As a result of winning the state championship, Reagan Girls Golf was invited to the prestigious National High School Golf Invitational (NHSGA) at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, NC. This invite-only tournament included the top high school golfers from across the country. Reagan golfers Danielle Bailey, Marissa Loya, Victoria Patterson, Camille Pazouki, and Lydia Portlock, represented the state of Texas along with coaches, Russell Aki and Stephen Martinez.
When asked about competing on a national level, Head Coach Aki commented, “Coach Martinez and myself couldn’t be more proud of the team. We didn’t know what to expect since the tournament was made up of State Champions from across the nation. This was a once in a lifetime experience that our players and families will never forget. We have played against talented teams from across Texas, but to compete on a national stage and showcase not only our program and community, but more importantly our state, was truly amazing.”
Reagan finished second behind the returning national champions, Lambert of Georgia, finishing with team rounds of 297, 290 and 305, for a three day total of 892. Aki shared, “For our first two rounds we went back and forth with Lambert and traded punches for the lead which was unexpected given their talent. They have girls that played in the US Women’s Open and won the USGA Four-Ball event. Lambert also won the Georgia State Championship 8 of the last 9 years and were the defending National Champions. To see our girls compete and play with a team of their caliber, showed the heart and fight of our team.”
After such a successful year at both the state and national levels, Aki said, “Words can’t describe how excited and proud we are of our players. We hope to carry this momentum into another great year and another shot at the championship!”
The Reagan community is proud of the talent, teamwork, and dedication displayed by this team and congratulate them on an outstanding year!
You can follow our Golf team and their success year round @Rattlergolf on Instagram and Twitter.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Invitational and the challenging Pinehurst Resort course.
#RattlerPride #WeAreReagan