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From Staff Reports

MORGANTOWN - Led by overall runner-up Marshall Hone and Shayne Wilson, the Wheeling Park golf team captured the West Virginia Class AAA, Region I Championship on Monday afternoon at The Pines Country Club.

The Patriots finished with a team score of 324, two strokes ahead of runner-up Brooke at 326.

Both Park and Brooke qualified their entire teams, advancing to the State Golf Championships, starting Tuesday, Oct. 7 at Oglebay Park's Jones Course.

Hone's round of 73 left him 2-over-par and three shots back of overall winner Jess Ferrell of East Fairmont, who carded a 1-under 70. Hone trailed Ferrell by two strokes through 16 holes, but both bogeyed the Par-3, No. 17. While Hone sank his putt for par on the final hole, Ferrell putted for bird for the final three-stroke lead.

As a team, the Patriots birdied 11 holes, the only team to put forth 1-under or better more than 10 times. East Fairmont had seven birdies, with five coming off the putter of Farrell. Hone had four birdies, Wilson three and Nathan Clingenpeel birdied twice.

Wilson finished two shots behind Hone at 75, with Eli Lambie (87) and Clingenpeel (89) providing the two additional kept scores. Jacob Carpenter was near the team cut at 91.

Samantha DiDomenico led the Bruins with a 4-over 75. Jeff Ferda was right behind her at 76, with Trevor Barnhart (85), Mark Fitzpatrick (90) and Russell James (98) rounding out the team scores.

The top four individuals not on either Park or Brooke's roster also advanced to the state tournament.

That list includes Farrell, John Marshall's Danny McClelland (78), North Marion's Ryan Moore (80) and Fairmont Senior's Stephen Sinclair (81).

The Monarchs' Mark Tennant had an 84, with Chris White (99), Derek Francis (101) and Jason Troy (109) rounding out their scores.

DiDomenico actually was two shots off the lead at the turn, but like so many other players fell victim to a difficult back nine.

She bogeyed No. 11, but recovered with a par two holes later. Two additional bogeys and a double-bogey followed as her score on the back nine (39) was three higher than the front (36). Given that par is 36 and 35 on the back and front nine, respectively, an increase of three isn't that alarming.

Some of her fellow competitors weren't quite as lucky.

Ten players shot six shots or worse on the back nine than the front, including a couple who were near the top of the leaderboard at hole No. 9.

Preston's Jordan Schneider may have had the worst luck all. After finishing three strokes off the lead after the front nine, Schneider had a double-bogey on No. 10 and then triple-bogeyed No. 11. He never recovered as bogeys on 13, 15, 17 and 18 followed.

Morgantown's Eric Wyant, also three off the lead at the turn, started the back nine with successive pars on 10 and 11. Then things went downhill in a hurry.

Wyant double-bogeyed the next two holes, bogeyed 15 and 16 and followed that with a triple-bogey on 17.

Fairmont Senior's Allen Richards had the lone eagle of the afternoon, starting things off by getting out in two on the Par-4, No. 1.

Ohio Division II

District Championship

MARIETTA, Ohio - Meadowbrook follwed up it's runner-up sectional performance by capturing its first Ohio Division II District Championship in school history by holding off sectional champion Tuscarawas Valley, 324-326, at the Marietta Country Club.

Ironton's Nathan Kerns was the medalist, finishing with a 77, but it was the Colts' trio of Anthony Neff, Trent Lasko and Matt Miller, who were all within five shots of the leader, that pushed the Colts to the top.

''This is our sixth trip to the districts, and third in a row, so I guess the third time's the charm,'' Meadowbrook coach Mel Pesuit said. ''I'm pretty pleased, obviously.

''Our kids hung tough.''

Neff led the way with an 8-over 78, while Lasko had 79 and Miller had 81. Cole Pennington had the final official score with an 86, but Nick Yakubik was directly behind him at 87.

The Colts, along with Tuscarawas Valley, advance to the Ohio Division II championships on Oct. 11 and 12th in Columbus.

Cambridge's Jeff Carroll finished one-shot off the lead at 78, but lost on a one-hole playoff with Philo's Michael Huey and Logan Elm's John Merrill to claim the runner-up spot.

The playoff hole saw Merrill and Carroll both finish with a triple-bogey, while Huey double-bogeyed to punch his ticket to Columbus.