In a year of nearly unparalleled excellence for Rye High School athletics, the 2026 Garnet boys golf team had a season for the record books.
Rye was the only school to qualify three golfers for the 99-player field at the boys individual state championships, played June 7-8 at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville, N.Y.
But get this: all three Garnets – sophomore Graham Erickson (75-69, 6th), sophomore Ryker Kevorkian (71-74, T-7th), and junior Derek Bisceglia (74-73, T-14th) – earned all-state honors, awarded to the tournament’s top 20 finishers.
The key words above: sophomore, sophomore, and junior.
“In my 32 seasons coaching at Rye, I don’t think we’ve ever had a team this deep with so many young, talented players,” said Rye coach and local golf legend Pat Romano. “And we’ve never had three kids qualify for the state tournament, let alone finish with all-state honors. These guys don’t ever get flustered during a round.”
Erickson’s impressive 2-under 69 on the second day was among just a handful of rounds in the red. His sixth-place finish also earned him an invitation to play in this weekend’s boys high school Federation event at Bethpage Black. The 18-hole event pits the top six public school players in New York against the top six golfers from the Catholic Athletic Association, and the top six from New York’s independent high schools.
The individual state championship ended in a tie Monday between two golfers from Nassau County’s Section 8 on Long Island. Manhasset freshman Ryan Liu (70-66), and Friends Academy senior Charles Nevin (69-67), both finished with a score of 136. Liu won with a birdie on the second playoff hole.
Next year, the Garnets will be loaded with talent again and will attempt to defend their 2026 Section 1 team championship.
“The kids on our team love to play golf,” Romano said. “They work hard at their games, and they enjoy playing with each other. They make it easy on a coach. I don’t know how we improve next year after all this, but I know these boys will give it their all.”
