CENTRAL NEW YORK – Though delayed by nearly a week, area high school girls golfers did get in their Section III tournaments in much warmer and drier conditions Tuesday morning.
In the Division I tournament at Pompey Club, Cicero-North Syracuse Blue recorded a second-place finish and, later in the week, saw Chloe Tice rise to the top of the standings at the sectional state qualifier.
They were originally scheduled to have the sectional team tournament on May 22 at Pompey Club, but constant rain forced a postponement for five days, and the improved weather led to solid scores from the Northstars.
With a team total of 376, C-NS Blue only trailed the undefeated regular-season SCAC Metro division champions from Fayetteville-Manlius Green who won yet another sectional title with 349.
Tice led the way as her 18-hole score of 83 put her fourth not far from the first-place 76 by Rome Free Academy’s Rachel O’Rourke. Both Tice and Abby Hildreth, who finished at 95, made it past this round to the state qualifier.
They held that qualifier Thursday at Cedar Lake Club in Clayville, near New Hartford, and the wet conditions did not faze Tice at all. Posting a 78, Tice easily won by five strokes over O’Rourke’s 83.
At this weekend’s state championships at Wild Wood Country Club in suburban Rochester Tice is joined by both Rachel and Isabella O’Rourke from RFA along with F-M’s Bella Fullmer and Lindsey Chong, with Ellie Kent (West Genesee), Layla Smart (Christian Brothers Academy) and Ellie Secor (Remsen) also on the team.
Back on May 21 and 23 the boys sectional state qualifier did play in the rainy conditions at Colgate University’s Seven Oaks Club where C-NS Blue’s Drew Kippen would keep his season going.
Kippen shot a 79 in the opening round. Then he tacked on an 80 two days later which, with a score of 159, put him in a tie for eighth place with New Hartford’s J.P. Lazzaro.
Only the top nine finishers advanced to the state tournament next week at Mill Creek Golf Club near Rochester, so Kippen made it by a single shot over South Jefferson’s Jude Jennings who had a 160.
Cooper Stimson and Nate Bustin both shot 91 in the opening round for the Northstars and missed the 18-hole cut.
Kippen and Lazzaro join a sectional team for the NYSPHSAA tournament led by Jamesville-DeWitt’s Jackson Saroney, who with a two-under-par 142 beat the field at the qualifier by seven strokes.
The other sectional team members include Drew Mancini (Skaneateles), Dan Young (Westhill), Jon Shoults (West Genesee), Brayden Sentz (Cooperstown), Jake Olearczyk (Holland Patent) and Tommy Goodelle (New Hartford).
