Carmen Gonzales shot a two-round total of 162 at Pecan Valley to qualify for the 2010 Golf State Championships in Austin May 10-11. PHOTOS BY RICHARD AKRIDGE There is no time like the present to do something unprecedented.

On Tuesday afternoon, Carmen Gonzales became the first Lady Badger in at least a decade to advance to the golf state championships.

Not only is Gonzales setting new standards at Lampasas, but the sophomore is doing so well ahead of her original estimated time of delivery.

“I had big plans for her next year,” Lampasas girls’ head golf coach Stuart Beckwith said. “She’s a year ahead of schedule, but that is a good problem.”

Gonzales exceeded the expectations by shooting a combined 162 at the two-round Region IV-4A Tournament at Pecan Valley in San Antonio.

Having played the course numerous times in preparation for reaching regionals, Gonzales’ confidence showed early as she opened the tournament by posting the third-best score of the day with a first-round 80.

Gonzales taps a putt toward the hole as she completes her second day of Region IV-4A competition. She opened the round by posting a 38 on the front nine. Gonzales returned the next day and shot a 38 on the front side before almost suffering a severe setback.

“She was really playing well [on the front nine], and then she parred the first two holes of the back side,” Beckwith said. “Then she had a little blowup, and I think she let the pressure get to her for four or five holes.”

On hole No. 6, a par 5, a creek sits in front of the green that players must clear.

Gonzales did not. “She hit the ball square into the creek,” Beckwith said. “I thought, ‘Man, there it goes. That’s the tournament. There is no way she will be able to recover.’

“She goes over there, looks in the creek, and her ball had made it to the other side where it was sitting on about a 45-degree angle slope.”

Gonzales chipped the ball onto the green and picked up a bogey, but the brief stretch was pivotal.

“I think that shot saved her,” Beckwith said.

In fact, it did.

She beat out Hutto’s Ilissa Riley- Jaggers (163) by a single stroke.

Gonzales finished the second round with an 82 to tie Keeley Coburn of Corpus Christi Tuloso- Midway in the final standings, and both individuals advanced to state.

Lake Travis (621) earned the team championship and advances to state along with second-place Corpus Christi Moody (711).

All three individual medalists were Lady Cavs, and fourth place belonged to Moody’s Kelsey Canales, which allowed Gonzales and Coburn to earn the state berths.

The state tournament will take place May 10-11 at Austin’s Jimmy Clay Golf Course.

While the trip could be an overwhelming experience for an underclassman, Beckwith is certain Gonzales will be prepared when the first tee time rolls around.

“She’ll be serious,” the coach said. “That’s the only way she plays.

“She’s the type of kid that if you roll out a pallet of golf balls, she’ll hit them. She loves practice, she loves to do things to get ready, and her work habits are getting her rewards.”

After taking the remainder of the week off to relax and relish in her accomplishment, Gonzales will begin preparations for state Monday.

State qualifiers are allowed to play one practice round at Jimmy Clay before the tournament gets under way, and Beckwith intends to save his for now.

Until he cashes in the round, the coach plans to focus on focus.

“Mentally, there is a lot of work [in preparing],” Beckwith said. “When you’re on the practice range, you’ve got to hit 50 good shots in a row because when you play a round of golf you are going to hit 40 or 50 shots and have 30 to 35 putts.

“Anybody that has played golf understands that is a pretty tough thing to do.”

Not to mention, Gonzales lost an entire year of prep time.

But it is a good problem to have.