Koemel advances to regional golf

Local junior Alayna Koemel was the sole Albany High School golfer who competed in the second round of the district golf tournament Monday at Maxwell Municipal Golf Course, maintaining her status as the second place medalist and advancing to the regional tournament. 

Koemel recorded an 18-hole total of 127 on a windy course this week, following up her 119 total the previous week.

The regional tournament will be held at Ratliff Ranch Golf Course in Odessa on Wednesday and Thursday, April 24-25.

“Alayna set a goal to make it to regionals this year, and she has worked very hard to achieve that goal,” said golf coach Tate Thompson. “I am very proud of her for making that happen.”

He added that Koemel has worked hard in practice to prepare for the tournament, even though the weather hasn’t cooperated this season, and there haven’t been many other meets.

“Alayna has done a great job of fixing things that we have worked on in practice, and she carried that over to the tournaments,” said Thompson.

The only other two Albany golfers were Cooper Fairchild and Taren Farmer. Fairchild played in the first district round, but did not return this week.

Both local athletes were entered as medalists because there were not enough players for a team.

The top two medalists from the district meet, if they are not already on a winning team, advance to the regional tournament, as do all members of the top two teams.