Two state championships were within reach for West Genesee junior Jon Shoults within the span of a single week, and he earned the first one as part of a team effort outside of the Wildcats’ realm.
Shoults joined Section III’s top boys golfers to earn the team title at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville, west of Rochester.
This happened just as Shoults was anchoring WG’s boys lacrosse team as the starting goalie in that program’s quest for a 16th state title and first since 2008.
In the opening round on Sunday (after a long drive from Amsterdam where WG lacrosse beat Niskayuna in the regional finals) Shoults shot a four-over-par 75 to lock himself within the top 30 as he recorded four birdies but went over par on six other holes.
Meanwhile, Westhill golfer Danny Young moved into contention with a 72 that included five birdies and six bogeys, not far from the lead held by Jamesville-DeWitt’s Jackson Saroney who had a four-under-par 67. Skaneateles golfer Drew Mancini opened with an 81.
In the final round that followed, Young would lead the local trio. Though his score went up two shots to a 74, Young made an eagle two on the par-four 18th hole and also had birdies on holes 2, 3, 5 and 11, which partially negated three double bogeys.
Young’s 146 aggregate put him in a tie for seventh place. Mancini improved five strokes to a 76 and finished at 157, while Shoults shot an 83 to finish at 158 overall.
Up ahead of the entire field, Saroney, already in front with nine holes to play, shot a back-nine 30 to finish at 10-under-par 132, set the tournament record and win the first individual state title for a Section III golfer since 2013 prevailing by six shots over Albany CBA’s C.J. Strong.
With Saroney as the spark and Young also in the top 10, Section III claimed the team portion of the tournament with a cumulative plus-38 which was 14 shots ahead of runner-up Section II.
New Hartford’s Tommy Goodelle tied for 11th at 148 as Cicero-North Syracuse’s Drew Kippen shared 17th place at 150 with Holland Patent’s Jake Olearczyk. Cooperstown golfer Braydon Saentz shot 155, two ahead of Mancini and New Hartford’s J.P. Lazzaro.
While all this was going on at nearby Wild Wood Country Club in Rush the NYSPHSAA girls golf championships took place on those same two days with West Genesee’s Ellie Kent part of the event.
Kent’s opening-round 83 was followed by an 85 which put her at an overall total of 168, which only C-NS’s Chloe Tice (159) topped among Section III golfers. As a team the section finished sixth as Section II pulled away for victory 36 shots ahead of runner-up Section II.
