Fountain Lake junior Christopher Desfassiaux claimed second medalist honors at the Class 3A boys' state golf tournament on Tuesday to qualify for the overall tournament next week and lead the Cobras to a runner-up finish.
Fountain Lake coach Michael Blees said the Cobras' team score of 346 on the par-71 Burns Park Championship Course in North Little Rock was their best of the season by 15 strokes. Baptist Prep won the team title with a score of 325.
"I have been super excited to work with this awesome group of young men," Blees said.
Both teams moved down from Class 4A this season. Shiloh Christian won the 4A state championship a year ago with a score of 248. Baptist Prep was second at 254 with Fountain Lake third at 257.
Harding Academy senior Max Master shot a 2-over-par 73 to claim the medalist honors. He was the 3A runner-up in 2017 behind graduated teammate Cole Myers, while fellow Wildcat Kohl England also shot a 79 in a four-way tie. England shot an 85 on Tuesday.
Baptist Prep's Hagen Sanchez tied with Desfassiaux with a 3-over 74. Both qualified for next week's overall tournament at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock, along with Master.
Desfassiaux hit his first career hole-in-one on the 125-yard par 3 No. 13 in Monday's practice round. On Tuesday, he took a double bogey on No. 13, which ultimately cost him top medalist honors.
"That was disappointing," Desfassiaux told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday. "But I still did OK overall. I had a couple of terrible shots. I had to just quit thinking and play. I could have definitely made up two or three strokes."
Desfassiaux claimed second medalist honors by outlasting Sanchez in three playoff holes. Both runners-up parred the first two holes, but Sanchez took a bogey on the third extra hole while Desfassiaux chipped to within tap-in distance on his birdie try.
Junior Zach Redifer shot a round of 80 on Tuesday to be named 3A All-State. Montana Carden led Fountain Lake as a senior in 2017 with a 79 to earn All-State honors. Desfassiaux also made All-State.
Senior Jordan Mungle scored a 92 in his final tournament, while sophomore Lachlan McMurray carded a 112. This year's team also included senior Dawson Iglehart and freshman Wyatt Focken.
Fountain Lake was an automatic qualifier to the state tournament following a 3A-5 district championship win on Sept. 19 at the Glenwood Country Club.
"I loved every second spent with this great group of guys," Mungle said. "It is an awesome feeling going out with a bang."
Ben Farmer, of Dumas, and Tyler Doucet, of Prescott, carded rounds of 79 to lead the individual qualifiers and earn All-State honors. Tuckerman's Alex Crandall Tuckerman tied with Baptist Prep's Evan Garcia for sixth place and earn All-State at 80. Baptist Prep's Owen Baker, Manila's Brock Dirmingham and Charleston's Brayden Russ were each named All-State with eighth-place rounds of 81 each.
Bismarck placed 10th in the team standings with a score of 296. Jacob Loy led the Lions with a round of 90. Blake Smith carded a 102, Braden Efird finished with a 104 and Logan Bubulka shot a 116.
Harding Academy finished third at 249. The Wildcats were followed by Episcopal Collegiate, 272; Manila, 281; Charleston, 284; Trumann, 285; Waldron, 285; and Valley Springs, 293. Lincoln and Clinton rounded out the field with scores of 305 and 308, respectively.
Jessieville senior Michael Vangilder shot a career-best 85 for the fifth-best score among the 23 individual qualifiers and top 15 overall. The Lions placed ninth at state a year ago. Vangilder shot a 42 on the front nine to lead his group at the halfway point.
"I was very proud of Michael," said Jessieville coach Jared White. "He put together a very solid round. I think he would tell you that as well as he played, he could've been 5-6 strokes better.
"Overall, it was as well as he has played all year on the biggest stage. So, I was very proud of him for that."
Vangilder was also a district champion in the 3A-4 conference tennis tournament at week ago at Fountain Lake. He is scheduled to compete on Monday in the 3A state tournament at the Conway Tennis Center.
Centerpoint's Kaden Owens shot a 94 for the seventh-best score among the individual qualifiers. Bismarck edged Centerpoint by just two strokes, 282-284, in the 3A-5 tournament to qualify for state.
Sports on 10/04/2018