WHEELING — The 2023 WVSSAC state golf tournament concluded on Wednesday from Speidel Golf Club at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling.
A total of 120 players across three classes teed off for their final round aiming to improve on round one and help themselves and their teams make an impact on the leaderboard.
The Morgantown Mohigans and the University Hawks entered the day in fourth and sixth place, respectively, after day one and began their final round from hole one on the front nine. Both teams were able to improve on the first round of the tournament and gain one spot in the standings after the final scores had all been tallied.
Morgantown sophomore Solas Chhin-Kreiner and junior Gabe Watson were each named to the Class AAA all-tournament team after finishing in the top eight of the individual standings.
UHS started the day two strokes behind fifth-place Martinsburg but bested the Bulldogs by nine strokes on Wednesday with a score of 248 to take fifth place overall as a team.
UHS senior Adam Argabrite was the low-scorer for the Hawks finishing 12th individually with a total score of 161 after rounds of 79 and 82.
“Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make it here and we did that,” UHS head coach Barry Kolar said. “The course played tough and the first round wasn’t our best effort but we came out strong today and played well enough to improve one spot in the standings which was a positive. We are bringing back most of our roster next year, I can’t believe the season is already over but I’m excited for what we accomplished.”
Following Argabrite were teammates Daniel Grabo (T-18), Landon Spiker (T-30) and Owen Estel (33).
The Mohigans also improved on their opening-round score of 242 by tallying nine strokes better with a score of 233 on Wednesday. That was the second-best team score for the final round and allowed MHS to move ahead of Cabell Midland for third place overall for the tournament with a score of 475 across the two rounds, only three strokes behind Hurricane in second place with 472.
“I’m very proud of the team today,” MHS head coach Joel Barrett said. “They came together and played well today and jumped a good team that was in front of them, nearly two teams, which was a big ask. You look back on a round of golf and think there’s a shot here and a shot there that could’ve bounced differently and we would’ve been right there. But it was a good way to end the season and we have nothing to hang our head about.”
Three of the four players who played for MHS at the state tournament, Chhin-Kreiner, Watson, and Andrew Sheets, will all return for next season, while lone senior Braxton Martucci will graduate in the spring. He finished 15th individually in the tournament while Sheets finished tied for 16th.
Chhin-Kreiner finished his tournament +15 between the two rounds of 76 and 81 for sixth overall. His teammate Watson fired a 160 (+18) for his tournament rounds of 84 and 76, improving by eight strokes.
“Braxton will be tough to replace, it’s hard to fill the role of someone shooting a consistent number like he did,” Barrett said. “But we have a group of players behind him who can all play and we will find someone to come in and be that player next season.”
The Mohigans earned its first-ever Region I championship this season, which qualified them for the state tournament.
Washington won the Class AAA team title with a two-day team score of 455 (234+221). Tommy Evans led the Patriots with a four-under 138 (71+67) to claim individual medalist honors.
Winfield won the team title in Class AA at 472 (240-232). Westside’s Kerri-Anne Cook became the first girl to win an individual state title, shooting 10-over 152 (76+76).
Wheeling Central repeated as the champion in Class A with a score of 504 (253+251). Wahama’s Grant Roush shot 12-over 154 (72+82) to win the individual title.
