Consistency paid off for Chilton County High School senior Madison Sanders, who will join the boys team at the state competition on May 9-10.

Sanders shot a 79 and finished second during the sub-state portion on Tuesday.

“Pretty much every hole she was on the green and putting for either birdie or par,” Chilton County head coach Ryan Price said. “It’s great to see that she’ll end her high school career on a high note.”

According to Price, Sanders posted her score early on and had to wait for a couple of hours to see if she would hold one of the top two spots.

“It was nerve-racking for a while there,” Price said.

Sanders ended up finishing in second place by a one-stroke margin.

“You don’t know how important every shot was until it’s all over,” Sanders said. “I made about a 50-foot put for bogey, which appeared to be the difference.”

Sanders made just one birdie on the day but made a habit of rolling in pars on the majority of the holes she played.

That consistency proved to be a deciding factor at the end of the day.

“It can actually be easier to remain focused when you’re playing against tougher competitors,” Sanders said.

The Class 6A-7A State Golf Championships will take place at Hampton Cove Golf Course in Huntsville.

It will be the first appearance for Sanders competing as an individual in the state championship. Her last appearance came in the team competition as a seventh grader.

“I was struggling the last few weeks with my irons,” Sanders said. “I have put the work in and have eventually got it back under control.”

It has been a happy week for Price, who has seen both Sanders and the boys team string together masterful performances to contend for a state title.

“I had promised them that if they made state, they could shave my head,” Price said. “I pulled out the clippers.”