Marty Pallman
The inaugural Bosshardt Realty All Area Golf team is dominated by boys and girls players from Suwannee and Columbia.
The Tigers girls team, who finished 11th at the 2A state tournament in Lake County in early November, and the Bulldogs boys team, who finished 14th in the 2A state tournament, lead the All Area selections for 2023.
Suwannee’s finish at the state tournament followed a strong third-place showing at the Region 1-2A tournament. That came after the Bulldogs won the District 2-2A tourney by 15 shots.
Suwannee was led by freshman Dawson Wooley, who placed 39th at the state tournament. This followed Wooley’s 29th-place finish in the region tourney, and a tie for third in the district tournament.
“Dawson led the team to a district title with a third-place individual finish,” Dawson’s dad and Suwannee coach Damon Wooley said. “He was also our low scorer at the state tournament, which is impressive for a freshman.”
Wooley was followed by sophomore William Slaughter, whose tie for 43rd at the state tourney was the second-lowest Suwannee score. Slaughter had tied for 16th at the regional tourney.
The third and final Suwannee boys golfer is freshman Ty Hurst. Hurst shot an 84 and finished tied for 29th with Wooley at the regional tournament. Hurst had a strong district tourney, where he finished fifth with a 76, six shots back of the winning score.
The winning score in that district belonged to Columbia senior Connor Williams. Williams tied for first with a 70, then followed that by winning the Region 1-2A title, also with a score of 70.
Williams was the top seed for the 2A state meet at Mission Inn Club in Lake County and finished 20th with a 156 over two rounds. He was the highest finisher of the boys golfers in the area.
The final member of the Boys Golf All Area team is Trenton senior Dax Becker. Becker shot a 155 at the Boys 1A state tournament, earning him a tie for 29th.
That followed some impressive finishes by Becker in the regional and district tourneys. Becker captured the District 5-1A title with a 79, two shots ahead of Oak Hall’s Jackson Fetrow. Becker also tied for fifth at the Region 2-1A tourney as he shot 74, five shots back of the winning golfer.
“So proud of Dax. He’s a grinder who got better every year,” said his dad and Trenton head golf coach Boo Becker. “The thing I am most proud of is how he learned to handle his emotions. He’s learned to respect the game and embrace the results good or bad. The sky’s the limit for him now.”
Trenton assistant coach Mark Micale agreed.
“It was a pleasure to watch a special young man named Dax lead a novice group of young men,” Micale said. “He truly showed patience and leadership with a group of boys that really lacked experience.”
On the girls side, no one had a better fall season than Buchholz senior Bradyn Smith. Smith became the first Buchholz women’s golfer to finish second in the 3A state tourney in back-to-back years. Her 144 total was just three shots behind the winner.
Smith also finished third in Region 1-3A, and won the District 2-3A title by 8 strokes.
“She finished day one in seventh place shooting a 1 over par 72,” Buchholz coach Marc Ellard said. “Saturday (Day 2) she posted another 1 over par 72 moving her into second place overall out of 97 girls.”
Joining Smith on the girls All Area team are Columbia senior Karlee Gainey and junior Alison O’Brien. Gainey finished 22nd at the state tournament after winning the Region 1-2A title and District 2-2A titles, helping lead Columbia to a team district title and fourth-place finish at regionals. O’Brien was 32nd at the state tourney following up her third-place finish at districts.
Suwannee sophomore Ryan Donaldson joins the two Columbia girls on the squad. Donaldson finished fifth at the 2A state tourney, following up her third-place finish at the regional tournament. Donaldson finished only two shots behind Gainey.
The final member of the girls squad is P.K. Yonge junior Katelyn Huber. Huber took home a sixth-place finish in the 1A state tourney with a score of 140. This followed a tie for fourth at regionals, and the District 5-1A title by 17 strokes.
“Katelyn is one of the most dedicated, competitive athletes I have ever met,” P.K. Yonge coach Kelly Barrett said. “She rises at 5 a.m. to go to the gym before school and spends hours at the course until dark practicing. She loves the game of golf, whether it’s for fun or competing at the highest level.”
The All Area Coaches of the Year are Suwannee boys coach Damon Wooley and Columbia girls coach Chet Carter.
All Area boys golf team
Dax Becker (SR) Trenton
Connor Williams (SR) Columbia
Dawson Wooley (FR) Suwannee
William Slaughter (SO) Suwannee
Ty Hurst (FR) Suwannee
Boys Coach of the Year — Damon Wooley, Suwannee
All Area girls golf team
Braydn Smith (SR) Buchholz
Katelyn Huber (JR) P.K. Yonge
Karlee Gainey (SR) Columbia
Alison O’Brien (JR) Columbia
Ryan Donaldson (SO) Suwannee
Girls Coach of the Year — Chet Carter, Columbia
