TIFTON — Tift County’s Lady Devils golf team qualified for the Class 6A state golf tournament Monday, shooting a 239 to finish both second in Region 1-6A, and in the area.

Marlee Veazey led Tift with a 77. Payne Lodge shot 80 and Brianna Domagala finished at 82. Riley Williams and Maddie Hendrix competed as well.

Richmond Hill won first with a team score of 232. The Lady Wildcats also had the tournament low medalist. Alexa Mohler shot a two-under 70.

The region and area tournaments were held at Tifton’s Spring Hill Country Club. By defending the home links, they won’t have to go on the road. A third-place finish would have sent them to sectionals at Villa Rica, a four-hour drive each way.

Now, they can sit back and wait for state, set for May 19-20 at Kinderlou Forest in Valdosta. Tift’s boys can join them at state if they finish well next week at their region/area tournament in Moultrie.

“I’m pleased with this team,” said head coach Rusty Smith. “They’re such a good group. I’m proud. We deserve this.”

This should be a successful teams for the next several years. Domagala is the only senior. Veazey is just a freshman.

“Marlee stepped up today,” he said, and Lodge and Domagala have been solid all year.

Lowndes was third at 249 and Camden County was fourth at 278. Colquitt County finished at 304. Lady Packer Addyson Giddens qualified for state at 88.

Only two area schools sent full teams to Spring Hill. Harrison shot 284 and Campbell shot 331. Paulding County and Hillgrove had two competitors each.

Osborne was to have one golfer competing Monday and Valdosta was to have had two, but all withdrew from the tournament.