Each of the Baylor golfers peeked at the scoreboard as they started to play their final nine holes in the Division II-AA boys’ state tournament Tuesday at the Willowbrook course in Manchester.
All five received the same information: They were trailing.
The final scoreboard provided different information: They won.
Baylor’s Chase Roswall watches as his chip shot rolls toward the hole.“When I went to my back nine,” Red Raiders senior Oliver Simonsen said, “it really hit me that this is my last nine holes as a high school golfer.”
Simonsen and his teammates overcame their deficit and claimed the championship with a two-day total of 596, which beat Briarcrest and Father Ryan by six shots.
Baylor, which started the final round on hole No. 10, shot 3 under par as a team over its final nine holes. Father Ryan shot even par in that stretch, and Briarcrest shot 5 over in the Red Raiders’ wake.
“None of the teams blew up on the back; then we went to the front, where you have to make birdies because pars won’t do it,” Baylor coach Gary Partrick said. “We made our share of birdies in those closing holes.”
Simonsen made five birdies over his last nine holes and shot a 3-under 141 for the 36-hole tournament. He finished runner-up to Brock Ochsenreiter of Ensworth by two strokes in the medalist race.
Chase Roswall, whose eligibility expired Tuesday, placed eighth at 4 over, senior Matt McKenney tied for 10th at 7 over and Sam Marshall tied for 23rd.
“It’s a season worth remembering,” Roswall said. “When I walked off 18, somebody told me were were four down (going to No. 1), and I had the mindset that I knew we could do it.”
They did. Baylor last won a boys’ state championship in 2012 when it swept the team trophies.
McCallie placed sixth this year with senior Evan Spence earning a tie for 12th individually.
The Lady Red Raiders were runners-up to St. Agnes, who had the medalist in Abby Heck (5-under 139) plus runner-up Rachel Heck (145). Their 284 is the second-lowest 36-hole score in tournament history behind only the 2006 Baylor team.
“Those two girls can play,” said Partrick, whose girls have lost to St. Agnes in back-to-back years. “There’s a new sheriff in town, and it’s St. Agnes.”
Freshman Elina Saska had Baylor’s drop score Tuesday but placed third in the medalist race with a 148. Senior Katherine Holmes was fifth at 153 and Tia Tortellini placed sixth at 157. The team tallied a 300.
Girls Preparatory School placed third with Mary Melissa Manuel seventh at 158 and McKenzie Frizzell tying for 12th.
“Our girls played well today,” Partrick said. “The number we wanted to shoot today was 4 under. That wouldn’t have come close.”
But one championship trophy made its way back to Baylor, after a stop along the way at Western Sizzlin for supper to cap a super season.
The Raiders won all but one tournament this year – the East/Middle Region championship – and never counted a score higher than an 80.
“We really had motivation and inspiration to play for more than besides ourselves and Baylor,” Partrick said, referring to the preseason death of former coach King Oehmig. “We may have had a ninth golfer with us in King.”
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.