Lady Rangers advance to NJCAA national tournament

The Ranger College women's golf team wouldn't let high winds or a rough course stand in their way over the weekend. They rallied from a 2-stroke deficit over the final 18 holes to claim the District 2 golf championship on Saturday at the Sammy Baugh Golf Course in Snyder.

With the victory, the Lady Rangers earned a berth in the 2021 NJCAA Women's National Golf Tournament. The event will be held in Florida in May.

The team struggled with high winds during Friday's opening round. Ranger managed to tie Western Texas College for second in the standings following the first 18 holes. Perennial golf power McLennan Community College held a 2-stroke lead heading into the final day of play.

Maria Sierra Sanz, who grew up next door to golfing legend Seve Ballesteros in Spain, and the RC women got into the groove on Saturday. Sanz, along with teammates Noppasorn Far-arun, Jirasuda Khunarak, Kayla Paulsen and Taylor Hodges, stormed back. They erased McLennan's lead by winning the second round by 24 strokes.

Hodges is a freshman from Eastland. Far-arun and Khunarak are both freshmen from Thailand, while Paulsen is from Cape Town, South Africa.

The Lady Rangers are the second RC squad to advance to the national championship meet this year. The RC Lady Rangers' cross country team won the NJCAA Division I national championship earlier this year.