With their 1-2 finish in the Section III state qualifier in the books, West Genesee boys golfers Dylan Plis and Joe Morgan led the local contingent to Cornell University’s Robert Trent Jones course to take part in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships.
Rainy conditions in Sunday’s opening round caused a shotgun start. Plis, who teed off on the 2nd hole, was nine over par through nine holes, but helped by three birdies in his last nine holes, went even part the rest of the way to finish at 81 and move near the top 20.
No one in the first round broke par, and that included Morgan, who started out on the 6th hole and did get birdies at both par-threes on the back nine (14 and 17) on his way to an 82, just one shot worse than Plis. But Morgan had to withdraw before the final round.
Meanwhile, Plis attempted to move up the leaderboard as that last round unfolded. Better conditions meant lower scores, and Plis joined them, parring his first five holes (he started on no. 5) and continuing his steady golf the rest of the way – no birdies, but 10 more pars and just three bogeys.
The 74 left Plis at 154 overall, a tie for 13th place and best among Section III golfers. Behind him, Manlius-Pebble Hill’s Johnny Gruninger and Cazenovia’s Cody Thorp shared 25th place at 158, with Thorp’s 72 tying for the third-lowest score of the final round.
Baldwinsville’s Maxwell Dec finished at 160, with Bees teammate Ben Donohue posting 164, one behind Cooperstown’s Teddy Trossett and New Hartford’s Jack Angelucci. Matt Barton (Thousand Islands) finished at 166.
Nathan Han, from Somers, won the state title by defeating Manhasset’s Adam Xiao in a three-hole playoff after both finished at four-over-par 148. Section III finished seventh in the team standings as Section V prevailed in that part of the competition.
Before all this, Marcellus girls golfer Mary Colella made her first state tournament appearance during the NYSPHSAA championships held last weekend at Bethpage Stage Park’s Yellow Course on Long Island, helping Section III to a fourth-place team finish.
In Saturday’s opening round, Colella struggled to a 93, only making a handful of pars. But in the second round her score improved nine shots to an 84 that included a birdie on the par-four 16th hole.
Colella’s total of 177 left her in a tie for 42nd place in the 78-player field. Auburn’s Lindsay May, whose quest for a fourth straight state title was thwarted despite back-to-back 71s that left her just two shots behind the winner, Section I’s Lauren Peter.
Liverpool’s Mia Avotins finished with a 162 and tied for 18th place, while sister Nataly Avotins finished at 173. Madison Kingsley led a trio of Fayetteville-Manlius golfers as she tied for 25th place at 168, ahead of Maggie Bonomo (174) and Bailey Wallace (188), while Olivia Evans (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) finished at 178 and Nessa McKie (Cicero-North Syracuse) posted 189.