Stuart Winn and Sean Stanistreet led the West Genesee boys golf team as it nearly earned the Section III Class AA championship Wednesday afternoon at the Links at Sunset Ridge.
Winn tied three others as the individual sectional champion, with Stanistreet just one stroke back. And the Wildcats, with a team score of 391, finished just behind Fayetteville-Manlius (389) and Baldwinsville (391) in a tight race for the top spot.
Unlike 2012, when the sectional tournament was contested at Foxfire in Baldwinsville, the Wildcats did not have to travel too far for its most important round of the season.
Sunset Ridge served as the host venue for the culmination of a seven-week effort that included plenty of exciting matches and close competition for the Wildcats.
And now it went after F-M and regular-season CNY Counties League champion B’ville on a course dried up by weeks of sunshine and made even tougher by winds that gusted past 20 miles per hour.
No one got close to breaking par, but Winn played a steady, calm round, and finished a three-over-par 75. No one beat that total, but three others – B’ville teammates Christian Nizamis and James Pelcher, along with F-M’s Dan Thomas – also shot 75 to share medalist honors with Winn.
Just behind them, Stanistreet also made a push for the individual title, but settled for a four-over-par 76 to finish alone in fifth place in a field of more than 120 Class AA and A golfers gathered.
Pat Matkoski helped out for the Wildcats, shooting an 80, while Adam Korzeniewski and Ethan Smith both finished with rounds of 82. John Sullivan finished with an 88.
As a result, five WG golfers – Winn, Stanistreet, Matkowski, Korzeniewski and Smith – all advanced to the Section III state qualifier, which is held in late May at Colgate University’s Seven Oaks course in Hamilton.
WG’s regular season had concluded last Monday with a 205-213 defeat to B’ville. Stanistreet shot a 39 at Timber Banks, with Ethan Smith adding a 42. Winn (43) and Matkowski (44) were close behind Smith as John Sullivan managed a 47. B’ville prevailed with a two-under-par 34 from Christian Nizamis and a 38 from Matt Monaco.
