RTC Girls Make History, Heading to State Golf as a Team for First Time Ever
The past two seasons the Round Top-Carmine girls golf team missed making it to state by the smallest of margins – by just four strokes two years ago and five strikes last year.
This year’s team was determined to change that trend, and they did so by shooting a two-day team score of 833 earlier this month in Manor to claim the regional runner-up title and the school’s first ever girls golf team state tourney berth.
They will compete May 4-5 at Crystal Falls Golf Club in Leander at State.
“These girls are dedicated. They go to the course at least once a week, and not just during golf season. They have access to the Giddings course whenever they want and if you look in the registry, they are there multiple times a week,” said coach Bayley Gold. “Golf is a growing sport here. We had 26 contestants (nearly a third of the school), boys and girls, playing golf this year. We are going to keep growing, keep getting better.”
We’re proud to honor the members of the state-bound Cubettes golf team (Angie Le Bouef, Avery Nelius, Makayla Smith, Caydan Nelius, Alin Soto and alternates Morgan Nelius and Georgia Bockman as this week’s Fayette County Athletes of the Week.
We caught up with them at RTC High School this week as the girls were eagerly waiting for some dry weather so they could get back out on the golf course and get ready for state.
Several of the girls talked about how their parents initially got them into the sport (or in Bockman’s case she said she started golf just to be able to skip school), but now they’ve learned to love it.
“We put in a lot of time and effort after school,” Smith said.
Le Bouef, a junior is a leader of the team. She placed third individually at regionals, and she, along with Avery Nelius See qualified for state as individuals last year. Le Bouef placed seventh at state in 2025.
Three of the players on the team are sisters. Senior Avery Nelius said it’s been fun sharing the experience with her sisters, twins Caydan and Morgan, who are freshmen.
“As a senior, I get to have a teaching moment and share all the knowledge I have with them,” Avery said. “There’s a lot of arguments between us but it’s been fun to share this with them.”
The team aspect of golf has really had an impact on the girls.
“It makes you accountable because you know other people are relying on you and your score,” Bockman said. “You have to put 110-percent in.”
And it makes things that much more gratifying when they win as a team.
“It was like wow, we really did that,” Soto said of qualifying for state. “And to be the first team here to do that – we’ll look back and be like, ‘wow, that was us.’”
For lots more from the players on the team and their coach, watch their interview on our Youtube page Friday, and next week on Facebook.