Through the wet and windy conditions, Viper Golf had the strength and determination to get through the long two days to bring home the gold and silver.

 On March 29 and 31, both the Boys and Girls Golf Teams brought home first and second place trophies from Districts tournaments. They qualified for Regionals and will be playing in April. 

“It feels great, however we can’t let our guard down as we are going to face harder opponents in regionals,” freshman Alejandro Mata said. ”We need to step up our game to give them a scare or maybe even come out on top.”

The tournament lasted two days, and some players felt that the pressure ramped up for day two. 

“Before the start of round two, I was a little more nervous because I was holding onto the lead, and knowing that everyone in the field has a target on your back can be a little intimidating,” senior Andrew Tan said. “Thankfully, I was able to stick to my own game, and it was enough to win me the tournament.”

The team will continue to practice for the upcoming Regionals competition. 

“I knew coming into the tournament that I was swinging well so I was pretty confident in that, but I was not sure about my putting since I had not gotten to practice it as much as I would have liked,” junior Tyler Blackwell said. “I need to put in some work on the greens before regionals.” 

Despite his nerves, Mata found that being around his teammates gave him a leg up in the competition. 

“On day two of the tournament I was paired up with Tyler” Mata said. “Getting to experience those putts with a vandy team member was awesome because we hyped each other up, which became my favorite memory from this tournament.”

The tournament was a productive one for players like freshman Shelly Areepitak, who finished with an 82, her best score this year.

“I think that I’ve learned not to expect every day to be the same,” Apreepitak said. “It’s nice to know that I have it in me to play well but I need to find consistency first. I should try to think about my next shot and not dwell on my previous shots or holes too much.”

Tan stressed that although the team’s achievements were thanks to months of practice, his mental state was also key.

“For any incoming freshman looking to make the district team, I would say don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Tan said. “Constantly willing yourself to play your best hardly ever works, and if you can treat it like any other round of golf, the success will come quickly.”