By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
For the third year in a row, the Fort Fairfield Tigers are the Aroostook League golf champions.
Coach Larry Gardner’s squad came through with this year’s victory in convincing fashion at Limestone Country Club Friday with a score of 364 — 40 strokes better than runner-up Ashland.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
Meghan Flanagin of the Limestone/MSSM Eagles chips the ball onto the green on hole No. 3 Friday during the Aroostook County Golf Championships, held at Limestone Country Club. Flanagin shot a 97 to qualify for the individual state championships, slated for Oct. 15 at Natanis Golf Course.
“I’m very pleased with the way the team played on Friday and has played all season long,” Gardner said. “I knew we had some veteran players who have been here before and have performed well. Add to that a couple of our young players who have been our top players this year and I knew we had a good shot at repeating for the third time.
“We played at Limestone four times this year plus some from the team had gone over on their own and played as well. We took the whole team over and played 18 holes the Saturday before the regionals and I think that made a huge difference in their course knowledge and confidence as well,” he added.
As the top two teams in Friday’s competition, both the Tigers and the Hornets earned berths in the Class C state championship, to be held Oct. 10 at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro.
Ashland coach Shari Ward said her team “had a really great day.”
“It proved we were able to dig deep to come up with the game we needed to move forward,” said the first-year coach. “I am very proud of them all. They really exhibited the ability to play smart to overcome any difficulties they were having with their skill.”
Four boys and three girls from the region also qualified for the individual state championships, to be played Oct. 15 at Natanis. Boys scoring 90 or under and girls scoring 110 or under Friday earned the right to move on to play against the best golfers in the state.
Mark Corella of Ashland led the way with a score of 81, nine strokes over par.
“Mark has been the one constant on our season,” Ward said of the junior standout. “He is simply the most wonderful student golfer to work with. As a new coach, he took me under his wing and made sure I learned the ropes. I consider him my assistant coach as he is a teacher and mentor for his fellow teammates.”
Ward said it will be Corella’s first time competing in the state tourney.
Noah Bernard of Fort Fairfield was next with an 89, followed by Billy Weissman and Brandon Clark, also both of the Tigers, with 90s.
For girls, Limestone-MSSM’s Meghan Flanagin carded a 97 on the day.
“She started off a little slow, but picked it up on the back nine,” said her coach, Tom Albert. “She did a great job and I look for her to do really well in the state tournament.”
She missed qualifying by a mere stroke last season, according to Albert.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
Jordann Coiley of the Fort Fairfield Tigers attempts a putt on hole No. 3 Friday during her round at the Aroostook County Golf Championship, which took place at Limestone Country Club. Coiley shot a 108 to qualify for the state championship, set for Oct. 15 at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro. As a team, the Tigers won the County title and also qualified for the state team event, which will be played Oct. 8 at Natanis.
Other female qualifers were Hodgdon’s Ashley Wallace with a 107 and Fort Fairfield’s Jordann Coiley with a 108.
“It was great to have as many players as we did that qualified for the state individual championships as well. The weather was a big key to that, plus that fact that the Limestone course was in great shape all helped with the scoring,” Gardner said. “This is a tough course to play on with its length and small well-bunkered greens. It was a great test for the players.
“This is the most players we have ever qualified in one year plus our only girl qualified as well. I was really happy for all of them, especially Billy Weissman, our senior who missed it last year by one stroke,” Gardner added. He said that Clark was the only Tiger to qualify a year ago.
Complete results from Friday are as follows:
Fort Fairfield: Weissman, 90; Bernard, 89; Robbie Watson, 91, Landon Towle, 97; Dereck Dufour, 94; Coiley, 108; Clark, 90; Will Adams, 96; Tyler Churchill, 102; Nate Guimond, 108.
Ashland: Corella, 81; Dylan Cyr-Cormier, 104; Royce MacDonald, 116; Mark Chasse, 112; Amos Ward, 107.
Limestone-MSSM (third place, 410): M. Flanagin, 97; Shane Flanagin, 102; Tyler Morgan, 100; Jeremy Bistre, 111; Ellyzabeth Bencivenga, 133.
Central Aroostook (fourth, 421): Dan Brewer, 107; Alex Folsom, 99; Zach Grass, 112; Mike McClung, 103; Evan Grass, 128; Zack McClung, 107.
Hodgdon (fifth, 434): Chris Wallace, 94; A. Wallace, 107; Greg Griffin, 119; Jordon Wilson, 114; Joshua Ganzel, 131; Jeff Wheeler, 118.
Last Wednesday, four of the five teams gathered at LCC for a regular season match and a tune-up for the Aroostook League event to take place two days later. Chris Wallace of the Hawks was the medalist with a 44 and Fort Fairfield had the low team round with a 196.
Towle led FF with a 47, with Watson and Bernard both totaling 48s on the afternoon.
Central Aroostook’s Folsom led his team with a 48, while Meghan Flanagin had a 50 and Shane Flanagin a 54 for the host Eagles.
In other golf action, the Caribou golfers won a four-team event pitting the larger Aroostook County schools against each other last Tuesday at JaTo Highlands in Lincoln. The event served as a warmup of sorts for the PVC Championships and state tourney qualifier, which is scheduled for Thursday at JaTo.
The Vikings were led by Caleb Chapman, who was the medalist with a 38; Matt Kamm, who came in a stroke back with a 39; and Ben Wyman, who carded a 40 for his round.
“I am pleased that our three leaders were able to rise to the occasion and execute when it mattered most,” said Caribou coach Shawn Savage.
Reggie Rideout had a 48 and Connor Thibeault a 56 as Caribou had a team score of 165, six strokes better than runner-up Presque Isle.
The Wildcats were paced by Evan Waddell’s 40. Adam Flynn (42), Connor Shaw (44), Cody Merrill (45) and Gabe Player (49) were the other PI starters.
Houlton, with a 174, received a round of 40 from Alex Donovan. Alex Chasse shot a 43 to lead Fort Kent, which placed fourth with a score of 227.
“It was a key step in achieving our team goal of qualifying for states,” Savage added. “Although we realize we have a ways to go, I told the team to savor the victory as it was the brightest day the golf program has seen in recent history. We now need to take that confidence boost and use the momentum to finish the season with our very best effort.”
The Vikings also played a regular season match Thursday at home against Fort Kent. Wyman shot a 42 and Rideout a 44 to lead Caribou, which posted a team score of 185 to come out on top.
On Monday, Presque Isle hosted Houlton in a make-up match and the Wildcats prevailed by a score of 164-182.
Waddell shot a 39 to lead PI, with Mike Boone coming through with a 41. Shaw and Flynn both had 43s and Player and Matt Sullivan 46s.
Donovan shot a 44 to pace the Shiretowners.
Caribou and Presque Isle were scheduled to square off yesterday afternoon at PICC in the final regular season match of the season for both squads.
