After needing an at-large bid to reach an FHSAA regional golf tournament for the first time in school history, the Ponte Vedra Sharks made sure they’d reach the Class 3A state tournament the usual way – by winning the region.
Sophomore Jake Mason listed as the No. 5 player for the Sharks, posted a bogey-free 68 to tie Jaspreet Kondal of Beachside for medalist and lead Ponte Vedra to nine-shot victory over the Barracudas at 8-under-par 280 on Monday at the Golf Club at Cypress Head in Port Orange.
Ponte Vedra senior Cameron Reed (69) finished alone in third, sophomore James Nagle (71) tied for sixth with Nicholas Adamonis and Ethan Tak of Nease and junior Easton Oliva (72) tied for ninth with Barton Abstein of Beachside to give all four Sharks scorers are par or lower.
Beachside clinched the second automatic spot for the state tournament by two shots over Nease. The Panthers will go to the state tournament as an at-large team.
James Nagle comes through in short notice
In addition to Mason’s performance, the Sharks got huge boost from Nagle’s under-par score. He replaced Cooper Franklin in the lineup after Franklin became ill the day before the tournament.
“James was our alternate, we plugged him in and he did a great job,” said Ponte Vedra coach Mickey Leapley. “James and Jake have been trying to figure out who our fifth guy is and they both had an opportunity. Jake is just solid … lot of fairways, a lot of greens and a lot of pars.”
Leapley said the team took his message to heart after tying for third in District 4-3A with Nease, and behind Beachside and Tocoi Creek.
“They were in a position to get an at-large because of our schedule and how we played,” he said. “I told them that just one hiccough doesn’t mean you won’t get another opportunity to prove yourself. It was a positive. It was really for them to play well and bounce back.”
Ambrose Kinnare of Tocoi Creek (70) clinched an automatic individual berth. Bryson Hughes of Creekside (72) and Mason Seaton of Fletcher (73) earned at-large spots.
Ponte Vedra will be gunning for its eighth consecutive state championship and 10th overall at the Mission Inn Resort El Campeon Course Nov. 19-20.
Fleming Island, Bolles double up
Fleming Island and Bolles both followed their district titles with victories in the region to punch their state tickets.
Tyler Mawhinney won the Region 1-2A individual title with a 70 at the Country Club of Lake City and the Golden Eagles beat Live Oak Suwanee by 13 shots to qualify for the Class 2A state tournament Nov. 15-16 at Mission Inn.
Ryan Houck (72) and Emmet Kuhlenkamp (73) provided the depth for Fleming Island, which won the Class 3A state title last year.
Luke Balaskiewicz shot 68 at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club to lead Bolles to a one-shot victory over Pensacola Catholic in Region 1-1A and earn their spot in the Class 1A state tournament Nov. 12-13.
Neal Kuthiala (71) finished third for the Bulldogs.
The difference came on the final four holes. The four players who scored for Bolles shot a collective 3-over and Pensacola Catholic’s four were 5-over.
Balaskiewicz, a verbal commitment to the University of North Florida, has won the district and region individual titles. Bolles won the team titles in the district and region by a combined five shots.
Bolles girls add region title to district win
In girls regionals, Bolles won the Region 1-1A title to go with their District 4-1A crown. The Bulldogs cruised to a 27-shot victory over Episcopal at the Golden Eagle Country Club in Tallahassee and are headed to the Class A state tournament Nov. 12-13 at Mission Inn’s Las Colinas Course.
Sahana Chokshi (70) of Episcopal added an individual region title to her district championship. Grace Breffitt and Anaiya Nahar (both at 77) tied for third to lead Bolles. Addy Vogt (78) of St. Johns Country Day is an individual qualifier.
Beachside, Stanton girls qualify
Beachside will have a chance to play for the Class 3A state championship Nov. 19-20 by finishing second in Region 1-3A at the Hawkstone Golf Cub in Gainesville to Lake Mary by 15 shots.
Sofia Rivera led the Barracudas, last year’s Class 2A state champion, with a 70 but there was no catching Ryleigh Knabb of Lake Mary, who won the region with a 65.
