La Feria golfer puts school on the map at state competition
LA FERIA - A father's gift to his daughter keeps growing brighter with each swing of her golf club.
Karina Rios, 17, keeps putting the La Feria school district on the map with her golfing skills. Most recently, she placed eighth out of 70 players at the 2025-2026 UIL State Golf Tournament in Kingsland, Texas.
"I worked really hard this year, and I played really hard at regionals," she said. Her performance at earlier competitions qualified her to compete at the state tournament May 4 and 5.
Karina Rios, 17, shows her stuff at the 2025-2026 UIL State Golf Tournament in Kingsland, Texas, in early May. (Courtesy: David Briones)
Her coach, David Briones, said Karina is one of only six of his La Feria golfers to qualify for state.
"This was our first top 10 finish," Briones said.
Karina, a senior at La Feria Early College High School, has played golf for six years. It started with her father giving her lessons.
"My dad taught me, just the basics and we would play golf we would be out there with me as a coach but also my dad," she said. "I started out like little kid tournaments and he would be there caddying me."
Her father died not long ago but Karina has continued the work he started. Her dedication has impressed Briones.
"She's always the last one off the course the first one on the course," he said. "Even when we're getting ready to play a tournament, she's still working to perfect her punt. She's a very hard worker and the results show."
Karina Rios, 17, shows her stuff at the 2025-2026 UIL State Golf Tournament in Kingsland, Texas, in early May. (Courtesy: David Briones)
Even in such a stellar performance like this, when everyone is celebrating her success, she still feels she could have done better.
"That's what golf is," she said. "You have your best round and you still think that you could have done better."
She would like to play professional golf and has certainly demonstrated her willingness to do the work. She hopes to attend college on a golf scholarship and study either golf management or sports management.
"I just think it's the best sport," she said. "It's calming and relaxing. It's fun especially when I'm with my friends."
She loves it so much that she's now teaching younger kids how to play golf, and hopes to teach older people when she's in college.
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