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Shark hunt: Brock Blais, Nancy Cox go low to lead Ponte Vedra golf teams to region titles

garry smits, florida times-union
·6 min read
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Ponte Vedra's Brock Blais and Nancy Cox both posted rounds in the 60s on Tuesday in Region 1-2A golf tournaments, pacing the Sharks boys and girls teams to the Class 2A state tournament on Nov. 15-16 at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills.

Blais played his last five holes at 2-under with no bogeys for a 69 at the Perdido Bay Golf Club in Pensacola to lead the Sharks to a 12-shot victory over Bishop Kenny at 8-under-par 280. Teammates Camden Smith and Carson Brewer both shot 70, Stefan Ink 71 and Rohan Singh 73.

Bishop Kenny was led by Evan Raynor (72), Cody Tucker (74) and Adam Enoch (75).

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Beachside clinched the third state qualifying spot in its first season of competition, finishing three shots behind the Crusaders, five ahead of Fernandina Beach and seven clear of Tocoi Creek. Beachside was led by Nolan Harper with a 70 and Jonah Nacional with a 75.

Ponte Vedra will be going for an eighth state championship and a sixth in a row at Mission Inn. The Sharks already hold state records in both categories.

In the girls Region 1-2A tournament at Quail Heights in Lake City, Cox made only one bogey, at the second hole, birdied three in a row at Nos. 5, 6 and 7, then birdied Nos. 16 and 17 for a 67 and a four-shot victory over Alyssa Hardy of Stanton and Ryan Donaldson of Live Oak Suwannee.

The Sharks beat Lake City Columbia by 36 shots for the team title. Veona Osborne led the Tigers with a 76.

Sadaly Campbell of Fernandina Beach (76) joined Hardy and Donaldson as individual qualifiers.

In other region tournaments:

Girls

Region 1-3A: No one had an answer for Lake Mary's Lauryn Finley and Ryleight Knaub, who tied for medalist with 66s on Tuesday at the Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville.

Lake Mary beat Niceville by 26 shots and Bartram Trail clinched the third team spot in the 3A state tournament, led by Helena Rios (75) and Fiona Clancy (76).

Region 1-2A: Bolles logged three scores in the 70s at Windsor Parke to win a fourth regional golf title in a row on Monday.

Madison Balaskiewicz (75), Violet Robbins (77) and Anaiya Nahar (79) helped the Bulldogs beat Episcopal by 20 shots. The Eagles were led by Sahana Chokshi (80). Providence locked up the third qualifying spot, led by Emma Wells (75) and Alexa Fallis (78).

Two area players qualified as individuals with 75s, Addy Vogt of St. Johns Country Day and Danielle Dailey of St. Joseph.

Boys

Region 1-3A: Tyler Mawhinney played his last two holes 3-under for a 68 on Monday at the Golf Club at Cypress Head to lead Fleming Island to the team title by nine shots over Spruce Creek.

Mawhinney trailed Mason McKain of New Smyrna Beach by one shot and went birdie-eagle on the final two holes at Cypress Head (both par-5s) to earn the individual title. McKain birdied those two holes for a 69.

Colton Swartz of Fleming Island was one of four players to shoot 70. The other three, Jackson Klauk of Nease, Arth Singh of Hagerty and Jackson Runquist of Fletcher, went to a three-for-two playoff for state tournament berths, and Klauk and Singh survived with two pars.

Klauk also went birdie-eagle on the final two holes in regulation to make the playoff. He hit an 8-iron to within 1-foot of the hole at the last to set up a tap-in eagle putt.

Region 1-1A: Henry Robards fired a 70 at Marsh Landing on Monday to lead the Episcopal to a six-shot victory over Bolles.

Robards recovered from bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9 to play the back nine at Marsh Landing at 2-under, with no additional bogeys, to beat Andrew Morgan of Bolles and Lee Poppell of Tallahassee Maclay by one shot.

Luke Balaskiewicz of Bolles was another shot behind with a 72.

Cam Goldknopf shot 74 and Aubrey Fellows 76 to post top-10 finishes for Episcopal.

Miles Russell of Providence (72) held on despite a double-bogey on the final hole to lock up an individual qualifying spot. D.J. White of Pensacola Catholic defeated Matthew French of Bishop Snyder for the final individual spot for the state tournament in a playoff, after both shot 76 in regulation.

FHSAA Region golf tournaments

(Top-three teams, top-three individuals not on those teams qualify for state tournaments

Monday

Boys

Region 1-1A, at Marsh Landing

Team qualifiers: Episcopal 298 (Henry Robards 70, Cam Goldknopf 74, Aubrey Fellows 76, Connor Hess 78, Grant McKinney 87). Bolles 304 (Andrew Morgan 71, Luke Balaskiewicz 72, Andrew Kunkle 80, Dylan Ma 81, Hudson Bell 84). Tallahassee Florida High (Drew Jones 74, Paxton Cowhey 75, Dylan Glantz 79, Luke Urban 80, Mattox Johnston 80). Individual state qualifiers: Lee Poppell (Tallahassee Maclay) 71, Miles Russell (Providence) 72, D.J. White (Pensacola Catholic) 76, defeated Matthew French (Bishop Snyder) on the second playoff hole.

Girls

Region 1-1A, at Windsor Park

Team qualifiers: Bolles 316 (Madison Balaskiewicz 75, Violet Robbins 77, Anaiya Nahar 79, Grace Breffitt 85, Chloe McGrath 87). Episcopal 336 (Sahana Chokshi 80, Olivia Messana 82, Sofia Davila 84, Ella Rhodin 90, Isabella Gatewood 100). Providence 347 (Emma Wells 75, Alexa Fallis 78, Emily Burford 89, Jessee Thompson 105, Mia Kemph 125. Individual state qualifiers: Savannah Goodman (Holmes County) 72, Addy Vogt (St. Johns Country Day) 75, Danielle Dailey (St. Joseph) 75.

Tuesday

Boys

Girls

Region 1-3A, at Hawkstone Country Club, Gainesville

Team qualifiers: Lake Mary 280 (Lauryn Finley 66, Ryleigh Knaub 66, Arenui Faana 74, Delaney Sillaway 74, Jocelyn Mery 97). Niceville 294 (Gracie Grant 70, Peyton Maraman 72, Mariane Johnson 74, Chloe Rich 78, Camryn Lux 82). Bartram Trail 314 (Helena Rios 75, Fiona Clancy 76, Abrianna Carstens 81, Ashley Mikesell 82, Lizzie Thompson 83).

Region 1-2A, at Quail Heights Country Club, Lake City

Team qualifiers: Ponte Vedra 294 (Nancy Cox 67, Lauren Barned 75, Alexandra Drum 76, Stella Moritz 76, Tory Barned 77). Columbia 330 (Veona Osborne 76, Karlee Gainey 83, Alison O'Brien 84, Ashley Nelson 87, Megan Ruwe 102). Fort Walton Beach 354 (Juliana Hock 83, Kazz Payne 84, Aaliyah Miles 88, Boston McGhee 99, Piper Lindsley 103). Individual qualifiers: Alyssa Hardy (Stanton) 71, Ryan Donaldson (Suwannee) 71, Sadaly Campbell (Fernandina Beach) 74.

State tournaments, at Mission Inn Resort, Howey-in-the-Hills

Nov. 8-9: Class 3A.

Nov. 11-12: Class 1A.

Nov. 15-16: Class 2A.

Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Brock Blais, Nancy Cox lead Ponte Vedra golf teams to region titles