North Point golf claims third straight county title
North Point captures third straight Charles County Superintendent’s Cup
For the third straight year the North Point golf team has reigned supreme against its competition within the county.
Behind its top three golfers, the Eagles captured the Charles County Superintendent’s Cup at White Plains Golf Course in Waldorf, collecting a tournament-best 329, a four-player score, 25 strokes better than runner-up La Plata.
Thomas Stone took third with a score of 372, McDonough was fourth with 381, St. Charles finished with 442 and Lackey came in with a score of 447. Westlake did not have enough golfers to collect a team score in the annual 18-hole event.
North Point senior Matt Zabiegalski and junior teammate Trent Tyer finished tied with the lowest score at the county showing, both shooting an 8-over-par 78, while Immanuel Ricasa finished with a score of 85. Garrett Hayes added a score of 88 to round out the Eagles’ top four golfers.
Zabiegalski, who has the second-best nine-hole average in the conference with a score of 36, one stroke behind Huntingtown’s William Garrett, finished runner-up at the county tournament a year ago.
“I didn’t have my best round today and there was a few shots that I wish I could have back,” said Zabiegalski. “Now I just have to get better and get ready for the District IV tournament at Breton Bay [Golf and Country Club in Leonardtown at 8 a.m. Tuesday].”
Tyer collected a score of 83 for a third-place finish at the county tournament last season. This season he was five strokes better.
“It was very cool to tie with my teammate Matt,” Tyer said. “We are very competitive and love playing against each other. Today I just wanted to stay relaxed and have fun just like Matt said. I wanted to make a few more putts, but it is some good things that I can take away from this tournament and move over into the rest of the season.”
For North Point, it is the program’s fourth county championship in its history, also claiming the title in 2009.
“I was impressed with the way the team bounced back from yesterday’s regular season [finale] loss at Wicomico [Shores] Golf Course,” said North Point head coach Chuck Skinner in his sixth season. The Eagles were third to Huntingtown and Chopticon in that match. “They turned up their game and played through 18
holes adjusting and making necessary changes to accomplish their goal of winning the Charles county Championship for a third straight year.”
When asked if winning this county tournament was any different, Skinner said, “Each year is different because you have a different team composition each year. Ultimately the team has to overcome different teams, weather and conditions. This year it took everyone stepping up to accomplish their goal.”
McDonough’s Mark Burgess finished third overall, just a stroke behind the leaders with a score of 79, while teammate Seth Morrison added a score of 87.
“I couldn’t really get off the tee box at all, but I putted very well on back nine and that is what saved me,” said Burgess, who had birdies on holes 13 and 15, respectively. “On the last hole, I missed a five-footer for birdie that would have tied for the lead and that was painful. On the front, I was having a little trouble with my irons and couldn’t hit anything straight. Breton Bay is a lot more open, so I should shoot six strokes better at districts.”
Senior Quinn Krahling delivered with La Plata’s top score of 81, good enough for a fourthplace finish overall in the tournament. Freshman Jackson Tyler carded a score of 88 on the day for the Warriors.
Krahling, also a member of the La Plata baseball team which captured the Class 2A state title in 2015, was ecstatic with his performance in his second time at the tournament.
“It was a good tournament, good course and I was hitting the ball well in the back nine,” said Krahling, who birdied at No. 9. “On the fron, t I struggled a little, I had a lot of bogeys, but nothing over that. Last year I shot in the high 90s at this tournament, but I’ve had a lot more practice this year and my goal is to get to states.”
Stone was led by Josh Lawrence, who had a team-best score of 90 on the day. Teammate Ishaq Abdul-Rahim finished with a score of 91 for the Cougars.