Perkins, Gilliam qualify for state golf tournament
May 3—These Buffs are headed to the state tournament.
McAlester golfers Seth Gilliam and Shawn Perkins joined their teammates in traveling Monday to Pryor Creek Golf Course for the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Class 5A regional, where the pair qualified to advance out of the regional and into the state tournament.
Perkins and Gilliam faced the competitive field and persevered — placing themselves as some of the top individual golfers in the regional.
According to OSSAA rules, only the top four medalists — regardless of whether they are on a qualifying team — advance as individual qualifiers, as well as the next six individuals.
Both Gilliam and Perkins will be making a return to familiar territory after the Buffs played and participated in the 2022 OSSAA Class 5A Boys Golf State tournament at the same course in Duncan. Perkins finished last year's tournament with scores of 97 and 96 in the 36-hole tournament, while Gilliam will be making his tournament debut.
McAlester coach Justin Bond said this season he has seen so much resolve out of the Buffs, and they put in a lot of work to give themselves the opportunities for success. And he said they'll have to keep that same tenacity and work ethic going forward with their game.
"All we have to do is try to keep getting better, stay healthy," Bond said. "We've got to keep pressing ourselves and getting better at the little things that help us with that score."
The 2023 OSSAA Class 5A Boys Golf State tournament is scheduled for May 8-9 at Territory Golf and Country Club in Duncan. It will be a two-day, 36-hole tournament — pitting the top boys golfers around the state to find the team and individual champions.
Both Gilliam and Perkins will tee off of tee No. 1 to start the first day at 8 a.m.
