When Cazenovia boys golfer Cody Thorp made the short trip to Hamilton’s Seven Oaks late last week, he did so coming off a season where he went to the top of the standings in multiple tournaments.
Thorp did so again in last Monday’s Section III West Qualifier at the Pompey Club, where Cazenovia offered a challenge to claim the Large School division team title, too, but settled for second place with 423 as Skaneateles won with 414.
On a testy Pompey Club layout with a wide variety of holes to master, Thorp did so with a 73, one over par. That put him three shots ahead of Manlius-Pebble Hill’s Johnny Gruninger, the top Small School division golfer, and five ahead of Westhill’s Sean Dadey.
Of course, Thorp would not go to Seven Oaks alone. Trevor Nourse, shooting a 81, also advanced as he tied McGraw’s Brad Fuller and Solvay’s Jon Smolen for seventh place. The top 15, and ties, advanced.
A day later, it was the girls turn. Cazenovia and Chittenango both sent golfers to Kanon Valley for their Section III tournament, where team honors were at stake, as well as nine berths in the June 4-5 state tournament at Bethpage State Park’s Red Course on Long Island.
In Division II (small schools), Cazenovia finished with 486 for sixth place as Vernon-Verona-Sherrill won with 415. Maleigha Ellithorpe shot the Lakers’ low individual round of 104, while Erin Howles finished with 113. Liz Shepard, with a 132, was five shots ahead of Abbie Avery.
Chitteanngo’s lone representative, Hannah Bailey, shot a 134. Auburn’s Lindsay May, a two-time state champion, won the individual title with a 77, seven shots ahead of Fayetteville-Manlius’ Madison Kingsley.
May and Kingsley will go to this weekend’s state tournament at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, joined by Kingsley’s teammate, Maggie Bonomo, along with Lena Jones (Jamesville-DeWitt), Natalya Avotins (Liverpool), Bella Facciolo (Utica Proctor), Olivia Evans (VVS), Nessa McKie (Cicero-North Syracuse) and Shannon Bunce (Westhill).
