TISHOMINGO, Okla.— Carli Upton, a Tishomingo High School junior, wrapped up another successful season on the golf course by clinching an individual silver at the 2025 3A Golf Regional Championship and placing seventh in the state tournament. Her team, the Lady Indians, won the regional title after a two-hole playoff and placed fifth overall in state play.
Carli, a Chickasaw citizen, is looking forward to competing in the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, later this summer, representing the Chickasaw Nation as a member of Team Chickasaw.
This is the second year she qualified for Team Chickasaw, a competitive golf team for Chickasaw youth ages 12-18.
When she hits the links, Carli, 17, is maintaining a family tradition. Her parents, siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins all frequent the golf course.
Her older brother, Spencer Upton, was a standout golfer in high school and college and also played on Team Chickasaw. Her older sister Natalea Harcrow placed in the high school state golf tournament in 2018.
“Living near the Tishomingo Golf Course, my family grew up playing golf their whole life,” Carli said. “My favorite thing about playing golf is spending time with friends and family, and enjoying time playing it.”
When she was about 3 years old, Carli first picked up a golf club and began to learn the game from her father, Bryant Upton.
Attending Chickasaw Nation Golf Camp for a few years helped her hone her skills, but playing with her family was a mainstay. As she grew older, Carli played for her school golf team and has experienced success on the green.
As a high school freshman, Carli’s team was the 2A state runner-up, and she placed sixth individually. Sophomore year, the school moved to the 3A class, and the Lady Indians qualified for state. This year, the team placed fifth in state tournament play, and Carli finished seventh individually. Prior to state play, the team won the 3A Regional Golf Championship, and Carli placed second individually with a score of 84.
For most of the 2024-25 golf season, Carli placed in the top five in every golf tournament in which she participated.
Coached by Kirk LaFevers, Carli said the Tishomingo Lady Indians golf team is a tight-knit group of five young ladies. One team member graduated in May, but Carli looks forward to her senior year playing with teammates Kara LaFevers, Tahlor Estep and Erica Cabaniss.
When she is not playing golf, Carli participates in the Tishomingo High School National FFA Organization, where she raises and shows swine, among other activities.
Carli has also volunteered at many Chickasaw Nation events, such as the Artesian Arts Festival and Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival, alongside her mother, Kelcey Upton, who serves in the special events department of the Chickasaw Nation Department of Communications and Community Development.
Carli said she is grateful to the Chickasaw Nation for the support as she strives to reach her goals.
“The Chickasaw Nation provides very useful things like golf camps and the tournaments and much more,” she said. “I am very thankful.”
Carli said she receives her Chickasaw heritage from her father’s side of the family.