Putting for a shot at state… Hampton senior Hill qualifies for state golf tournament
Published 12:27 am Wednesday, October 2, 2019
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Hampton's Izaak Hill qualified for next week's TSSAA State Golf Tournament with his round at Elizabethton Golf Course on Monday. Pictured with Hill is his coach, Wayne Ellis.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Unaka Lady Ranger Zoie Grindstaff sends a putt toward the cup on No. 9 during Monday's regional golf tournament at Elizabethton Golf Course.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Hampton's Mitchell Tolley pitches toward the cup on No. 17 at Elizabethton Golf Course on Monday.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Izaak Hill prepares to tee off on No.18. Hill was one of three individuals who qualified for next week's TSSAA State Golf Tournament.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Hampton's Izaak Hill chips toward the flag on No. 17. Hill qualified for next week's state tournament with his round Monday at Elizabethton Golf Course in the Region 1-A tournament.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
To say that the action on the links at Elizabethton Golf Course wasn’t anything but charged would be a tremendous understatement as teams and individuals gathered for the Region 1-A golf tournament on Monday with a shot at state on the line for one team and three individual players that were top qualifiers that weren’t on the winning team.
With emotions getting testy early with a couple of players and their parents, the event finally turned its focus to the links where play was fast and furious overcoming brief stints of showers before turning off hot and muggy in the afternoon.
In boys’ play, the North Greene Huskies played a very solid round from top to bottom as the Huskies finished with a 321 to take the team title and a bid to the state tourney as a team.
Individual qualifiers included South Greene’s Hunter Harman with a 70, Cumberland Gap’s Peyton Wilder with a 73, and Hampton senior Izaak Hill who fulfilled a dream by qualifying for next week’s play with a 79.
“It was a lot of ups and downs,” said Hill about his regional round. “The back nine really got me but I finished strong. I had a couple of birdie putts that I missed at the end.
“The rain started to come down at No. 7 and then on eight and nine, it was a rough stretch of holes there for a minute. I give all the glory to God because without Him I couldn’t have done it.”
Coming into the tournament, Hill and his best friend Mitchell Tolley who also was a senior were hoping to qualify for the state tournament together in their senior year but Tolley came up just short of reaching the state round.
“It’s a great feeling because I have wanted to make it to state all four years but I just couldn’t do it,” Hill stated. “I just want to experience it. I would love to place in the top 10 but if not I just want to go out there and experience the two days and enjoy it.
“Coach (Wayne) Ellis is a great coach and without him, I probably couldn’t have achieved this.”
For Ellis, it was a great way to cap off his 18th and final season coaching the golf team at Hampton High School as he turns his attention to raising his children.
“He has worked hard and deserves it,” said Ellis about Hill’s accomplishment. “They have gym rats in basketball, but he is a golf rat because he is at the golf course all the time and worked hard to earn it.
“I am tickled to death for him and look forward to going down there with him next week. I am very happy with our team today as well because U-H has beaten us every match this year and they beat us 19 strokes in the district and only three strokes today to beat us for second.”
The following are the results for the boys’ and girls’ regional contest.
Region 1-A Golf Results
Boys
University School 341
Lucas Lowe: 81
Matthew Carter: 85
Daxx Carr: 85
Garrett Gentry: 90
Ayden Connell: 90
South Greene 368
Hunter Harman:70
Daniel Worley:89
Isaac Hoese: 91
Alec Jones: 118
James Roberts: 123
North Greene 321
Aidan Collier: 69
Rickey Compton: 77
Jeshua Crawford: 77
Evan Starnes: 98
Carson Whaley: 98
Johnson County 454
Peter Pavusek: 102
Dakota Holt: 114
Jackson Mays: 118
Graham Reece: 120
Payton Pavusek: 126
Hampton 344
Izaak Hill 79
Mitchell Tolley 82
Josh Owens 89
Avery Hill 94
Ryan Tolley 102
Cumberland Gap 379
Peyton Wilder 73
Paxton Cole 90
Dillon Collins 103
Noah Robertson 113
Aiden Shankelton 127
Individuals Boys
West Greene
Tilynn Willett 124
Jonathan Lamb 129
Chuckey Doak
Jordan Pruitt 92
Ethan Smith 125
Claiborne County
Alvie Poore 109
Sullivan North
Jacob Cross 108
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Girls
South Greene 228
Chloe Kinser 93
Rachel Aiken 135
Unaka 244
Sadie Shoun 111
Zoie Grindstaff 133
Macy Ensor 137
Cumberland Gap 170
Carly Downhour 75
Cayden Walker 95
Kennedy Warwick 132
Claiborne County 206
Lucy Shockley 98
Ella Compton 108
Haley Holt DQ
Hampton NA
Ashley Woodby 136
Jayln Hill WD
Chuckey Doak 219
Madison Painter 103
Karius Tallman 116
Individuals Girls
West Greene
MacKenzie Evan 103
University School
Quinn Scheller 141
