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Young Ascension Gators team captures Division III golf title

Posted at 4:09 PM, May 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-01 17:09:54-04

PRESS RELEASE

LAFAYETTE – Quite likely the youngest team ever to compete in the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA State Golf Championships is this year’s most successful in the boys’ Division III section.

Hometown squad Ascension Episcopal got its four counting scores from two freshmen, an eighth grader and a seventh grader here Tuesday, with that group posting the low round of the tournament and running away with the Division I title with a 306-301—607 score.

Freshman Eli Ortego backed up his opening-day 70 with a one-under-par 71 over the 6,398-yard par-72 The Wetlands course, and his two-day 141 total was good enough for a one-stroke win over John Hayden Wood of Episcopal in the chase for individual honors.

Ascension Episcopal, which finished third last year in Division IV before moving up one division, had all three of its counting players finish in the top 11 in the individual standings. Freshman Jude Ardoin posted a one-over 73 Tuesday, tying for the fourth-lowest round in the field, and eighth-grader Canon Clark shot a 77 Tuesday with that twosome tying for ninth at 155. Jay Mendell, a seventh-grader, added an 80 to his opening 76 and finished 11th individually at 156.

As a team, Ascension Episcopal’s 607 score left them at 607 for the two rounds and left them with a big 25-stroke margin over runner-up and defending champion University High. U-High, which won last year’s title with a 617 score, entered Tuesday’s final round eight strokes behind Ascension Episcopal but shot 318 in the final round to finish at 632.

Ortego entered the final round with a two-shot lead over Wood but was only up by one when Wood eagled the par-five 11th hole and Ortego birdied. But Ortego’s lead ballooned back to three shots on the par-four 15th when he birdied and Wood bogeyed, and Ortego survived bogeys on the final two holes to win by one shot.

Buoyed by Wood’s runner-up individual finish, Episcopal finished third at 652 and Isidore Newman, last year’s runner-up, moved up one spot in the final round to finish fourth at 679.

Wood had the low round of the day, firing a two-under 70, and he and Ortego were the only players to break par Tuesday. Wood’s two-under 142 was six shots clear of two players tying for third – August Drummond of Loyola Prep (75-73—148) and Mikey Landry of St. Charles Catholic (76-72—148). Clayton Brown of University was fifth at 76-73—149 and Tanner McKenzie of Pine finished sixth at 73-77—150.

TEAM STANDINGS
Ascension Episcopal                            306-301 – 607
University                                            314-318 – 632
Episcopal                                             330-322 – 652
Isidore Newman                                  339-340 – 679
Loyola Prep                                         331-349 – 680
Menard                                               390-415 – 805
Calvary Baptist                                    423-424 – 847
Lakeside                                              no score
 

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
Eli Ortego, Ascension Episcopal          70-71 – 141
John Hayden Wood, Episcopal           72-70 – 142
August Drummond, Loyola Prep        75-73 – 148
Mikey Landry, St. Charles Catholic     76-72 – 148
Clayton Brown, University                  76-73 – 149
Tanner McKenzie, Pine                       73-77 – 150
Luke Haskew, University                     75-76 – 151
Drake Hoffpauir, Loreauville              77-76 – 153
Canon Clark, Ascension Episcopal      78-77 – 155
Jude Ardoin, Ascension Episcopal      82-73 – 155
Jay Mendell, Ascension Episcopal      76-80 – 156
Becker Ferrer, Isidore Newman          77-81 – 158
Henry Googe, Loyola Prep                  78-81 – 159
Colby Dupuis, Pine Prairie                  79-80 – 159
Walter Anderson, University              84-79 – 163
John Swacker, Notre Dame                82-82 – 164
Max Rathle, Isidore Newman             83-83 – 164
Luke Foster, Episcopal                        86-79 – 165
Joe Patterson, Episcopal                     82-85 – 167
Burke Alford, Loyola Prep                   80-88 – 168
Winston Dupree, University               79-90 – 169
Jonas Valentine, Jena                          84-87 – 171
Will Torres, St. Charles Catholic         85-87 – 172
Miles Merlin, Isidore Newman           83-90 – 173
Bode Hinds, Ascension Episcopal       88-86 – 174
Ethan Lawson, Episcopal                    90-88 – 178
Coy Fortenberry, University                89-90 – 179
Matt Opotowsky, Isidore Newman    97-87 – 184
Ben Vanderlick, Menard                     91-94 – 185
Konrad Marks, Isidore Newman         96-89 – 185
Troy Hunt, South Beauregard            93-98 – 191
Michael Smith, Lakeside                     91-101 – 192
Chase Jennings, Calvary Baptist         92-100 – 192
Peyton Brookshire, Calvary Baptist    92-101 – 193
Brody Crumpler, Lakeside                  94-99 – 193
Carter Higgins, Calvary Baptist           98-96 – 194
Jason McCollister, Episcopal              101-95 – 196
Brooks Anderson, Menard                 102-98 – 200
Jackson Beckman, Loyola Prep           98-107 – 205
Jacob Whittle, Menard                       89-119 – 208
David Hoover, Menard                       108-104 – 212
Michael Angelo, Loyola Prep              113-112 – 225
Hunter Harris, Calvary Baptist            141-127 – 268
Jacques Roy, Menard                          142-134 – 276