Nees advances to regionals

Graham athletes competed this week in the District 6-4A golf tournament, with Steer Jagger Nees coming home with the district championship.

The District 6-4A competition was held March 30-31 at Live Oak Golf Club in Abilene. 

“I’m proud of both the boys and the girls, not just because of scores or results, but because of the kind of kids they are and the way they’ve represented our program,” Head coach Michael Todd said. “They’ve worked hard, they’ve been coachable and they’ve handled the ups and downs of the season really well.”

Nees scored a 75 in the first round and a 78 in the second to bring his total score to 153 overall. Todd said Nees has worked to improve his course management, ability to stay patient and recover when in a tight situation.

“Jagger has been a really special player for us from the time he stepped on campus, but what has allowed him to keep improving is that he hasn’t just relied on talent,” Todd said. “He has continued to mature mentally, and that’s a huge part of why he’s become the player he is.”

Also on the Steers side were Lucas Todd who shot 174, Trevor Holland who shot 198, Karson Willingham who shot 202 and Bryce Walker who shot 195. 

“On the boys’ side, I know they’re disappointed with how district ended, but I also think this group has a lot in front of them. They’ve shown at different points this spring that they can play really good golf, and now the challenge is learning how to bring that level more consistently when it matters most,” Todd said.

For the Lady Blues, Jacie Trice shot 211, Addie Fade shot 222, Maddyx Marin shot 255, Mai Bara shot 265 and Addison Gober shot 232.

“On the girls’ side, I couldn’t be more proud of the progress they made. They improved by leaps and bounds from where they started at the beginning of the year,” Todd said. “They had great attitudes all season, they were fun to coach, and they kept getting better. They’re also a very young group, so this district experience should be really valuable for them as we build toward next season.”

With wins blowing both days of the tournament with gusts around 30 miles per hour, the head coach said it was a demanding test for the athletes.

“The conditions were the toughest I’ve ever seen for a district tournament, and that absolutely had a major impact on everybody in the field,” Todd said.

Despite that fact, Todd said the athletes remained strong on the course and determined.

“This wasn’t one of those tournaments where one group struggled and everyone else went low. The course and the weather made it hard on everybody. You had to stay disciplined, accept that perfect golf probably wasn’t happening, and just keep fighting,” he said.

The head coach said golf in Graham is the only sport that has won multiple state championships, with wins from the Steers in 1993 and 2008 and one from the Lady Blues in 1994. 

“When you coach golf here, you understand you’re stepping into something that already means a lot to this school and community,” Todd said. “There’s a standard attached to it, and that’s a good thing. It gives our players something to be proud of and something to chase.”