BC High’s Ingram tops Div. 1 field
Nathan Ingram of BC High and the Xaverian team got early treats for Halloween, winning Division 1 boys golf state championships yesterday at William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park.
The individual competition came down to a playoff featuring Ingram, Noah Peterson of East Longmeadow, Brendan Cronin of St. John’s (Shrewsbury) and Chris Francouer of St. John’s Prep, who all tied at 1-over-par 71. Ingram was able to prevail.
“I had no idea this was going to a playoff,” Ingram said. “I actually thought it was going to be 3 or 4 shots lower. It’s not a very challenging course, but you can definitely get in trouble.”
Ingram became the first Div. 1 individual champion in BC High history. Coach Chris Hayes pointed to his toughness and consistency.
“He has an ability to bear down and play better when things aren’t going his way, (which) actually makes him better over 18 holes.”
The team division also ended in dramatic fashion as Xaverian won a tiebreaker against St. John’s Prep by 2 strokes. The teams’ top four scores counted toward their totals, which ended up tied at 298. The tiebreaker was the fifth-best score on each team, and Michael Connors clinched the title for Xaverian with a 79.
“(St. John’s) Prep had gotten us twice earlier in the year, but both matches were close. For us to have the fifth score be the difference was a huge thrill for Michael Connors and our entire team,” Xaverian coach Gerry Lambert said.
Lambert’s squad was not familiar with the golf course so it had to rely on past experience.
“Even though we didn’t win all of our road matches this year, we did a good job going on the road and playing well,” the coach said. “I remember thinking to myself that if we could maintain that level of play on the road, it would bode well for us here today.”
Division 2
After Catholic Memorial junior Andrew O’Leary turned in his scorecard following a round of 1-under 71 at Black Swan Country Club in Georgetown, all he could do was wait.
When the final results were tallied more than an hour later, O’Leary stood 3 shots clear of the field as the Div. 2 individual champion.
“I was anxious,” O’Leary said. “I knew there were a couple kids out there that I’ve played with, that are my friends, and I knew they were all really good players.”
O’Leary hardly had a perfect start to his round and made a double bogey on his eighth hole of the day. But back-toback birdies immediately following the double bogey propelled him to the only under-par round of the day.
“It took a little while to settle down. I got off to a rough start, but made a bunch of birdies coming in,” O’Leary said. “Putting was probably my strongest point.”
Windy conditions suppressed scoring at Black Swan, as just 16 players in the 48-man field shot below 80.
In the team competition, Westwood earned a narrow victory, posting a score of 312 to edge North Andover by 2 strokes. Captain Will Frodigh led the way with a 2-over 74, which also tied for second in the individual competition.
“We just tried to play smart and play our own game,” Frodigh said.
Westwood coach Peter Hochman said his team set the tone with a strong practice round Sunday and credited smart course management as a key factor in the win.
“Every stroke counted. It was big to make key putts and put yourself in good situations, and most of the guys did today,” Hochman said.
Matthew Mackin carded a 77 and Daniel Frodigh finished at 78 to help the Wolverines. Timothy Hall shot an 83, Hannah Blonder had an 88 and Sean Beggan finished with an 89 to round out the six-player Westwood squad.