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MHS Carroll final golfer chasing state title

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 11/16/22

With Hurricane Nicole abruptly stifling play at the FHSAA Golf State Championships and forcing the normal two rounds of 18 to be reduced to a single round of championship golf, Middleburg High senior …

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MHS Carroll final golfer chasing state title


Posted

With Hurricane Nicole abruptly stifling play at the FHSAA Golf State Championships and forcing the normal two rounds of 18 to be reduced to a single round of championship golf, Middleburg High senior Chase Carroll will be the final Clay County golfer remaining in the Orlando-area venue in Tuesday’s Class 2A championship tournament.

In the past week, on Tuesday, the Fleming Island High boys and girls teams both got in nearly 15 holes of action before the weather started to tip its hand with thunderstorms followed by a statewide weather alert that forced the tournament changes.

On Saturday, after a week’s hiatus of golf action, St. Johns Country Day School sophomore Addy Vogt was a lone Class 1A competitor representing Clay County and finished 55th with an 80 score for her one round of action.

In the Boys Class 3A championship tournament on Tuesday for an expected round one of two, Fleming Island finished sixth overall wtih Jupiter the champion and Miami Columbus runnerup. Fleming Island’s sixth place featured the Golden Eagles being the top north Florida school in the tournament with Spruce Creek 10th and Pace High 16th as the two challengers from north of Orlando. Fleming Island was fifth in 2020 in Class 3A with Swartz the lone returner to state from that team; rounds of 75 and 76 for 15th place.

Jupiter finished with a 297 score with Columbus at 301 followed by Windermere at 303, Boca Raton at 305, Lakewood Ranch at 306 and Fleming Island at 308.

Fleming Island got an outstanding round from both freshman Tyler Mawhinney and senior Colton Swartz who scorched the round in a one of par 73 to push the Golden Eagle challenge. Sophomore Emmet Kuhlenkamp was third at 80 with sophomore Dylan Frein at 81 and Ryan Houck at 84. Missing from the lineup was junior Jaylan Abbas who injured his hand prior to regions.

Swartz and Mawhinney were both tied in seventh place with eight golfers after the round with Bartram Trails Brody Stevenson and Nease’s Jackson Klauk ahead of them from the area. Riverview Sarasota senior Aksel Moe was top finisher with a two under par 70 with three golfers finishing at 71, two at 72 and the list of 73s.

Swartz got to his 73 with four birdies, three on the final nine holes while Mawhinney spread his four birdies from hole two to hole 10 with 7-8-9 bogie holes. Ten got Mawhinney back into this groove before a string of pars and back to back birdies on 15 and 16 put him back in contention after a rain delay.

Swartz lost ground after two birdies; 15 and 16, with two bogies to end his round.

In the girls Class 3A tournament, with Fleming Island advancing from regions with an at-large invite, the Lady Golden Eagles took advantage of their first trip to the state tournament with a 12th place finish with a team of five underclassmen.

Led by junior Kalia Polete, who edged sophomore Alyzabeth Morgan, the team’s top golfer through the regular season, the Golden Eagles finished as the third north Florida school behind Nease and Bartram Trail at ninth and 11th respectively.

Ironically, in a very strong region 1-3A lineup, won by Lake Mary with Niceville second, Bartram Trail third and Nease fourth, Fleming Island was seventh behind Ocala Forest and Deland.

At the state tournament, the top 12 teams featured five from region 1-3A.

Polete finished with a 83 to lead the Golden Eagles with Morgan and junior Cambree Hodge at 86, and sophomores Chloe Blanc and Kathryn McNeill in at 90 and 92.

At the region 1-3A tournament, Morgan and Polete were tied at 28th, both with 83s.

At the Class 1A tournament, Vogt had just one birdie hole with even par holes to finish at 80 with the leaderboard featuring a sizzling 66 from leader Mi Li out of First Academy (seventh in 2021 with 1A champion Windermere) and a 68 from sophomore Amilia Phung of FAU (29th in 2021). First Academy won the Class 1A girls title last week ahead of Circle Christian and FAU.