Athletes Connection - STATE GOLF NOTEBOOK: Seven Lakes looks to emerge atop 4A

	STATE GOLF NOTEBOOK: Seven Lakes looks to emerge atop 4A
	Thursday May 01, 2008
	Written by Chad Washington

Three stalwarts in the hole and barely any turnover on the heels of an eighth-place state finish had Seven Lakes golf coach Sean Ewing thinking big this year.

Once a solid move-in added consistently low scores, the Spartans’ status atop the region was solidified.

The team Ewing takes to Austin for the 4A state tournament Monday and Tuesday at Jimmy Clay Golf Course features at least seven golfers who average in the 70s and a squad that will graduate only one senior.

Sophomore Trey Sullivan and juniors Albert Miner and Brian Swanson all average in the low- to mid-70s. Move-in Juan Espiga, a freshman from Venezuela, has averaged 75 or 76 the entire year.

“I was lucky this year with depth,” Ewing said. “My fifth, sixth and seventh players all averaged 77, 78 or 79 this year. We have a nice crop of kids around here. All of these kids take their golf seriously and they’re dedicated to doing their part.”

Miner shot 146 to win the regional and Swanson placed third with a 147.

“We were confident going in; we were considered the favorites partly because we have 5A numbers already (Seven Lakes is moving up next year) and we have more golfers to choose from,” Ewing said. “And these guys are out just working on their games 10, 12, 13 hours a week. That doesn’t when they’re actually playing.”

Girls player Janell Lysack won the Huntsville regional and qualified as an individual.

Lysack, who shot 6-over 152 at the regional, will be somewhat familiar with the field. Another individual qualifier, Rosenberg Terry’s Katelyn McDougal, is a District 24-4A rival, and Lysack also has competed against Montgomery junior Lisa McCloskey, the defending state champion.

Montgomery is seeking its eighth straight state title.

McCloskey is working to graduate early because her father is being transferred overseas; her accelerated courseload caused her to miss both the district and regional meets. She will attend Pepperdine this fall.

“Janell had her average around 79, 80, 81 earlier in the year but she’s taken her name to the next level,” Ewing said. “She concentrated on the little things – her short game and putting – and in the second half of the season she’s been shooting 76 and 77. She’s come into her own. She has goals and she wants to get a college scholarship. She knows playing well is the key to getting her name out there.”

Different on this end

As quickly as Memorial coach Cameron Sands acknowledged the difference between being the head coach and an assistant on a state-qualifying team, he deflected most of the credit for Memorial advancing to former coach Annette Romero.

Led by Cory Whitsett’s medallist total of 137 in the regional at Eagle Pointe, the Mustangs are returning to state for the fourth consecutive year. They finished sixth last year; Whitsett tied for second, one shot behind champion Blake Redmond of Fort Bend Clements.

Sands became head coach last winter upon Romero’s retirement.

“I have to give so much credit to coach Romero,” Sands said after the regional. “It’s certainly nice to be the head coach but I have to give her a lot of credit. I know she’s proud of us. She’s retired now and she lives out in the Austin area and I think she’s going to try to come and watch us at state.”

New-look course

Both the 4A and 5A state tournaments will be at Jimmy Clay Golf Course, which has hosted state events but underwent extensive renovations for much of 2007. The crux of the project included three holes bring redesigned, all bunkers being built and all greens were replanted.

“We were at Roy Kizer last year (for state) but our kids went up to Clay this semester and played a round,” Seven Lakes coach Sean Ewing said. “They’ll get a practice round Saturday, too. It’s totally redone and it’s a brand new course. We’ll see what happens.”