Ringgold girls, Lafayette boys win area golf titles
Last Monday was a huge day for two local golf teams who claimed team championships at the Class AAA Area 4 Tournament at the Monroe Country Club in Monroe.
In the girls’ tournament, the Ringgold Lady Tigers had little room for error as their entire team consists of just three golfers and three scores needed to be posted to qualify for the team awards.
But at the end of the day, an 85 from Maclaine Donovan, a 91 from Ellie Roy and a 104 from Alexis Brackett proved to be the winning combination as they finished with a score of 280 and a three-shot victory over Hart County (283). Oconee County (294) was third to pick up the final automatic bid to the state tournament.
Donovan also took home individual honors as the day’s low medalist and it was the first region championship for Ryann Mccuistion, the Ringgold alum, who is in her first year as the Lady Tigers’ head coach.
Lafayette’s Lady Ramblers finished at 334 on the
day. They were led by a 93 from senior Emma Moore, who turned in her career low round in her very final round for the Orange-and-black.
The rest of Lafayette’s scores included a 120 from Maggie Green, a 121 from
Jaylee Samples and a 130 from Hannah Kresser. All three just completed their freshman seasons.
On the boys’ side, a careerbest 75 from freshman Mason Thompson and a 79 from sophomore Grant Langford helped propel the Ramblers to their sixth area championship since 2014. Thompson was third individually, while Langford took the fifth spot in the individual standings.
Junior Brady Mullaly shot an 86, while senior Scott Smith carded a 95. Also playing for the Ramblers was junior Junior Barber (108) and sophomore Jackson Brewster (120).
With the lowest four scores making up the team total in the boys’ tournament, LaFayette posted a 335 and ultimately a five-stroke victory over Coahulla Creek (340), while Sonoraville (345) earned the final automatic bid to state.
It also marked head coach Tom Langford’s sixth area title in nine seasons and the program’s eighth consecutive trip (2013-2019, 2021) to the state tournament (the 2020 tournament was canceled).
The Ringgold Tigers placed eighth overall at 364. They got an 85 from Christian Balistreri, a 90 from Dylan Fayta and a 93 from Jett Bridges, while their team score was rounded out by a 96. Both Christian Griffith and Andrew Mccarver shot that score on the day, while Cohen Shattuck also played for Ringgold and finished at 103.
LFO was 12th in the final team standings with a 432. That score was made up by a 104 from Landon Faulk, a 105 from Alec Gentry, a 110 from Preston Johnson and a 113 by Brandon Mcbryar.
The Class AAA Girls’ State Championships will be contested at the Apple Mountain Golf Club in Clarkesville, while Hartwell’s Cateechee Golf Club will play host the Class AAA boys’ tournament. The tournaments will be held May 17-18.