Sports

Lady Trojans golf team takes home region title

• The Lee County boys golf team, meanwhile, finishes second as both teams — plus the Bainbridge girls, which took home second place — qualify for the state tournament May 5 in Augusta.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — The Region 1-AAAA girls golf tournament scoreboard Tuesday at Grand Island can be explained as “night and Day.”

While every other girl in the region shot scores above 100, only Lee County’s Day sisters, Ivory, who shot a tournament-best 87, and twin Ebony, who shot a 91, scored below the century-mark and together clinched the Lady Trojans’ third consecutive region title.

Their combined score of 178 on the home course was more than enough to defeat the second-place girls from Bainbridge (219), which also earned a trip to the state tournament to be held May 5 in Augusta.

“We wanted to win region pretty badly,” Ivory said. “It was our goal because this is Ebony and I’s senior season. We wanted to go out with a win.”

At state, however, the Lady Trojans will have familiar company.

Even though Thomas County Central’s boys won their second consecutive tournament title with a score of 309, led by two-time medalist Josh Cone’s 75, Lee County finished with a 331 — 12 strokes ahead of third-place Bainbridge -— for their second consecutive runner-up finish and a bid to the state tournament on May 5 in Augusta.

From the way the afternoon started, Lee County boys golf coach Grady Trussell was not so sure the Trojans would have enough to get back to state.

“I wasn’t happy with our scores when I first saw them coming in,” said Trussell, who looked at a 79 from No. 1 Nate Gahman, an 84 from No. 2 Bryan Glenn, and an 89 from No. 3 Clint Eudy. “Then I looked across the scoreboard, and I saw (the rest of the field’s scores) were all high and it made me feel better. At least, we’re going to state again.”

While it was an up-and-down day for Trussell, it was not that way for Lady Trojans coach Cristi Griffin.

Both Day sisters turned in scores under 50 on the front nine and held a 14-stroke advantage with nine holes remaining.

Their back nine was even better as each carded 42s.

“That was nice to see,” Griffin said of the Day sisters strong finish.

“Everyone else’s scores went up on the back nine because they got tired and our girls improved.”

Joining the Lady Trojans at state will the Lady Bearcats — the surprise team of the tournament.

Bainbridge’s Sunnie Chasen and Nicole Putnal posted scores of 109 and 110 to best Thomas County Central by 11 strokes and finish second in their first year as a competitive team.

“It was so encouraging,” Bainbridge boys and girls golf coach Tom Wheeler said. “It was a big step for us to take and I think this was as fine as we’ve played given the competition.”

While Bainbridge’s girls advanced, their boys program fell short of moving on to Augusta by 12 strokes. They were led by their No. 4 golfer Shaun Gaskins with an 83.

No. 2 Alex Allen posted an 85, No. 1 Tanner Walker an 87 and No. 5 Adam Anderson an 88 to round out the scoring.

“We knew TCC was the best and that we’d have to do well to get past Lee County, who beat us all year,” Wheeler said. “Still, I felt like we had some scores let us down from the top.”

The Trojans were not so pleased with how their top performed either – especially their top dog, who was most upset with himself.

Gahman, who averages about 72 on his home court at Grand Island and hoped to give Cone a run for his money for medalist honors, posted a 79 and was disappointed with his performance.

“It was terrible,” said Gahman, who recorded a double bogey on No. 13. “I didn’t putt well. I practice out here every day. I can’t believe how I shot. It was just pretty much one of those days.”

Bryan Glenn (84), Heath Tharp (84) and Alex Herring (84) rounded out the scoring for the Trojans.

PANTHERS ON PROWL

Also competing in the tournament, Americus-Sumter’s boys posted two scores for a total of 233. Jeffrey Brown tallied their best score with a 110, while Jacoby Thornton carded a 123.

“This is the first time we’ve played this course and the toughest competition we’ve faced,” Americus-Sumter golf coach Rodney Shelton said. “With that combination, it wasn’t a good day for us.”

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