Girls
With the district title and second place finish at regionals behind them, the varsity girls golf team headed to state this past Wednesday, Oct. 28 to compete for the honor of 2A Girls Golf Team State Champion.
After junior Kelly Shanahan carded a 140 to clinch the title of 2A State Individual winner, freshman Katherine Schaefer finished with a 151, freshman Alessandra Tabora posted a 159, senior Sophia Rickers ended with a 179 and junior Emma Parker chipped in with a 210, the Patriots secured first place to claim the state championship.
“It feels great to win states this year,” Shanahan said. “We’ve all worked so hard to get to where we ended up this season and to play the golf we needed to play when it counted.”
Boys
Following the team clinching the district and regional title, the varsity boys golf team traveled to the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort to battle for the state title.
Junior Luke Clanton, crowned the 2A State Individual Winner, led the Patriots with a team-high 137, senior Jackson Kustin carded a 151 and junior Sebastian Sacristan finished with a 153.
At the end of the competition, both the Patriots and the Ponte Vedra Sharks tied at team totals of 597, launching both teams into a playoff, where both teams played one hole and the top four of five scores added up to determine the champion. Following the playoff, the Sharks emerged as the 2A State Champions and the Patriots earned runner-up honors.
“It’s hard to lose this one,” Clanton said following the team’s runner-up finish. “The team and I fought so hard and I love this team more than anything. We just got unlucky and things happen, but all I know is that the team gave it their all. There was nothing we could do.”
