Last week, Lake Oconee Academy’s golf teams excelled in the Class A Division II state tournaments in Evans.
Both teams secured titles with outstanding performances, achieving the second-lowest scores among all GHSA classifications.
LOA’s boys shot a -8, a significantly better score than Georgia Military Prep’s +36 in second place. The Titans finished with a total of 570, completing the first day with a round of 290 and a final round score of 280.
LOA boys coach John Tillery said his golfers raised the bar this season.
“I’ve enjoyed investing in this team over the past couple of years,” he told the Lake Oconee News after the Titans won the title. “The standards and expectations of this job were obviously quite high due to the great work Dr. Ted Smith did here before passing the torch, so carrying that standard forward, especially after losing so many guys, is rewarding. They’ve improved significantly since last year, and everyone played a role.”
Brooks County’s Luke Hylton won the boys low-medalist award, edging out LOA’s Poli Medrano by four strokes. Hylton totaled a 135 across two rounds while Medrano, who is a freshman for the Titans, shot a 139.
Medrano posted rounds of 75 and 64 to finish second. Another LOA freshman, Eli Tillery, shot a 141 with scores of 67 and 74 to finish behind Medrano. Tucker Littleton and Carson Johnston also performed well for the Titans.
The LOA boys secured their first title in two years, marking their fourth overall championship.
Tillery noted the team’s challenging schedule helped prepare it for the state championship match.
“We played a tough schedule of invitationals this year, and got our heads beaten when we didn’t do our jobs early in the year,” he said. “I think that helped prepare the kids to play to their standard versus the scoreboard in the postseason. It was nice to finish on a high note and play some of our best golf when it mattered the most.”
LOA’s girls shot a +7, which was 56 strokes ahead of Metter. The Lady Titans scored 299 over two rounds, while the Lady Tigers totaled 355.
LOA finished the first day with a score of 148 and concluded with a 151.
LOA girls coach Alan Dodds was proud of his team for a strong start.
“Throughout both days of the tournament, we were very strong from the tee to the green,” Dodds said. “At times, our putting was inconsistent, but overall it was a very successful tournament. I’m happy for our girls.”
The LOA girls secured the top-four finishes at the Class A Division II state tournament. Junior Lili Nelson achieved her second consecutive low-medalist trophy by shooting a total score of 143, with rounds of 69 and 74.
Tianna Chiplock finished as the state runner-up, ending 12 strokes behind Nelson with a total score of 156.
The talented freshman posted rounds of 79 and 77 to secure second place.
Lily Dominy and Kensley Windham also delivered strong performances for the Lady Titans, finishing in third and fourth places, respectively.
The LOA girls secured their seventh consecutive state championship and seventh overall last week.
Dodds said this year’s season was very successful, as the team won several different tournaments.
“The girls accomplished a lot this spring, winning both the 23-team Red Ryder Cup at Jekyll Island Golf Club and the 13-team North Oconee Lady Titan Classic,” Dodds stated. “Several girls made significant improvements in their game from the start of the season. With no seniors on the roster, we are excited about next spring.”