Maryland District 1 golf: Boonsboro qualifies for states, Meredith is girls champ

Boonsboro sophomore Piper Meredith won the Maryland District 1 Class 2A-1A girls golf championship for the second straight year, and the Warriors qualified for the state tournament as a team for the third straight year Monday at Black Rock.

Meredith, who won the 2A-1A girls title with an 84 last year as a freshman, was 11 strokes better this year. She tied for second place overall with her best tournament round ever at Black Rock, a 1-over 73. It also was the best score by a Washington County player Monday.

"The round was really good. I fought hard, didn't give up, kept grinding, stayed positive and made it happen," said Meredith. "I've put a lot of work in on my irons, my short game, you name it, and just staying in rhythm."

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Meredith placed fourth among Class 2A-1A girls at last year's state tournament at the University of Maryland course at College Park. This year's state tournament will be held Oct. 23-25.

"Any tournament I play, I want to be top five," Meredith said. "Nobody walks into a tournament not wanting to win."

"She's just getting better every time," said Warriors coach John Miller. "She's consistent, and nothing fazes her. She's ultra focused."

Boonsboro finished with a team score of 328 for the second straight year. Last year, the Warriors placed fifth in 2A-1A with that total. This year, it was good for third out of 13 complete teams.

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Junior Kadan Jones was the Warriors' No. 2 finisher Monday. The Washington County Public Schools champion shot a 5-over 77 by extricating himself out of trouble all round.

"Hitting fairways was really bad, I only hit (two) today," Jones said. "But I got up and down a lot."

"It is a beautiful thing to watch Piper and Kadan play," said Miller.

Senior Nickel Lawrence (87) and junior Landon Waters (91) rounded out Boonsboro's scoring quartet.

"Our goal is to try to get to the second day (at states) as a team," Miller said. "Plan B would be to have individuals make it. It's a big course. We'll try to get down and get some practice rounds in."

Williamsport senior Ryan Acre placed fifth overall in Class 2A-1A with a 2-over 74 to earn a state tournament spot for the first time. He carded five birdies during the round.

"I started off pretty hot," said Acre, who birdied 17, which was his opening hole. "I doubled 18 and three-putted on 1, then I found my rhythm and took off from there. ... My putting was clutch and my chipping was pretty good.

"I don't know what to expect (at states), but I'm pleased with how I played."

South Hagerstown junior Cody Booth shot an 8-over 80, tying for 15th overall in Class 4A-3A, and was part of a three-way playoff for the final 4A-3A state qualifying spot.

On the first playoff hole, No. 8, Booth made a clutch 20-foot par putt to stay alive, while Manchester Valley's Gavin Reid was eliminated with a bogey.

On the second playoff hole, No. 9, Booth hit a poor approach shot from the right rough into the left-side bunker. His third shot hit the front lip of the bunker and landed a foot from the lip in the rough. His chip for par was a good effort that finished close to the hole, but was not enough as Thomas Johnson's Garrett Twentey made his 3-foot par putt to earn the state berth.

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The Rebels finished with a team score of 340 as the second-best county team. Jack Rhodes shot an 85, Luke Leisinger an 86 and Jack Burns an 89.

North Hagerstown finished with 392 strokes in the 4A-3A tournament, led by Colt Tucker's 89. Sadie Morton qualified for the Class 4A-3A girls state tournament, shooting a 92.

Smithsburg finished with 401 strokes in Class 2A-1A, led by Adam Barnhart's 87.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Maryland District 1 golf tournament