For a third straight year, the Rye girls’ golfers won the League Championship by defeating Ursuline on May 16 at Rye Golf Course. Rye High finished the season with a 12-0-1 record. Five Rye golfers advanced to the Sectional championships last week, and three of them advanced to State Championships this week.

 

 

By Melanie Cane

 

For a third straight year, the Rye girls’ golfers won the League Championship by defeating Ursuline on May 16 at Rye Golf Course. Rye High finished the season with a 12-0-1 record. Five Rye golfers advanced to the Sectional championships.

 

On Wednesday, three RHS golfers advanced to State Championships by placing in the top nine in the final round of Sectionals at Hollowbrook Country Club.

 

Senior Jen Lee took first place in Section 1. Lee and two other Rye golfers will compete at the State University of New York at Delhi on June 9-10. 

 

The regular season finale was a cliffhanger as the Garnets topped Ursuline by three strokes, 254-257. Ursuline finished the season 9-1-1.

 

At the end of nine holes, the top four golfers from both teams were tied. So Rye’s No. 5 and No. 6 golfers, Alex Ostan and Caroline Whealan, provided the winning margin. Rye’s final scores were: Jen Lee 43, Alexis Hios 45, Frida Henningssonn 50, Christiana Villani 55, Alex Ostan 61, and Caroline Whealan 64.

 

Lee, a captain, called her last regular season match “really close and tense, but our girls pulled through.”

 

“Rye and Ursuline golf has turned into something of a rivalry so it was definitely a big win,” Lee said.

 

Hios, a sophomore, called it a tough match. “To be League champs for the third year in a row is really exciting and proud to be a part of this team. I’m looking forward to Sectionals and keeping our heads in the game,” Hios said.

 

Coach Rich Savage said he’s thrilled to have won the final match and League title against such an evenly matched team. “It was especially nice to see the number five and six players, Alex and Caroline, make the difference.”

 

In the final round of Section 1 playoffs on Wednesday, captain Jen Lee scored an 80 for first place. Her two-day score was 157, winning by 15 strokes. She placed 17th in State competition last year. Lee plans to play golf next year for Bucknell University.

 

Alexis Hios, a sophomore, snagged fourth overall to advance to States with a two-day score of 174 at Hollowbrook Country Club. Freshman Frida Henningsson placed sixth with an impressive score of 181. (The top nine golfers qualified for States at SUNY Delhi.) Like Lee, this will be HIos and Henningsson’s second appearance at States.