Apaches’ golf team advances to state after taking third

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CORPUS CHRISTI — The Gonzales Apaches boys’ team has advanced to the state meet after taking third in the Region IV-4A tournament at Lozano Golf Course in Corpus Christi with a total of 665 strokes. On the girls’ side, Kiley Allen placed 14th of the 95 golfers.

“[Allen] had a beautiful practice round, but after trying to get her nerves acclimated first round, she had a relaxing, solid 85 second day,” Gonzales’ head coach J Lynn Barnick said.

“The boys played well on the first day, exactly what I expected,” he explained. “Fredericksburg is the class of the field, but we are one of two or three to be second or third.”

On the first day, the Apaches scored 321 as a team, shooting 162 on the front nine then a 159 on the back nine.

“Pretty good day, right with Devin,” Barnick said. “We were ahead of the rest of the field, except for Wimberley who were seven strokes away. But that was the closest Wimberley was to us all year.”

That first day, Gonzales’ Mason Richter was tied for second with 74 strokes behind La Feria’s Andy Cortez who had 73. The other three golfers with 74 strokes all hailed from Fredericksburg.

Jake Barnick was close with 77 while Tristan Riley had 85, Kolby Kifer had 85 and Wade Miller finished the day with 98.

The team finished one stroke behind Devine and 18 away from Fredericksburg.

The second day proved to be a tough one for all involved. As the wind picked up in Corpus, scores were affected that day.

The Apaches scored 165 in the front nine but then struggled in the back nine.

“We made some 8s and 9s, stuff we haven’t done all year,” Barnick noted. “I think we were tired, not physically but mentally. Playing in the wind can do that to you. Not just us, we continued to get further ahead of Wimberley but lose ground on Devine.”

The Apaches scored a 179 on the back nine to finish the day with 343 strokes, 14 behind Devine.

Richter’s second day score wasn’t affected as much as he finished the second day with 76, totaling 150 in the tournament, tied for second with Cortez and Raymondville’s James Alfaro. The trio had a three-way playoff to determine second, third and fourth medalist with Richter winning third medalist. Barnick placed 13th with a 158 strokes. Tristan Riley had 175, Kolby Kifer had 182 and Wade Miller had 201.

“When we got to regionals, we knew we were in a top-five team,” Barnick said. “These kids had state on their brains for the last six weeks and it is pressure to know that it’s a possibility, but they went to Corpus and did what it took to do what no Gonzales golf team has done in a generation of teams. I am so proud of seniors Jake Barnick, Tristan Riley, Kolby Kifer and Wade Miller (who just started playing golf) and of course freshman Mason Richter who took us from a little above-average team to a district champion and then to state.”

For the girls’ side, Kiley Allen golfed a 97 in the first day and an 85 in the second day to finish with 182 strokes, good for 14th. Although the freshman was the lone regional finalist for the Apaches’ team, the future is bright for that program.

“I had a good group of freshman girls and some in eighth grade,” Barnick said. “There’s potential for this to be a state team [in the future].”

The boys’ have a few weeks until the state tournament at Apple Rock Golf Course at Horseshoe Bay in Marble Falls. They play May 22-23.

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