While the Hahnville boys had been well-represented at the state golf championship match in past years, particularly by alum Colin Troxler, it had been awhile since a Lady Tiger had reached the state level.
But that drought came to an end last week, as the HHS girls team of Maddie Dufrene, Emma Dufrene and Shelby Walls competed in an eight-team field at the Division I state championship at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club in Youngsville.
Though the Tigers finished last in the eight-team field, simply reaching the final weekend of competition was a fitting cap to what was a tremendous season for the girls’ golf squad.
The three players notched a team score of 186 at the regional championship match to advance to the state championship, where the prep playing course expands from nine to 18 holes. HHS finished with a score of 434 on rounds of 220 and 214.
Sulphur won the girls state championship with a score of 304, 60 points ahead of second place St. Joseph’s Academy.
Maddie Dufrene shot rounds of 108 and 100 for a total of 208, placing her 20th in state to end the year. Emma Dufrene shot 112 and 124 for a total of 236 while Walls shot 124 and 114 to finish with a score of 238.
Mary Frances Chauvin of Hammond Magnet won the individual championship by shooting a total of 150 over two days.
Hahnville golf coach Shelby Lanier said he was very proud of the season his girls had, while also excited about the prospects the future yields: the three Tiger players will all return next season, as Maddie Dufrene is a junior, Emma Dufrene is a sophomore and Walls is a freshman.
“When you get to state, that pressure builds and I think it affected us on the first day,” Lanier said. “We shot better on day two, but by that time you’ve fallen behind … now, we’ve got the experience under our belt.”
He noted the three play year-round, so by this time next year, this team should be quite seasoned to make a potential run.
“The kids had a blast. It was a really great experience for everyone,” Lanier said. “We learned some good lessons to top it off.”
To reach state, Maddie Dufrene’s regional performance was key. She shot a season-low 89 at that match.
“She usually shoots in the low 90s,” Lanier said. “She broke 90 for the first time there and that was very big for us.”
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