We're ready [for State].”

Anna Clanton

The Cascade Lady Champions’ Golf team made program history on Monday after winning the team Region 5-A Championship for the first time at Ross Creek Landings. 

Anna Clanton, Tatyana Greene, and Sara Kate Hall are the three seniors that finished first, second, and sixth place overall individually. Since team scoring only uses the top two finishers on every team, Cascade occupying the top two places individually ensured not only they clinched first place as a team, but they will also be playing for a state championship next week in Sevierville as a team for the first time.

“It was pretty exciting, first of all that we made school history, and second of all, we finally met our goal that we’ve been wanting to for four years,” Greene said, who shot a 76 (+4) to take the runners-up spot. 

The Summertown Lady Eagles have created somewhat of a dynasty in Girls’ Golf in the middle Tennessee area. Coming into Monday’s competition, they had won six consecutive Region titles. However, thanks in large part to a masterful display from Anna Clanton who shot a 73 (+1) on the day, the Lady Champs dethroned Summertown to take home the gold plaque. 

Ross Creek Landings in Clifton, Tennessee, was the home of this year’s competition, and it is a notably difficult course to traverse as a golfer. Despite this fact, Cascade beat out the second-place Eagles by an astounding 15 strokes, 149 to 164.

“There was a lot of high grass, like the rough was really thick, and the greens were really firm, it was like hitting on a rock. The green’s were slow,” Greene said about the challenges Ross Creek presented.
“Try to hit it in the fairway as much as you can. Obviously you’re not going to hit it in the fairway every single time – I sure didn’t – but like don’t go for the hole in the rough; play it safe and go with it.”

“It was my first time playing there [at Ross Creek],” Hall continued, “so I heard going into it that this course was so difficult, and I just tried to get that out of my head because ultimately, if you hit the ball like you’re supposed to, and if you play the course, you’re going to come out with a good score.”

Anna Clanton is pretty soft-spoken off the course, but on the course, she let her clubs yell out loud and clear on Monday, finishing just one over par and taking home the top spot individually. She was so locked in that she didn’t even know she was in first place until after she wrapped up the 18th hole.

“I had a good feeling, not that I won but that the team won because of how the people around us and in our group were playing,” Greene explained, “and I saw their scores compared to my scores and I was thinking we have a chance. Then I went to go watch Anna [Clanton], and she was playing lights out.”

Clanton and Greene have qualified for the state tournament before – this will be Greene’s fourth consecutive year – but it has been as individuals. This is the first time they will be competing as not just individuals, but as part of a team.

Last year, Greene posted a score of 76 on the second day while Clanton’s best was an 83. However, at state, the competition is over 36 holes and two days, which is different from Regionals. This obviously calls for some slight adjustments from everyone participating. 

“It’s more mental than anything, like if you play bad the first day you have to stay strong and play good the second day,” Clanton said. “You can’t let it get to your head.”

Of course, there are physical challenges to go along with the mental hurdles.

“Walking,” blurted out both Greene and Clanton, before Greene took the initiative to go into a bit more detail. “You’re going to be tired, that’s just something you’re going to have to push through. You’re going to be going up hills, you’re going to need to catch a breather here and there, but I think we can push through it. Especially playing at [Henry] Horton with those hills…It’s definitely harder than Horton but I think we can push through it.”

When asked about the mindset going into next Monday and Tuesday, the soft-spoken Clanton had just three words: “We are ready.”

The Lady Champs will be competing for the program’s first ever state championship on Monday and Tuesday, with live updates coming via TSSAA on their website. The Times-Gazette will also have daily updates posted online after each round is completed. Individual tee times are still to be determined.