It only figures that one of the strongest Fayetteville-Manlius girls golf teams in program history will have a chance at something more than the significant feats it has already put in the books.
From an undefeated regular season in the Salt City Athletic Conference to Tuesday’s big victory in the Section III Division I tournament at Kanon Valley Country Club in Oneida, the Hornets have never let the opposition get close.
Now, though, F-M will have an opportunity to compete in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s inaugural team tournament, which will take place June 1-3 at Bethpage State Park on Long Island alongside the individual state championships.
The Hornets go there steeled by having to earn a sectional title in incredibly demanding conditions.
Rain fell for most of the round at Kanon Valley, testing the concentration of all the golfers in the field. Weather can prove an equalizer in a competition like this, but F-M handled it quite well.
With a team score of 340, the Hornets finished well clear of Liverpool, who with 401 edged Cicero-North Syracuse (404) for second place in the Division I standings.
Maggie Bonomo led F-M’s charge, managing a 79 that tied her with Liverpool’s Nataly Avotins for third place, just one shot behind the runner-up, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill’s Mary Evans. Auburn’s Lindsay May, a three-time individual state champion, put together a superb 70 to win her fourth sectional title.
Bailey Wallace was right behind them, earning fifth place with an 84, while Paige Freyer landed in sixth place with an 86 and Grace Perry shot a 91 to finish alone with 10th place.
Thus, Bonomo, Wallace, Freyer and Perry are all part of the Section III squad for the state tournament with May, Evans, Liverpool’s sister tandem of Nataly and Mia Avotins, Marcellus’ Mary Colella and Camden’s Danielle Caringi.
In all, nine F-M golfers worked through the rain at Kanon Valley. Ashley Carter, Lucy Fowler and Nancy Loh each shot 94 to tie for 12th place as Justine Burness finished with a 95 and Elly Hulslander posted a 102.
In the Division II sectional tournament, Jamesville-DeWitt finished fourth in the team standings with 469, while Christian Brothers Academy had a 484 for sixth place. Marcellus (430) edged Skaneateles (434) for the team title.
J-D’s Lena Jones was one shot behind Perry for the last state qualifying berth, finishing alone in 11th place with a 91, so she is the first alternate. CBA’s Meghan McKeen tied for 17th place with a 97. In her first sectional tournament, Bishop Grimes senior Olivia Minor share 22nd place with a 99.
East Syracuse Minoa golfer Hannah Johnson posted a 114, three shots ahead of teammate Erica Garm, as the Spartans had a team total of 493. Shannon Marcy shot a 129, four shots ahead of Helaina Scolaro.
CBA also had Annie Kilmartin shoot a 120, ahead of Paige Snyder (133) and Elizabeth Lucas (134), while J-D’s Kelli Palumbo and Eden Shiomos both shot 124, Tracey Edson had a 129 and Sophia Ferris posted 142.
Before all this, they held the boys Section III spring tournaments, and at Pompey Club Manlius-Pebble Hill snared both team small-school honors and the overall individual title thanks to Johnny Gruninger.
The Trojans freshman shot a two-under-par 70, easily passing everyone in the field except Marcellus’ Shawn Colella, who was second with an even-par 72.
Then MPH’s Grant Lewis tied Cazenovia’s Alex Pezzi for third place with a 78, while Bishop Grimes had Anthony Falgiatano land alone in fifth place with a 79.
Another MPH golfer, George Bruno, shared eighth place with an 83. When Nathan Lesch posted an 88, he grabbed the final spot in the sectional state qualifying tournament, held later in the week at Seven Oaks, joining Gruninger, Lewis and Bruno to represent the Trojans.