Stanton will be going to the Class 2A state tournament on Nov. 15-16 after finishing second to South Walton Santa Rosa Beach by seven shots at the Quail Heights Country Club in Lake City. Lily Chiang led the Blue Devils with a 70, good for second in the region behind Ryan Donaldson of Suwanee.
The state may announce additional teams and individuals who will qualify for the state tournaments at large.
FHSAA Regional golf tournaments
BOYS
Region 1-3A, at Golf Club at Cypress Head, Port Orange
State qualifiers
Ponte Vedra (280): Jake Mason 68, Cameron Reed 69, James Nagle 71, Easton Oliva 72, Jack Chung 74.
Beachside (289): Jaspreet Kondal 68, Barton Abstein 72, Jonah Nacional 72, Samuel Ha 77, Jack Randolph 77.
Nease (291, at large)): Ethan Tak 71, Nicholas Adamonis 73, Dmytro Kulyk 73, Chase McBride 76, Sean Russo 79.
Individuals: Ambrose Kinnare (Tocoi Creek) 70; Gabe Hull (Spruce Creek) 70. At large individuals: Bryson Hughes (Creekside) 72; Mason Seaton (Fletcher) 73.
Region 1-2A, at Country Club at Lake City
State qualifiers
Fleming Island (296): Tyler Mawhinney 70, Ryan Houck 72, Emmet Kuhlenkamp 73, Dylan Frein 81, Carson Moore 82.
Live Oak Suwanee (309): Dawson Wooley 75, Carter Cannon 75, Ty Hurst 79, Cooper Hackney 80, Williams Slaughter 82.
Individuals: Bryce Matthews (Lincoln) 73, Matthew Rau (Wakulla) 76.
Region 1-1A, at Jacksonville Beach Golf Club
State qualifiers
Bolles (297): Luke Balaskiewicz 68, Neal Kuthiala 71, Kelly Day 75, Enzo Martinez 83, Nico Vasto 88.
Pensacola Catholic (298): Hudson Mitchell 70, Mac Gilmer 74, Wilmer Mitchell 76, Ian Morris 78, Wyatt Hart 82.
Episcopal (304): Dylan Tran 72, Aubrey Fellows 72, Brody Tran 79, Baker Eller 81, Aaron Woods 83.
Providence (309): Alexander Stewart 76, Caden Crews 76, Jack Cole 78, Ethan Grossman 79, Keelan Jackson 80.
GIRLS
Region 1-3A, at Hawkstone Country Club, Gainesville
State qualifiers
Lake Mary (287): Ryleigh Knabb 65, Mara King 70, Elli Chon 75, Delaney Sillaway 77, K. Meyher 86.
Beachside (302): Sofia Rivera 70, Fiona Clancy 75, Alexia Iordanov 76, Kitana Naidu 81, Mila Hubert 82.
Individuals: Haley Davis (Ocala Forest) 67; Aspen Bikowski (Bartram Trail) 71; Madison Dusenbury (DeLand) 71.
Region 1-2A, at Quail Heights Country Club
State qualifiers
South Walton Santa Rosa Beach (312): Neely Knight 71, Lily Martin 75, Ava Knight 75, MacKazlyn Payne 83, Vivian Harrison 87.
Stanton (319): Lily Chiang 70, Naharika Naravarjual 77, Alyssa Hardy 80, Moli Roelke 92, Olivia Woods 93.
Individuals: Ryan Donaldson (Suwanee) 69, Abby Vernier (West Florida) 73.
Region 1-1A, at Golden Eagle Country Club, Tallahassee
State qualifiers
Bolles (318): Grace Breffitt 77, Anaiya Nahar 77, Chloe McGrath 79, Riley Powell 85, Taylor Olson 95.
Epsicopal (345): Sahana Chokshi 70, Olivian Messana 82, Simryn Chokshi 86, Maddie McClure 107, Crissie Clayman 122.
Individual: Addy Vogt (St. Johns Country Day) 78.
FHSAA State tournaments
At Mission Inn Resort, Howey-in-the-Hills (boys, El Campeon Course; girls Las Colinas Course)
Nov. 12-13: Class 1A
Nov. 15-16: Class 2A
Nov. 19-20: Class 3A
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ponte Vedra Sharks get bogey-free round from Jake Mason to win Region 1-3A
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