LHSAA State Golf Championship Results – Day One
The 2024 LHSAA Golf State Championships teed off Tuesday with golfers from around the state competing in two different divisions on the girls side while the boys competition consisted of four different divisions.
Results from the first round are listed below with recaps to follow.
DIVISION I GIRLS
at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club (5,679 yards, par 74), Youngsville, La.
Team scores: 1. Benton, 153. T2. Academy of Sacred Heart, 165. T2. Barbe, 165. 4. Hannan, 166. 5. Southside, 174. T6. Sam Houston, 178. T6. Northshore, 178. 8. Dominican, 186.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Abigail McWilliams, Benton, 74. 2. Evelynn Artieta, Walker, 76. T3. Mattie Purgahn, Barbe, 77. T3. Jade Neves, Sacred Heart, 77. T3. Teagan Connors, Willow, 77. 6. Grace Goodwin, Benton. 7. Ashlyn Crimmins, Hannan, 80. T8. Rhyan Marcelissen, Southside, 83. T8. Kate Boersma, Ruston, 83. T10. Emmi Marceaux, Sam Houston, 85. T10. Sahithi Koneru, Dominican, 85.
YOUNGSVILLE – Abigail McWilliams had the low individual round of the day and helped propel her Benton squad to the team lead here Tuesday on the first day of Division I girls competition in the Ochsner Health LHSAA State Golf Championships.
McWilliams carded an even-par 74 over the 5,679-yard par-74 Les Vieux Chenes course, good enough for a two-shot advantage over Evelynn Artieta of Walker heading into Wednesday’s final round. Mattie Purgahn of Barbe, Jade Neves of the Academy of the Sacred Heart and Tegan Connors of The Willow School are tied for third with a three-under 77.
Grace Goodwin of Benton stands in sixth place at 79, and she and McWIlliams combined for a team 153 score. That was good enough for a 12-stroke lead over Academy of the Sacred Heart and Barbe, who are tied for second at 165 and one shot ahead of fourth-place Archbishop Hannan at 166.
The final round in Girls Division I is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
DIVISION II GIRLS
at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club (5,679 yards, par 74), Youngsville, La.
Team scores: 1. Ascension Christian, 183. 2. Westlake, 191. 3. St. John, 208. 4. St. Thomas Aquinas, 209. 5. Loyola Prep, 213. 6. Elton, 218. 7. Claiborne Christian, 220. 8. St. Martin’s, 226.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Sophia Macias, Episcopal, 75. 2. Ali Evans, Westlake, 87. 3. Ashley Biehl, Ursuline, 88. 4. Claire Chauvin, St. Thomas Aquinas, 89. 5. Peyton Flynn, Ascension Christian, 90. 6. Sophia Crespo, University Lab, 91. 7. Nicasia Chase, Ascension Christian, 93. 8. Kaitlyn Tillery, St. Martin’s, 97. 9. Emily Hunt, Christ Episcopal, 98. 10. Leslie Bueche, St. John, 99.
YOUNGSVILLE – Sophia Macias of Episcopal jumped out to a 12-shot lead in the individual rankings and Ascension Christian grabbed the team lead here Tuesday in the opening round of Girls Division II play in the Ochsner Health LHSAA State Golf Championships.
Macias had five birdies, four on par-five holes, and posted a 36-39—75 score over the 5,679-yard par-74 Les Vieux Chenes course. She was the only individual to break 80 in Division II, with Ali Evans of Westlake at 43-44—87 her closest competitor in the race for individual medalist honors.
Ascension Christian had two of the top seven individual scores, with Peyton Flynn in fifth place at 90 and Nicasia Chase in seventh at 93, and their 183 team score was good for an eight-stroke advantage over Westlake (191) heading into Tuesday’s final round. St. John (208) and St. Thomas Aquinas (209) were separated by only one shot in third and fourth in the team standings.
The final round is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
DIVISION I BOYS
at The Wetlands (6,348 yards, par 72), Lafayette, La.
