AUSTIN -- A&M Consolidated sophomore Casey Grice might have had a case of nerves on the first hole at her first UIL Golf Championships. But by the time she reached the No. 2 tee box at Jimmy Clay Golf Course, the nerves were history.

Grice shot an opening-round 68 and boosted Consol into position to make its own history. The Lady Tigers have a two-shot lead in the Class 5A girls team race over Southlake

Carroll after Thursday's

opening round.

The final round is set for Friday.

Grice's 4-under total gave her a six-shot advantage over Plano West's Megan Rose and Lubbock Coronado's Maria Montoya in the individual standings.

"I started off with a bogey, so I didn't start too well," said Grice, who was interrupted, as if on cue, by a nearby chirping bird. "I didn't have another bogey for the rest of the round."

After the opening bogey, she had five birdies on the par-72, 5,190-yard course.

"I'm a long hitter, and it's not that long of a course," Grice said. "I knew if I was hitting my drives well that I would be able to shoot pretty low."

Grice knocked her approach on the par 3 13th to three inches for one of her birdies, but her best effort might've been a scrambling par on No. 18.

"That was probably my most important one because I hit the tree on my drive," Grice said.

Consol finished at 319 as a team followed by Southlake Carroll (321), Plano West (324), Lubbock Coronado (325), Austin Westlake (328) and Fort Bend Clements (329).

In the 3A boys individual race, Caldwell's Cameron Scitern shot 72 and is within two shots of the lead on the par-71 Roy Kizer Golf Course. Scitern closed on the ninth hole and had a chance to reach level par after dropping his approach shot below the flagstick, avoiding the water guarding the front of the green. His birdie attempt, however, stayed just right of the hole.

"The green were pretty hairy," Scitern said. "They had a disease, and it was tough to make putts."

He made enough to stay within striking distance of Waco Robinson's Chase Chapman, whose 70 had his team in the thick of the race.

"I'm happy with where I am," Scitern said. "I had a couple of birdies and a couple of bogeys. No bad holes and no great holes. "

Graham's Drew McGee shot 71 and is alone in second ahead of Scitern, who is in a three-way tie for third along with Medina Valley's Curtis Reed and Longview Spring Hill's Jason Fiscus. It was Scitern's second time to play the course, having played a practice round last Saturday.

"You know, on the first tee it was pretty nerve-wracking, but after that first shot, everything goes away," Caldwell's Region III champion said. "I was patient today, and tomorrow I'm going to do the same thing. I just want to make pars. There are going to be a lot of kids who get frustrated with the greens."

Scitern was one of two Caldwell golfers who qualified for state as medalists. Lauren Ballinger had an opening-round 80 and is eight shots off the lead set by Monahans' Courtney Rutledge at 72. A double bogey on her second hole sent Ballinger's round awry.

After nine holes, Consol coach Mike Terrall admits he was concerned.

"I was a little distressed after the turn because I just didn't think we had played very well," said Terral, who felt nerves might have played a role. "When you tee it up in any sport to represent your school in the state championship, there is going to be some nerves, but you get over those and move on."

Consol put together a late rally on the back nine after Terral let the Lady Tigers know they were still in the hunt for first place.

"You can't coach, but you can encourage," said Terral, who did that to open the back nine. "I found out everybody else's totals, and I said 'Girls, grind, because we are right in it.'"

They took the encouragement to heart with Erin Jang, Kimberly Gibson, Haley Green and Shikhi Cheruku all improving on the back nine.

Jang posted the second-best total. She was 3 over on the back nine to shoot an 80. Gibson had an 84, but the senior had two really bad holes, a triple bogey on No. 9 and a quadruple bogey on 18. Green played the front nine at 47 but came in with a 40. Cheruku shot 89.

The comeback has Consol's coach cautious but confident.

"I have told them I don't want to hear any of this 'In a couple of years, we are going to be good,'" Terral said. "We want to be good now. That's been our mantra."

Grice's voice rose when talking about the team's lead.

"We are so excited. I'm glad we played solid golf and hope we stay there tomorrow," Grice said. "There's always pressure when you play a round of golf, but it's not a life-or-death situation. You just go out there, have fun and try to play your best."

• David Campbell's e-mail address is david.campbell@theeagle.com.

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