PORT ORANGE - After a disappointing 18-holes on their home course at Fleming Island Golf Club, the Fleming Island High boys golf team forgot and forged on at their region 1-3A championship tournament on Monday at The Golf Club at Cypress Head in Port Orange.
“With the guys on the team understanding we had to regroup and play better next time (at regions), we were set to just do that,” said Fleming Island senior Colton Swartz after the Golden Eagles less than stellar 305 team score on their home course.
After a second place finish to Nease High at the district 3-3A tournament on Wed., Oct. 26 at Fleming Island Golf Club, 293-305 with Fletcher third at 318, the Golden Eagles shaved 13 strokes off their team score to best all challengers in Port Orange behind the hot hand of freshman Tyler Mawhinney and senior Colton Swartz who went 1-2 with scintillating scores of 68 and 70 to torch the field with a 291 total with host Spruce Creek a nine-stroke second and Nease crumbling to seventh with a 312 score. Fletcher finished tied for fourth with 311. Fleming Island will compete in the Class 3A championship tournament for a second time in three years on Tues.-Wed., Nov. 8-9 at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey in the Hills.
Mawhinney’s 68 came with a slew of birdies; six, and one eagle on his final hole off a 503 yard par five hole that Mawhinney canned in three strokes to power to the gold medal.
Swartz, equally steaming on the course, went back to back 35s with six birdies and just four bogies, chased Mawhinney; 33 on front nine, 35 on final nine, through most of the morning. Swartz bogied his third and fourth holes to give Mawhinney a two stroke lead that he never relinquished.
The rest of the Fleming Island scorecard included Dylan Frein at 76, Ryan Houck at 77.
At the district tournament, Fleming Island could only muster a best of 74 from Mawhinney with Frein, Swartz and Houck tied at 77.

SJCDS Vogt back to state tournament
St. Johns Country Day School’s Addy Vogt shot a three over par 75 to advance to the Class 1A championship tournament with her second place finish (four tied at 75) at the region 1-1A championship tournament at Windsor Park Golf Club on Mon., Oct. 31.
Vogt, a sophomore, finished tied with three other golfers; Madison Balaskiewicz of Bolles, Emma Wells of Providence and Danielle Dailey of St. Joseph Academy, to make her second state tournament visit.
Keystone Heights girls team, led by senior Candace Jackson’s 85, placed seventh with Bolles top team with a 316 score.

Vogt will play in her second state tournament after a 171 (83, 88, 83) total last year with the winning score at 138.

Keystone Heights boys 8th in region
Keystone Heights junior Alexander Addington scored an 8-over 80 to finish 18th at the region 1-1A championship tournament at Marsh Landin Country Club as the Indians finished as eighth team. Episcopal scored a 298-304 team title over Bolles with Keystone Heights finishing with a 348.
With Addington were Kenneth Guy (85), Nick Binet (90), Shepherd Rozier (93) and Ty Mitzel (96).
Bishop Snyder senior Matthew French of Orange Park, finished ninth with a 76 score to earn the third individual qualifier to the state tournament.