Team scores: T1. C.E. Byrd, 289. T1. St. Paul’s, 289. T3. Benton, 291. T3. Catholic-BR, 291. 5. Brother Martin, 294. 6. Mandeville, 296. 7. Lafayette, 300. 8. Neville, 319.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Kyle Traub, Brother Martin, 65. T2. Bennett LaNasa, St. Pauls, 69. T2. Duke Nitcher, Jesuit, 69. T4. Cason Toms, Benton, 70. T4. Preston Paulk, Northshore, 70. T4. Grant Reagan, Byrd. 70. T7. Drew Silman, Lafayette, 71. T7. Nick Kelsey, St. Paul’s, 71. T7. Miller Davis, Benton, 71. T7. Ryder Briggs, Northwood, 71. T7. Shep Smith, Byrd, 71. T7. Drew Prieto, Catholic-BR, 71.
LAFAYETTE – Byrd and St. Paul’s are in a tie for the team lead and Kyle Traub of Brother Martin posted the day’s low individual round here Tuesday in Division I Boys competition at the Ochsner Health LHSAA State Golf Championship.
Byrd and St. Paul both shot one-over-par 289 in the opening round, and both lead Benton and Catholic-Baton Rouge by two shots in one of the closest team races in the nine years that the Acadiana area has hosted the state tournaments. Brother Martin is in fifth place at 294 and Mandeville is sixth at 296, meaning that six teams are within seven shots heading into Wednesday’s final round over the 6,348-yard par-72 The Wetlands course.
Traub posted six birdies and an eagle on the par-five ninth hole for a 32-33—65 score, with his only bogey coming at the par-four 15th. He holds a four-shot lead over Bennett LaNasa of St. Paul’s and Duke Nitcher of Jesuit, who both carded a three-under 69 to tie for second place and rank as the only other players shooting under 70.
Cason Toms of Benton, Preston Paulk of Northshore and Grant Reagan of Byrd are all one more shot back at 70 and six players are at 71, with 12 players breaking par on the first day.
The final round is scheduled for noon Wednesday.
DIVISION II BOYS
at Cane Row Golf & Turf Club (6,291 yards, par 72), New Iberia, La.
Team scores: 1. St. Thomas More, 583. 2. Teurlings Catholic, 600. 3. St. Louis Catholic, 607. 4. St. Charles, 626. 5. Brusly, 667. 6. Holy Cross, 675. 7. E.D. White, 679. 8. Jennings, 733.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Dax Reaux, Teurlings Catholic, 139. T2. Cooper Edney, Teurlings Catholic, 144. T2. Thomas Oubre, St. Thomas More, 144. 4. Jude Bourque, St. Thomas More, 145. 5. Kye Hanks, St. Louis, 146. T6. Mason Comeaux, Brusly, 148. T6. Dane Galiano, St. Charles, 148. T8. Jack Longman, St. Thomas More, 149. T8. Jackson McCormick, Minden, 149. 10. Riggs Ryan, St. Thomas More, 150.
NEW IBERIA – St. Thomas More won its second team title in the last three years and Teurlings Catholic’s Dax Reaux claimed individual medalist honors here Tuesday in Division II boys competition at the Ochsner Health LHSAA State Golf Championships.
The Cougars posted a two-round 296-287–583 during Tuesday’s 36-hole competition and finished 17 strokes ahead of crosstown rival Teurlings to claim team honors, after winning the title in 2022 and finishing as runner-up last year. STM had three players finish in the top eight in taking the team title.
Teurlings finished second with a 304-296—600 score, while defending champion St. Louis finished third at 607 and St. Charles was fourth at 626.
Reaux followed an opening round 73 with a six-under-par 66 in the afternoon round over the 6,291-yard par-72 Cane Row Golf & Turf Club, carding nine birdies including six in a row from the fourth through the ninth holes. His two-round 139 score was the only sub-par score of the tournament and put him five shots ahead of teammate Cooper Edney and St. Thomas More’s Thomas Oubre, both of whom shot even-par 144. STM’s Jude Bourque was one more stroke back in fourth place at 145 while Kye Hands led St. Louis in fifth place at 146.
DIVISION III BOYS
at The Farm d’Allie (6,536 yards, par 72), Carencro, La.
