Chandler senior Gannon Blankenship has been around the golf course his whole life which has resulted in his own passion for the sport. 

“My whole family are avid golfers,” he said. “I played my first tournament in eighth grade. I would say that just being around the course is what interested me in golf. I loved going to the driving range with my family and getting to hit balls.”

Chandler golf coach Alex Reed says Blankenship is a team leader and has potential for another great year. 

“Gannon is someone we will be leaning on to guide the Lions as a team to state,” said Reed. “He is very capable of placing top 10 in the state as an individual. Through his hard work and dedication his game has improved immensely, and he is always looking to improve his game. Last year Gannon qualified for state and placed in the top 40 as a junior.”

Making the state tournament last year was Blankenship’s favorite memory so far and he hopes for another shot this spring.

“At the beginning of the season I had set a goal to make state and when I did it definitely was an awesome memory,” he said.

His competitive spirit is what motivates Blankenship to be his best.

“I hate losing so anytime I lose it motivates me even more,” said the athlete.

Even though striving to outwork his teammates is part of being competitive, Blankenship values the camaraderie among his teammates above everything, whether it’s competition time or just time to eat. 

“My favorite part is just being a part of a team,” he said. “People really don’t understand how much teammates can mean to you. Just seeing my team succeed and get better is definitely a big part of high school sports.”

Blankenship is also involved in the Bancfirst Student Board of Directors, National Technical Honor Society, PSI, and FCA. After graduation he plans to attend college on a golf scholarship where he will study electrical engineering.