To be sure, Manlius-Pebble Hill boys golfer Johnny Gruninger represented one of the smallest schools in the field gathered for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at Cornell University’s course in Ithaca.
Yet Gruninger made a big impression during Sunday’s rain-soaked opening round where a shotgun start was used and he teed off on the 4th hole.
None of the 99 golfers in the field broke par, and Gruninger overcame an early triple bogey to post a pair of birdies on par-three holes (17 and 3) to finish at 79, within the top 20 and just seven shots off the lead.
Conditions were better for Monday’s final round, where Gruninger remained consistent, again shooting a 79 with just one birdie, on the 7th hole. The total score of 158 would tie him for 25th place with Cazenovia’s Cody Thorp, who improved from an 86 to a 72, tied for the third-lowest round of the day.
Among the Section III contingent, only West Genesee’s Dylan Plis, who tied for 13th at 154, fared better. Baldwinsville’s Maxwell Dec finished at 160, with Bees teammate Ben Donohue posting 164, one behind Cooperstown’s Teddy Trossett and New Hartford’s Jack Angelucci. Matt Barton (Thousand Islands) finished at 166 as West Genesee’s Joe Morgan had to withdraw following the first round.
Nathan Han, from Somers, won the state title by defeating Manhasset’s Adam Xiao in a three-hole playoff after both finished at four-over-par 148. Section III finished seventh in the team standings as Section V prevailed in that part of the competition.
Back on Saturday and Sunday, three Fayetteville-Manlius girls golfers – Madison Kingsley, Maggie Bonomo and Bailey Wallace – took part in their NYSPHSAA Tournament at Bethpage State Park’s Yellow Course on Long Island.
Kingsley fared best, making no worse than a double bogey during her opening-round 84. Another 84 followed in the final round as Kingsley started that round with seven consecutive pars.
With a two-day total of 168, Kingsley tied for 25th place in the 78-player field, while Bonomo went from a first-day 90 to matching Kingsley’s 84 in the second round to finish at 174 and share 37th place. Wallace, in her state tournament debut, had rounds of 90 and 98 to finish at 188.
Auburn’s Lindsay May, in a quest for a fourth straight state title, was thwarted despite back-to-back 71s that left her just two shots behind the winner, Section I’s Lauren Peter.
Among the other Section III golfers, Liverpool’s Mia Avotins finished with a 162 and tied for 18th place, while sister Nataly Avotins finished at 173. Olivia Evans (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) finished at 178 and Nessa McKie (Cicero-North Syracuse) posted 189.