Three’s a crowd in sectional play
Trio shoot 75s to share crown
GIRLS GOLF
The competition at yesterday’s Division 1 North/ Central/West girls golf sectional proved to be thrice as nice with Ursuline’s Jackie Gonzalez, Shrewsbury’s Julia Ford and Boston Latin’s Anne Walsh all shooting rounds of 75 to share top honors at Gardner Municipal Golf Course.
Gonzalez, Ford and Walsh were declared trichampions because the MIAA does not use a playoff format until the statewide level.
Ford, who finished in the top five last year, was the first of the three to finish. Gonzalez, the 2015 sectional finalist, matched her low score soon after, with Walsh, Latin’s talented eighth-grader, the last of the 75s.
“I was just excited to play and I tried to stay focused,” said Walsh, the only female golfer at Boston Latin. “This (finish) is kind of a surprise because I really didn’t have any expectations coming into it. I was really just excited to get to play.”
For Ford, a familiar name on the high school golf circuit, it was a strong day, but improvements can always be made.
“I hit it really well, but I struggled with my putting and I probably could have been a couple shots lower, but overall it was a good day.”
For Gonzalez, a firstplace medal after coming up a stroke short last spring made for an enjoyable morning.
“The (course) played a little short and that worked well for me. I also putted pretty good and overall it was a lot of fun,” Gonzalez said.
Agawam’s Angela Garvin (79), Lunenburg’s Emily Nash (81) and Shepherd Hill’s Catherine French (81) rounded out the top six individual finishers.
On the team side of the sectional, defending state champion Notre Dame Academy (Worcester) won with a 345. The Rebels had four golfers — Lauren Fantaroni (83), Anne Spellane (87), Ashley Coburn (87) and Madison Streeter (88) — qualify for the individual state finals on June 7 at Eastward Ho! Country Club in Chatham.
“We are four players strong and they all qualified individually, which is amazing,” said Notre Dame coach Dennis Streeter, whose team should be the favorite to repeat as state champions at Eastward Ho! next week. “They all played brilliantly today.”
Ursuline (380), Wellesley (387), Westboro (391) and Wachusett (393) rounded out the rest of the team field.
South
Four years ago, it seemed improbable and bordered on the near impossible.
Yesterday, it became a reality for Monomoy Regional.
In just their fourth year as a program, the Sharks captured their first South sectional crown at Brookside Country Club in Bourne.
“When we first started off we knew we would just have a really good time with it and we had a fouryear vision,” said Monomoy coach John Anderson. “We really did. All the girls understood that’s what we were trying to do. It’s amazing to see this happen.”
Jen Keim paced the field for Monomoy, earning medalist honors by turning in a 1-over 73. The next closest to Keim was DoverSherborn’s Winabel McCabe, who shot a 76.
“My irons were really good today,” Keim said. “Right off the bat I got into a very technical swing. I got into a good groove.”
Monomoy shot a combined 363 with Caroline Howard, Annie Howard and Haley Rae all shooting in the 90s to help the Sharks narrowly defeat runner-up Notre Dame Academy of Hingham (365) and thirdplace Duxbury (371).
And for the small school from Harwich, it was motivated by going up against the juggernauts.
“We absolutely always see ourselves as an underdog,” Anderson said, “and that’s why we put in the extra effort.”
Monomoy, along with NDA and Duxbury, move on to the state championships at Eastward Ho!
Jillian Jones of Framingham, who shot a 78, and Abby Jaye of Hopkinton, who turned in an 80, both had notable performances to finish third and fourth, respectively.