ANDREWS Andrews golfer Emme Darnold isn’t too emotional about playing in her final high school tournament next week at state.
She said she might get emotional when all is said and done, however.
The senior Lady Mustang will compete with her team at the UIL Girls Class 4A State Championships on Monday and Tuesday at the Legends Golf Course in Kingsland.
“I think I’m more excited than anything,” Darnold said. “I think maybe when we’re done, the emotions will hit me. But I really have myself composed right now and just having fun.”
The Lady Mustangs are going after their third-consecutive state title and 20th overall.
Last year at state, Darnold finished tenth overall as an individual with a score of 72-80—152 while her team won the championship with a score of 297-309—606, 43 strokes ahead of second place Seminole.
The year before, she finished fourth with a score of 74-78—152.
This year, Darnold and her teammates are confident of-once again-ending on a high note as the team won the Region I-4A title by 59 strokes.
“I’m excited that this is my last (state tournament) and hopefully, it’ll be my best one,” Darnold said. “I can’t wait to go play college golf, and I’m just I’m just lucky that I’ve gone four years to experience going to state.”
At regionals, she finished with a score of 74-76—150.
The lone senior on this year’s Andrews girls golf team, Darnold is going to be playing collegiate golf at the NCAA Division II level at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls.
“I went on a visit, and it just felt like home,” Darnold said of Midwestern State. “I loved the coach. I loved the players.”
Throughout her career at Andrews, Darnold has won ten tournaments, three of which came this season.
Those victories came at the Tall City Tournament, the Andrews Girls Classic and the District Tournament.
However, Darnold said this season has been special but also a little rocky at times.
“Sometimes, I haven’t seen the results I wanted to while playing golf,” Darnold said. “I feel like I’ve played well and then not see the results.”
Still, she’s recorded some victories this season and is hopeful of more to come next week.
“It’s been special,” Darnold said of this season. “I’ve gotten some wins and I just hope to continue to have success.”
With Darnold being the only senior on this year’s varsity team, head coach Mark Burgen says she’s brought a lot of leadership to the squad this season.
“She’s been very solid and very stable and just a solid leader,” Burgen said. “When she goes out and sets the pace, she’s going to come in with a very competitive score … She’s a big leader for us.”
Another advantage that Darnold has brought to the table for the Lady Mustangs is her experience at the state tournament.
This will be her third year of playing at the state championship.
“She’s just experienced,” Burgen said. “We don’t face a situation that catches her by surprise.”
While she’s hopeful of doing well at state as an individual, she also wants to come home with a third-straight state title with her teammates.
“I want to win a state championship, not just by myself, but with the team also,” Darnold said. “Individually, I want to win and so that’s really the goal that I have right now.”
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