Key West played 18 holes at Killian Greens Golf Course on Oct. 29 in the FHSAA 2A District 16 Championships. The Conchs’ five earned fourth place overall and advanced their first athlete in several seasons to the next level of play.
Peyton Zubieta birdied on holes 4 and 18 for a score of 80 and ninth place overall. Zubieta’s play was strong enough to send him to the regional match held at The National at Ave Maria Golf Course in Naples Nov. 4. If he plays well there, he could qualify for the state match at Howey-in-the-Hills Mission Resort & Club.
“I’m excited to bring Peyton up and watch him represent Key West against some of the bigger schools in our region,” said Key West gold coach Josh Bassett. “I’m confident that he will show that Key West has as much talent in golf as these other schools do.”
Geo Twyman had a fantastic round, shooting an 84 for 12th place overall. Twyman, who was paired with the eventual winner, had a rough start, then heated up. The sophomore shows a lot of promise for next season. Hole 18 proved to be lucky for the Conchs; Zubieta, Twyman and Mason Titensor were all under par on the final hole. Titensor, just a freshman, birdied on hole 12 as well, tying with Andrew Bassett with a score of 88. Jackson Barroso was the fifth Conch to help boost Key West to the fourth overall spot at districts.
The Lady Conchs captured sixth place overall, and the combined experience of junior Claudia Steling, who finished in 31st place with a 106, and a trio of golfers a bit newer to the sport helped the team beat out several other schools. Senior Monica Bueno shot a 108 for 33rd place, but it was a pair of sophomores who had the top scores of the day at Killian Greens.
“Lexi Finigan and Charlize Lopez had an awesome day on the course,” Bassett said. “Lexi played with the Lady Conchs last year and this is Charlize’s first year with the team, but to go out with some fierce competition and play the best round of the season, it just shows that they have what it takes to stay focused and pull through adversity. I can’t wait to see what the Lady Conchs do next season.”
Finigan broke the elusive 100 mark, shooting a 98 for 25th place overall while Lopez was close, with a 101 in 29th place.
Smaller Marathon and Coral Shores, classified as 1A schools, played at Redland Golf & Country Club in Homestead on Oct. 29 for their district championship match. The Fins finished fourth and the ’Canes fifth in a competition with athletes from 10 teams. Junior Hurricane Brock Bynum was within a few strokes of making regionals. Bynum cracked the top 10, finishing ninth overall with an 88 over 18 holes. Seniors Derek Ramos, Preston Carroll and Aidan Althouse finished next for Coral Shores. Ramos shot a 92, good for 15th place, while Carroll finished 20th with a 98 and Althouse turned in a 106 on his scorecard, ending the round in 26th place. The final Hurricane was junior Jacob Bohnstedt, who shot a 110 and finished in 29th place.
“Golf is often thought of as an individual sport, but the camaraderie and mutual support I witnessed this season truly set our team apart,” said Hurricane coach Danielle Thomas. “I am going to miss all of my seniors; they have been with me since I started this program. Next year will definitely be a building year, but I am excited to see new golfers come out and others returning.”
For Marathon, a pair of seniors finished in the top spots. Leo Mendez scored a 90 in 12th place and Mason Thornton was three shots behind in 16th. Fins head coach Mary Coleman-Sayer said of the pair, “I couldn’t have asked for two better seniors to lead and carry our team.”
Freshman Luca Picariello and sophomore Roco Piscetello both broke 100. Picariello finished 18th with a 95 while Piscetello was one stroke and one place behind. Sophomore Cullen Coleman-Sayer rounded out Marathon’s scoring five. “Our younger players are ready to continue the success of our program, and I am proud of the strides they made this season,” said their coach.
The 1A girls event was held at Normandy Shores Golf Club in Miami Beach on Oct. 30. Three Keys athletes completed the course. Coral Shores senior Gabby Thomas had the best round at the Shores, finishing in 17th place overall. Thomas is one of the seniors the ’Canes’ coach started with, and her coach was pleased with her improvement this season. “Gabby found her driver and worked hard; she is now consistently driving 210 to 240 yards,” Danielle Thomas said.
Marathon’s Justice Lee Isom participated in her first-ever district event. The junior picked up the sport this fall and proved that she is an athlete of many talents, finishing in 18th place overall. Teammate Makenna Haines, a sophomore, was 20th.
All three coaches expressed excitement about next season’s returning talent and look forward to the camaraderie they share. In this sport, competition is important, but building one another up, regardless of the team uniform a player wears, is even more so.
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