AUSTIN -- The wind and the pressure went up, so things were certain to get tight during the final round of the UIL Golf State Championships.

A&M Consolidated sophomore Casey Grice had given herself some wiggle room in the individual competition, and she held on to capture the Class 5A state championship. The Lady Tigers' small cushion in the team standings wasn't enough, as the first-round leaders slipped to fifth place in Consol's first state appearance since 1994.

Consol, which led by two shots after opening with a 319, posted a 329 on Friday at the Jimmy Clay Golf Course. The Lady Tigers' two-day total of 648 was 17 shots behind state champion Southlake Carroll and four back of the bronze medalists from Plano West. Lubbock Coronado took second at 637.

Grice gave the Lady Tigers something to celebrate by winning individual medalist honors. She shot 4-over 76 on Friday, winning the 5A championship by three strokes because of her sensational 68 in the opening round. Grice finished with an even-par total of 144, while Maria Montoya of Lubbock Coronado took second at 74-73--147.

"It's a great feeling," Grice said as she waited to receive her gold medal. "I worked really hard and I knew I had a chance at it, but it's still kind of unbelievable right now.

"I wish our team had finished a little better, but we all tried our best, and that's really all you can ask for."

Consol's lineup included one senior and four sophomores. Erin Jang, another sophomore, played a strong second nine and delivered the team's low score of the day with a 75. Her total of 155 placed her eighth in the individual standings.

"Erin kind of fought her swing in the middle of the year," Consol coach Mike Terral said. "She's getting real close to getting it all back together, and you're going to see her play great for us in the next two years."

Although Terral asked his players to seize this opportunity, it was hard not to think about the future with four starters returning next season. The Lady Tigers probably will add another standout in Lauren Ballenger, a Caldwell sophomore who tied for seventh in the 3A tournament at Roy Kizer Golf Course and plans to move back to College Station before the next school year.

Caldwell produced another Top 10 finisher in junior Cameron Scitern, who took seventh in the boys medalist standings.

Jang started her round with a double-bogey, but she was 1 over the rest of the way. She bounced back from a disappointing three-putt par on No. 4 by draining a putt of 35 feet or more to save bogey after going into the water two holes later.

"It was exciting, but it was kind of nerve-wracking in a way," Jang said. "I think we learned a lot about what it's like to be the leaders. I'm sure next time we come we will do better. We won't be as nervous.

"We'll definitely bounce back. We'll be so much better next year, because we'll know what to expect when we get to state."

Consol's other scores included Kimberly Gibson with an 88 for a 172 total, Shikhi Cheruku at 90-179 and Haley Green with 95-182. Gibson is the only senior on the squad.

"Any time you can come to this stage and represent your school for the highest of honors, it's a wonderful experience," Terral said. "I am very happy with my girls. I love my girls, and they have great things in front of them. But you have 'X' number of chances to fulfill your destiny, and you want to make sure you do that as well as you can.

"We had a couple of disaster holes. That's golf."

The Lady Tigers got through their first nine holes one shot better than in the opening round, but the other contending teams were going lower. Consol trailed by seven or eight shots going into the last nine holes.

Grice maintained a fairly comfortable lead in the medalist race. She could have pulled away for a lopsided victory, but her short game was not as sharp as it was in the first round.

Her final hole, No. 9, was a showcase of the ability that earned her the title and the reason she didn't break par again. Grice unleashed a huge drive, 20 or 30 yards past the other members of her foursome. She made a good approach shot to about 15 feet below the pin, but took three putts and settled for a 5.

That bogey did not tarnish her golden performance, however.

"She can say she beat the best of the best, took them on and beat them all," Terral said. "She'd never say it, but I'll say it right now. That's special."

Scitern earned his first berth in the state tournament by winning the regional title after missing the UIL meet by one stroke as a freshman and sophomore. He opened with a 72 and was two strokes out of the lead, then shot a 75 in the breeze Friday. He was surprised his 147 total wasn't closer to earning a medal.

"It will definitely make me a lot stronger," Scitern said. "I figured my score would have put me in the top three or so, and that will drive me for next year.

"It took a lot of stress off to get here. It feels good to make state. There's really not much like it."

Ballenger, like Consol's Jang, improved her score in the second round by shooting 76 after starting with an 80.

"I played really good, a lot better than yesterday," Ballenger said. "It was exciting to do that at state."

• Larry Bowen's e-mail address is larry.bowen@theeagle.com.

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