Team scores: 1. Ascension Episcopal, 579. 2. Loyola Prep, 582. 3. Parkview Baptist, 637. 4. Newman, 644. 5. University Lab, 656. 6. Calvary Baptist, 686. 7. D’Arbonne Woods, 687. 8. Notre Dame, 696.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Noah Chauvin, Ascension Episcopal, 129. 2. Neil Phillips, Newman, 141. T3. Charlie Bell, Loyola Prep, 142. T3. Connor Cassano, Loyola Prep, 142. 5. Ben Blanco, Ascension Episcopal, 143. 6. Ashton Cruse, Caldwell Parish, 146. 7. Elliott Aucoin, Parkview Baptist, 148. T8. Collier White, Loyola Prep, 150. T8. Charles Valiulis, Loyola Prep, 150.
CARENCRO – Noah Chauvin of Ascension Episcopal had nine birdies on the way to a course-record nine-under-par 63 here Tuesday, grabbing the individual title by a 12-stroke margin and leading the Blue Gators to their sixth straight Division III boys title at the Ochsner Health LHSAA State Golf Championships.
Chauvin posted a 32-31—63 score, tying the lowest 18-hole score in any division since the Acadiana area began hosting the state event in 2015. He had carded a six-under 66 in Tuesday’s opening round of the 36-hole day in Division III, and finished with a two-round 15-under-par 129 total.
His efforts helped Ascension Episcopal post a two-round three-over 579 score and take the team title by a narrow three-stroke margin over Loyola Prep (582), with those two teams both finishing more than 50 strokes ahead of the rest of the field over the 6,536-yard par-72 The Farm d’Allie layout.
Neil Phillips of Isidore Newman was the individual runner-up at 68-73—141, while Charlie Bell and Connor Cassano of Loyola Prep tied for third with matching 73-69—142 scores. Ben Blanco of Ascension Episcopal was the only other golfer to break par with a 143 total for fifth place.
Trailing Ascension Episcopal in the team rankings were Loyola Prep, Parkview Baptist in third at 637 and Isidore Newman in fourth place at 644.
DIVISION IV BOYS
at The Wetlands (6,348 yards, par 72), Lafayette, La.
Team scores: 1. Quitman, 318. 2. Ouachita Christian, 327. 3. Vermilion Catholic, 335. 4. Episcopal of Acadiana, 336. 5. Cedar Creek, 339. 6. Opelousas Catholic, 350. 7. St. Mary’s, 362. 8. Hanson Memorial, 367.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Logan Heltz, Christ Episcopal, 67. 2. Cole Haase, Riverside, 68. 3. Eli Walker, Quitman, 69. 4. Silas Lovett, Ouachita Christian, 70. 5. Alex Roebuck, Cedar Creek, 76. T6. Tripp Kordisch, Episcopal of Acadiana, 77. T6. Philip Summers, Vermilion Catholic, 77. 8. Tayt Culpepper, Weston, 79. 9. Peter Kautz, St. Mary’s, 80. T10. Pete Simonelli, Quitman, 81. T10. Noah Leach, Quitman, 81. T10. Zane Fontenot, Opelousas Catholic, 81.
LAFAYETTE – Quitman put three individuals in the top 11 and used that balance to take the first-round team lead Tuesday in the opening round of Boys Division IV competition at the Ochsner Health LHSAA State High School Golf Championships.
Eli Walker, last year’s third-place finisher, posted a three-under-par 69 to stand third individually, while Quitman also got 81 scores from Pete Simonelli and Noah Leach to help post a team 318 score. That was good enough for a nine-stroke lead over Ouachita Christian going into Wednesday’s final round over the 6,348-yard par-72 The Wetlands golf course.
Local squads Vermilion Catholic and defending team champion Episcopal of Acadiana stood third and fourth at 335 and 336 respectively in the first round.
Defending individual champion Logan Heltz of Christ Episcopal carded a five-under 31 on the back side at The Wetlands and holds the individual lead with a five-under-par 67 entering the final round. He leads last year’s runner-up, Cole Haase of Riverside (34-34—68) by one shot, with Walker standing third and Silas Lovett of Ouachita Christian fourth at two-under 70.
Wednesday’s final round will begin at 8 a.m. over The Wetlands course.