A solid 2015 season for the Chittenango boys golf team culminated with Kyler Christopher earning a trip to Colgate University’s Seven Oaks for next May’s Section III state qualifying tournament.
Each of the Bears’ top six players made it to Arrowhead Golf Course for last Wednesday’s Section III fall tournament, where Chittenango could not quite keep up with Oswego, who followed an undefeated regular season with a mark of 407 to claim the Class A fall crown.
Meanwhile, the scramble for 31 spots in the state qualifier proved tight. The Bears’ Kyler Christopher knew this, and with a 10-over-par 82, he advanced to the state qualifier right on the number needed.
Ryan Delaney, favored to advance, could only manage an 84, two shots too many. Clayton Chandler threatened, too, but settled for an 86 as Cole Dunkley and Cole Jackson both finished with 99 and Tanner Laramee shot a 107.
The Class AA championship was decided in an epic battle where West Genesee (404) edged Auburn (405) by one shot and Cicero-North Syracuse Blue (406). Individually, top honors went to C-NS Blue’s Pat O’Donnell, who posted an early 73 and saw no one else match it, two ahead of the runners-up, Auburn’s Mike May and West Genesee’s Sean Stanistreet.
Just two days before making the trip to Arrowhead, the Bears had one more regular-season match, against Homer, with a chance to lock up a winning record for the 2015 regular season.
But the Trojans denied Chittenango in a 217-226 decision, despite Delaney leading all individuals with a 38, three better than Homer’s Brody Urban. Chandler managed a 44, but Mike Turck (42), Brent McNeil and Nate Cottrell (44 each) finished ahead of Laramee’s 46.
Christopher struggled to a 47 and Cole Dunkley contributed a 51, but Christopher was saving his best work for the longer round at Arrowhead and, as a result, will play again late in May for much higher stakes.
