East runs away with All-State golf title
CATOOSA — Through the first three of six girls All-State golf matches Monday at Cherokee Hills Golf Club, the West team had a slight lead and at least a little hope.
But the East’s last three pairings came in all with 4-0 victories and turned a tight battle into a runaway.
The East girls won 17.5-6.5, and the boys won 14.5-9.5, giving the East an overall victory of 32-16.
The East’s two Class 6A pairings came in tied for medalist honors, each shooting 68 in the Ryder Cupstyle format that includes six holes each of best ball, alternate shot and scramble.
Broken Arrow’s Taylor Dobson and Tulsa Union’s Trudy Allen finished strong, needing just 20 strokes over the final six holes, tying with Tulsa Washington’s Taylor Boylan and Muskogee’s Hannah Jones.
The Purcell duo of Peighton Walker and Ashton Nemecek, who were part of three consecutive state championships, capped their high school careers together, splitting their match with Eufaula teammates Heidi Stafford and Melissa Eldredge.
BLACK DIAMOND DOMINANCE
Sallisaw teammates Ty Stites and
Nick Pierce shot a 66 to win medalist honors, three shots better than the rest of the field in the boys competition.
“It was fun to have one more go at it together,” said Stites, who is going to Cal State Fullerton. “You don’t really know what it’ll take to win something like this. Things can go south just as easy as they’re going good.”
The West boys had a couple of bright spots on the day. Class 5A individual champion David Trimble, of McGuinness, paired with Plainview’s Carson Seals for a 3.5-0.5 win in their match, while a pair of Edmond boys — Evan Johnson, of Memorial, and Noah Tillman, of Santa Fe — earned a 3-1 win.
PETERS, REED WIN KYLE LEWIS SCHOLARSHIPS Ardmore’s Shelby Peters and Elmore City’s Cody Reed were
named the winners of the Kyle Lewis Memorial Scholarships.
Peters, who plans to go to pharmacy school at Southwestern Oklahoma State, was on hand to receive the award, but Reed was unable to attend. He left Sunday on a mission trip, so his mother accepted the award in his absence.
Monday was the sixth year of giving out the Kyle Lewis Memorial Scholarships at the All-State golf matches.
Kyle Lewis died in a one-car crash while driving home after playing in the 2010 All-State matches. The OGCA, along with Lewis’ parents, Marty and Kelly, began giving out the scholarships the next year.
The scholarship fund has increased in size virtually every year, with this year’s total reaching $800.