Sep. 13—The Byng High School girls and boys golf teams are taking advantage of an abbreviated fall golf season just approved by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association and both squads had immediate success.
Both the Pirates and Lady Pirates traveled to the Wolf Ridge Golf Course in Wister Wednesday to compete in the Heavener Boys Fall Classic and the Heavener Girls Fall Classic.
Both Byng squads brought home team titles from the event.
“I’m very proud of all of my kids as they continue to improve. I keep reminding them that regardless of the competition, they’re really playing against par and the course and yesterday the course was playing pretty difficult as the greens were very fastand the fairway roughs were grown up,” Byng golf coach Jonathan Valdez told The Ada News. “It made it difficult to try to attack the greens if you missed the middle of the fairway. But regardless, we competed and were able to come home with two victories.”
According to a Golf Oklahoma report, beginning this fall, high schools will be allowed to play three of their nine regular-season events in the fall prior to Nov. 1. That means three events not held on dormant Bermuda grass in high winds with low temperatures, as are the typical spring conditions as schools try to cram nine events, regionals and state championships into a window from late March to early May.
BOYS
The Pirates shot a team score of 359, finishing 14 strokes ahead of the host Heavener club which shot 374. Tahlequah placed third with a 390 followed by Red Oak with a 393.
Leading the way for the Pirates was sophomore Ethan Presley, who finished with an 83 and landed in fifth place in the medalist standings. Nate Belcher was next for the Byng team, shooting an 87 which was good enough for eighth place. Everett Denney just missed out on a Top 10 finish, securing 11th place with a score of 89. Cason Kates shot a 92 and Braylon Schilreff carded a 93.
Poteau took down the top two spots in the individual standings. Garrison Whitworth carded a 71 to win the championship and Caston Qualls was runner-up with an 80.
The Byng boys return to action Sept. 23 at Tishomingo.
GIRLS
The Lady Pirates won the team title with a score of 414. Brooklyn Ross finished fourth in the medalist race with a score of 96 and Haven Leslie was fifth, two strokes back with a 98. Lexi Pennington was sixth overall at 107.
Anna Anglen of Poteau captured the medalist crown with an 89 and Saige Dandridge of Weleetka was runner-up with a 91. Paityn Beason of Cameron placed third at 95.
The Byng girls are back in action Sept. 24 at Tishomingo.
