By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

After a brief visit to the Alamo Tuesday morning, the Chaps returned to San Antonio’s storied Pecan Valley Golf Course and made their own stand on the second day of the Class 5A Region IV tournament.

Westlake, building on a first-round lead, fired a 307 in yesterday’s final round to win the regional title with a 618. Smithson Valley finished second with a 646 to join the Chaps at the state tournament.

With their second consecutive Region IV championship, the Chaps qualified for the state tournament for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Austin’s Jimmy Clay Golf Course hosts the Class 5A state tournament May 14-15.

“Our girls deserve so much credit for all they’ve done to prepare for this tourney,” Westlake coach Chuck Nowland said. “I can’t say enough about this team and how well they represented all of us and the school.”

 More than anything, Westlake represented how a deep team can cruise to a title without having an individual medalist. Kaylin Terry led Westlake with a 75-72 147 but fell one stroke short of a medal. However, said Nowland, her all-regional was just a part of a strong team effort.

 All five Chaps placed in the top 20. No other team had more than three players finish in that range.

 “That’s an indication of our team depth and our desire to play our best for each other until the last putt drops,” Nowland said.

 Haley Haught fired a 75-80 155 to finish tied for ninth. That tally marked a career best for a two-day tournament. Taylor Moreno finished with an 80-80 160, and Jenna Stene shot an 81-81 162.

 Carly Berryhill, who battled through a few rough holes at last weeks’ district tournament, shot an 88-75 163. Her stellar second round included four birdies and a 20-yard chip shot that found the cup on the first hole.

 Chaslyn Chrismer of San Antonio MacArthur won individual honors with a 144.