagan by three strokes after day one. An impressive Tuesday powered the Vipers to lift the same hardware they did a season ago, claiming their second-straight state title with a team score of 586.
“[It] feels great,” said Vandegrift head coach Aaron Ford. “It’s as good as the first one. The girls worked so hard this year putting in all the hours before school and workouts.”
Vandegrift’s team this year includes three players on the 2023 championship team: Sydney Givens, Danica Lundgren and Eden McSpadden. Givens finished second overall last year and did the same this season.
“It feels amazing,” said the senior Givens. “We put in a lot of hard work this school year. Just to get it done today makes it so special.”
Givens finished with a two-day score of 142. That was four strokes behind the overall winner at 138. The overall winner also is a Vandegrift Viper.
Swetha Sathish came to Vandegrift this year from Canada. She said she likes the different weather and appears to like the golf courses in Texas as well, shooting four under on day two to finish six under par for the whole tournament.
“I’m literally speechless,” said the individual champion Sathish. “That last putt I was shaking. I’m so happy. I have to give everything to my team, my coach and my family.”
The five-person team of Sathish, Givens, Addison Bandelier, McSpadden and Lundgren finished +10 overall, five shots clear of second place. For the two competing at the top for the individual crown, they were pulling for each other. As was their coach.
“It’s stressful coming down the end because you’re trying to help both of them win the state title,” said Ford about Givens and Sathish. “You don’t want to pull for one more than the other…Those two girls have been two of the best players in the state all year long.”
Westlake finished in seventh place at 41 over par. Isabel Emanuels impressed, tying for third overall at one under par.