American Heritage wins state

American Heritage’s girls golf team cruised to a state-record eighth state championship with an easy 62-stroke victory over runner-up Archbishop McCarthy in the Class

2A tournament at HoweyIn-The-Hills on Saturday.

The Patriots also captured both individual titles as sophomore Casey Weidenfeld won the girls’ medalist honors, while freshman Luke Clanton won the boys’.

The defending champion Patriots girls were in first place after the first day with a 295 total, 19 shots ahead of Archbishop McCarthy and padded that lead on the second day to finish with a season-best 597 total at the Mission Inn Resort and Club’s Las Colinas course.

The Mavericks finished a distant second with a 660. The margin of victory was the largest by American Heritage at the state tournament as it bettered its 52-shot win in

2007. Weidenfeld carded a

1-under-par 71 to finish at even-par 144 for the two days and it was also redemption for the golfer, who called a four-shot penalty on herself at last year’s tournament when she realized she had an extra putter and 15 clubs in her bag. She also overcame a sprained wrist which she sustained days before this year’s tourney.

“To be honest, I didn’t feel any pressure,” said Weidenfeld, who made a 30-foot par putt on the first hole and a 25-foot par putt on No. 14. “The team has been very supportive all season. This makes up for last year for sure.”

Both teams were without their top golfers from a year ago. American Heritage played without defending state individual champion and the Sun Sentinel Player of the Year Jillian Bourdage, who sat out the season while doing dual enrollment at Broward College where she is studying to be a pilot. Archbishop McCarthy played without FSU commit Taylor Roberts, who missed most of the season with a back injury. Roberts was also a Sun Sentinel first-team selection last year.

“After a few holes today, I could see our girls were playing pretty well,” said American Heritage coach Linda Sibio. “[The margin] makes it less stressful for sure. It was really great for Casey to win after what she went through last year.”

American Heritage got a surprising performance from junior and finished fifth overall. Ana Lopez, who carded a 1-under par

71 in leading the Patriots to the first round lead and finished with a 149. Archbishop McCarthy sophomore Jennifer Lilly shot

153 to lead the Mavericks with a ninth-place finish.

The Patriots won the Class 2A girls state championships in 2005, 2007,

2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and

2017, while the boys had won state titles every other year since 2012 – capturing championships in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Clanton fired a 75 to go one shot off the pace after the first round, but followed that up with a

3-under 69 to finish at 144 to win by three shots.

“Coming down the stretch it was a grind,” said Clanton, who finished with four birdies on the back nine – No. 10, 11,

14 and 17. “I really hit my irons well today.”

Archbishop McCarthy’s junior Justin Lilly was tied for 17th with a

12-over 156 to lead the Mavericks, who placed seventh with a 669 total.