1 week Ago By Steve Gorches, Correspondent
From Lake Mary’s viewpoint, it was a matter of all good things coming to an end . For Lake Nona, Wednesday’s outcome in the FHSA Class 3A Girls Golf State Championship could signal the beginning of yet another Central Florida girls golf dynasty. Led by individual medalist Alexandra Snyder , a ninth grader, the Lions held off three-time defending champ Lake Mary down the stretch to capture their first golf state title at Mission Inn Resort.
Lake Nona posted a two-day score of 600. The Rams were 10 strokes behind to notch second place. The Lions were led by first-year coach Shania Jones, a 2017 Lake Nona graduate who twice reached the state tournament as a player.
“They worked hard and bought into everything I told them, but they also earned it today,” Jones said while holding her three-month old son Saamir. “I can relate to them since I played high school golf and I’m trying to be the coach they need in high school.” Lake Nona’s previous state titles came in boys tennis (2022) and a girls water polo three-peat (2021-23).
Snyder shot 140 for the two days to finish in a three-way tie with Viera’s Hannah Hall and Jupiter’s Zoe Shamy. Snyder parred hole No. 18 twice in the playoff before winning the tiebreaker with a birdie on No.
1. “It was one of my goals to win an individual title and winning with the team, so this is great,” said Snyder, who turned 14 in July. “I had a little too much adrenaline on the 18th hole both times (in the playoff), so I just slowed down and I was confident on the last hole.
” She warmed up for high school play by winning the Florida State Golf Association’s Junior Amateur Match Play tournament for ages 13-18 in July. Lake Nona’s lineup had just one senior, Nicole Kim. She was joined by ninth grader Sofia MacApagal and juniors Isabella Melendez and Da’Mya Aubrey.
Lake Mary coach Dennis Burchill knew winning a fourth straight title would be a challenge. “We gave it a run today, but Lake Nona just didn’t give in,” he said. “We didn’t get the medal we wanted, but we played hard.
” Lake Mary senior Mara King, a Penn State signee, tied for fifth overall with 143. Senior LSU signee Ryleigh Knaub was one shot behind in eighth. Another senior in the tie for fifth at 143 was Olympia’s Emma Rynn, who is headed to Longwood University in Virginia.
“I just needed a few more puts to go in; that could have been the difference today,” she said. “My three years of high school golf has been amazing.” Winter Park girls placed seventh with 636.
St. Cloud was 10th. There was also a three-way playoff for the boys individual title with West Orange senior Shawn Coultoff in that trio after shooting 75.
Winter Haven’s Anthony Monteleone and Lakewood Ranch’s Parker Severs were the other playoff participants after they all totaled 141 for two days. Coultoff had a chance to win on the final hole of regulation, but missed a birdie putt. He parred the first playoff hole and had to settle for third as eventual champ Monteleone and Severs birdied.
“My clubs and I weren’t well together today,” said Coultoff, who shot 66 on Tuesday. The top local boys team was St. Cloud in seventh with 634, followed by Lake Mary in eighth and Winter Park in ninth.
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