Even after a superb regular season that included wins over many of the area’s top program, Cicero-North Syracuse’s Blue golf team could not keep up with the top contenders at Wednesday afternoon’s Section III Class AA tournament at the Links at Sunset Ridge.
However, the Northstars managed to have two members of that team, plus two members of its C-NS Green side, earn spots in the sectional state qualifier, to take place late in May at Colgate University’s Seven Oaks course.
No one was going to shoot low at Sunset Ridge, not on a day where winds that gusted past 20 miles per hour made greens already dry and fast even more difficult to putt. Those same winds also pushed tee shots into troubling lies.
Through it all, C-NS Blue picked up a team total of 420, good for sixth place, while C-NS Green finished with 427 for seventh place. Liverpool, with a score of 467, took ninth place as Fayetteville-Manlius, with 389, edged Baldwinsville (391) and West Genesee (395) for the team title.
As they had done all season, Jon and Joey Petrin led C-NS Blue, as Jon Petrin shot an 80, eight over par, while Joey Petrin had an 81. Both of them finished behind the foursome of Dan Thomas (F-M), Christian Nizamis, James Pelcher (each from B’ville) and Stuart Winn (West Genesee), who shared medalist honors with a three-over-par 75.
From the C-NS Green side, it was Pat O’Donnell stepping up to shoot an 81, advancing to the state qualifier, while Connor Van Epps, who had an 83, was one of the last golfers to advance, right on the cut line.
Just missing that score to advance, Luke Cavallo finished with an 84, while Brian Hamilton finished with an 87 and Cameron George produced an 89.
