More gold for Vandegrift: Sydney Givens, Vipers win Class 6A girls golf championship
GEORGETOWN — The girls golf team from Vandegrift High has added another chapter to the school's legacy of athletic excellence.
Led by Sydney Givens, the Vipers captured the UIL's Class 6A state golf championship Tuesday at Legacy Hills Golf Club. Givens finished the two-day tournament 4-under par as the Vipers defeated runner-up Humble Kingwood by six strokes.
As for individual honors, Maelynn Kim of Katy Seven Lakes birdied the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win gold. Givens and Lake Travis' Kate Pickrell had pars on the first playoff hole and were forced into another playoff. Givens had an impressive chip-in to earn silver.
This was a state championship three years in the making for Vandegrift, which has earned team silver the past two years. The Vipers went wire-to-wire Tuesday, taking a three-stroke lead over Kingwood after Monday and then leading by as many as 12 shots on the final day of competition.
The victory also made a winner out of first-year Vipers coach Aaron Ford, who hugged his players, family and assorted fans who were there dressed in black, white and silver. This marked the first time the Vipers girls have won state in golf. The boys have won state honors three different times. Vandegrift has made a habit of being competitive in nearly every sport.
"What we have at Vandegrift starts from the top," Ford said. "Drew Sanders is an amazing athletic coordinator and football coach. He set the tone for the whole athletic department. We have kids in the community who just want to want to win. When you have that combination, you're going to have success across the board."
Givens had another fine round, shooting an even-par 72 to complement the 68 she opened with on Monday. The Vipers also received championship points from Danica Lundgren, Breanna Hoese, Mimi Burton and Eden McSpadden.
Burton, a two-time all-state golfer who's bound for Notre Dame, said this was a great way to finish her high school career. She earned individual bronze as a sophomore and shared the two team silvers the past two years.
"To be able to win (team state honors) in my senior year is pretty cool," Burton said. "We'll have three juniors coming back. This makes a pretty good note to end high school."
Lake Travis' Pickrell was proud of her two-day performance and leaves with a bronze medal. Next year she will compete at Abilene Christian.
"I have not had a good record here the past few years. I finally conquered the course and I'm happy for that," Pickrell said.
Among the most interested spectators on Tuesday was Sanders, who guided the football team to the Class 6A Division II state championship game in December. As the leader of the entire athletic department, he was proud to see that the girls left with the championship trophy.
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"We have a wall in the athletic department that says those who stay will be champions," Sanders said. "We have all the teams that finished in the top three in team sports all around it. There is such a strong tradition of excellence in athletics since the doors opened. So nice to get a state championship in girls golf. We've been close lately and I can't be prouder of the team and what they accomplished."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Vandegrift, Sydney Givens win girls Class 6A state golf championship
