The Independence golf team is the 2021 state champions. On Oct. 11, the Tigers shot 8 under 280, becoming the Class 5 Virginia State Champions, with Julie Shin, 12, becoming the 5A State Champion. 

This championship comes at the end of an extremely successful season, after the Tigers were the regular season, district, and regional champions.

During the Region 5D  Championship on Sept. 30 at the Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg, the team set a course record of 278, beating out seven other teams, including Riverside, Potomac Falls, and Patrick Henry. Keya Naik, 9, noted that there was “definitely competition with Riverside, but we have a really great team, and we ended up on top.”

With the state championship win, the Independence golf team added a second state title under their belt. Going into the championship, Naik felt confident in the team, saying “most of them have already played on the course.”

Of the six team members, three are seniors and three are freshmen. Of the seniors, Mehrbaan Singh shot 72, Shin shot 65, and Aryan Vuradi shot 71. Of the freshmen, Naik shot 72, and Neil Kulkarni and Sujaan Singh both shot 75. Good job, Tigers.