Socorro golf teams take second at state tournament

The future of Socorro High School’s golf programs is bright as the young and talented Warriors and Lady Warriors finished in second place at the Class 3A state golf tournament at the New Mexico Tech golf course on Tuesday.

Despite having a four-peat slip away on day two, girls coach Kristen Griego had a big smile on her face as she talked about Socorro’s golf future. Powered by Liz Elam’s 170 two-day total, Texico won the state title by a slim six-stroke margin.

“The future is bright with two 8th graders, a freshman, a sophomore, and a junior, and they’re all coming back next year,” Kristen Griego, “We have the opportunity to come out and contend every single year, and I think they have a good chance. Texico loses two. I’m not sure if they have other kids coming up, but they’re going to put up a good run next year.”

Socorro started the tournament’s second day with a nine-stroke lead, shooting a combined 403 to Texico’s 412. Arianna Crespin’s 92 led the Lady Warriors, followed by Natasha Apodaca (96), Abbegail Munguia (106), and Kailyn Timmons (109).

The lead swelled to 13 strokes, but things started to slip away on the course’s closing holes.

“Coming down 16, 17, 18, and one and two, we struggled. From there, we did what we could, but it’s hard to come back. I think through three and four, we were tied, and then we didn’t finish well. It’s a young group, and they’re already ready to come back,” Kristen Griego said.

Crespin’s two-day total of 189 landed a fourth-place overall finish, and Apodaca was fifth with 189.

Girls Scores Arianna Crespin 92-90-182; Natasha Apodaca 96-93-189; Abbegail Munguia 106-102-208; Kailyn Woods 109-110-219; Avery Timmons 116-111-229 Team total 798.

Boys shine bright

Miguel Griego’s Warriors’ second place is the third time in four years Socorro has finished as the state runner-up. The best news is that players were shining their brightest on the state’s biggest stage.

“They played better than they have all season. Nothing but joy is coming from me. We’re as close to Mesilla Valley as we’ve ever been,” Miguel Griego said. “We’ve had some individuals do their best this week, and I’m elated for them. It shows them how good they can really be. We’re really excited moving forward.”

While disappointment was written all over his face, freshman Isaiah Silva had a medal draped around his neck after shooting 77-85 for a 162 for 4th place, and he had the Warriors’ best finish. Weird things happened during Silva’s round, including having his ball roost in a tree.

Andrew Handrich dug deep and lowered his score from 83 to 81 to slide into a three-way tie for 5th place. Tavin Benavidez had the most significant score swing with a seven-stroke improvement, and Andrew Moellenbrock dropped his round by six strokes.

“Tavin, he’s a guy that I’ve told all year he could be one of our better best players. He has to believe in himself. Moellenbrock, we call him little Andrew; he played his best round ever today,” Miguel Griego said.

Playing on their home course helped the Warriors to settle in and play with confidence.

“We’re honored to play any course, but here at NM Tech, they treat us really well, and they are a part of our successes. They allow us to practice year-round practice, and they support us in any way they can. We’re very grateful to the university for its support,” he said.

Boys Results – Isaiah Silva 77-85-162; Andrew Handrich 83-81-164; Ian Gonzales 86-86-172; Tavin Benavidez 96-89-185; Andrew Moellenbrock 103-97 Team Score 683.