FRISCO, TEXAS — The Centennial Girls’ Golf Team competed at the UIL State Golf (State) Tournament on April 28-29, 2025, securing second place on the podium. The team faced tough competition this year, attempting to dethrone three-time State champion Alamo Heights.
Sophomore golfer Gracie Kent shared what the practice sessions were like for the golf team.
“We normally start by meeting on the playing green. It depends on what we need to work on. We work on short game drills (chipping, putting) and then determine what we need to work on [further].”
Coach Ben Margraves shared some of the struggles the team faced.
“Throughout the year, we seemed to struggle with our scores on days [when] we…could not strike the ball as solid as we wanted. Knowing that this does and will happen…, we needed to clean up our play through the short game to get the most out of every round, regardless of how well we were hitting the ball,” Margraves said. “[We were] diligent in every aspect of the game.
The team shared excitement in placing in the top three during regionals and advancing to state, a feat already worth celebrating.
Not only was Centennial up against a three-time state champion, but they also faced personal struggles.
“For myself, I didn’t play the best during the first day. I was concerned about my score’s impact on the rest of the team. On the second day, I had to overcome what happened on the first day and play the best I can,” Kent said.
Junior golfer Kennedy Brandstetter shared her struggles as well. “The weather [was my main challenge]. It was really windy, and it made the course play a lot harder. It made it harder to stay physically and mentally in during the tournament,” Branstetter shared.
Motivation was another key factor that helped the team keep going when things got tough.
“Our biggest motivator was making it to state. Our main goal was placing [on] the podium. We knew that Alamo Heights w[as] a really good team and our goal was to beat them,” Kent said.
Senior Golfer Isabella Anzualda was also motivated by her teammates during the tournament.
“Even though we [didn’t] get to see each other much throughout the round, when I get to see them, they always [had] something positive to say.”
Placing second at state was quite an accomplishment and means a lot to the team.
“Getting second means a lot to us because we got [a score of] 299, and that’s the best we’ve done as a team all year. It means a lot to see our hard work pay off and [it proves] that we deserve to compete at state,” Kent shared.
Coach Margraves shared his thoughts about the accomplishment. “Even though we did not win state, like we did [in] district and regionals, we played more consistently and complete[ly] up and down the lineup. Each young lady played well at state, which resulted in some of our best team scores of the year,” Margraves shared. “We played our best golf when it mattered… unfortunately, we were up against the best girls’ team… Alamo Heights. However, I believe these young ladies proved to themselves their capabilities… [to] play well… and [be just] as good as anyone [else] in Texas.”
The team also learned some important lessons at state.
“I learned how important it is to focus on myself even when we’re playing as a team…[to] let our scores come together as a team,” Kent said.
For some, this state championship meant a last game together and a final goodbye. That was the case for senior Isabella Anzualda.
“This has by far been my favorite year in the program, and I am so thankful to have had the teammates that I do and accomplish the things that we have,” Anzualda shared. “This year has been my favorite year over the last four years…. [M]y game has gotten so much better and [I’ve] enjoyed playing more this year than in past years.”
Coach Margraves had some final thoughts to share about the growth of the team this season.
“They bonded together on and off the golf course. They… also understand their capabilities [now] with a few new faces on the team compared to last year’s roster. Some of the younger girls from last year grew into leadership positions throughout the year, which I believe will help this team continue to mature and focus as they get older and more experienced.”
State marks the end of the season for Girls’ Golf. Be sure to congratulate the Girls Golf team on their second-place finish at State! Stay up-to-date with the team’s season next year and more on MAXPREPS.
