Panthers finish 4th at state, individual players finish in Top 10

Dylan Hynson, Staff Writer

The Panthers’ golf teams had an impressive season, but if you ask any of the players, they would say that there is still work to be done.

“I’m happy with how the season went,” head coach Burt Waller said. “The boys finished fourth in state, and we accomplished most of our goals we laid out at the beginning of the season.” The girls’ team was represented by sophomore Jocelyn Gao, who competed as an individual. She shot 82, which gave her a top-five finish.

“State was such a great experience,” Gao said. “I wish my teammates could’ve been there, but it was still a great experience.” She played at Maple Ridge Golf Course in Columbus. Both team competed on May 18.

The boys’ team put up some impressive scores during the state tournament that was held at Country Club of Columbus. Senior Parker Langham posted a score of 72, finishing at 1-over-par. Sophomore Josh Grenville-Wood also had a low score, shooting a 2-over 73. This is Grenville-Wood’s first year with the team.

“It was definitely a fun experience,” Grenville-Wood said. “I played well, my teammates played well, some teams just had better scores than us, and we couldn’t control that.”

The team shot a total of 297, only seven shots back of state champion Cambridge.

“Cambridge had a couple guys that shot really well,” Waller said. “In golf, you can’t control when someone goes off like that. We just played our golf, and we didn’t worry about the scoreboard. That’s how you have to play team golf.”

The Panthers qualified for the state tournament by finishing third in the section AAAAA tournament on May 4. The team shot a total score of 305, with the best score coming from sophomore Andrew Crockett, who shot a 72.

“A lot of things went right during the sectional round,” Crockett said. “I just got into a rhythm and didn’t stop.”

The Panthers look to next year as they return five of the six competitors from the state meet.  “Next year is going to be a great year,” Waller said. “We accomplished a lot, but I’m looking forward to next year.”