Wind gusts of up to 40 mph made playing the University of Maryland Golf Course difficult Wednesday. But it also provided an appropriate milieu as Churchill blew away the field in the final round of the Maryland State Public School Championships.
Led by senior Billy Peel (146) and junior Connor Wielgus (146), Churchill won a record fifth straight state championship and did it in astonishing fashion. On a day when the wind blew Titleists all over College Park, Churchill (604) shot the lowest score in the 36-year history of the state championship.
“Just to approach the state record in these conditions is absolutely fantastic. And to beat it, wow,” said Bulldogs coach Arnold Tarzy. “To show how the conditions affected play, we beat the second place team by 31 shots. That’s incredible.”
Churchill’s score beat LaPlata (635) handily and was one-stroke better than the mark established by neighborhood-rival Whitman in 1999. Also contributing for the Bulldogs were seniors Joey Goldstein (153) and Karl Lindblad (159).
“I could tell our first day of tryouts that this team was very deep,” said Peel, the only starter back from last year’s team. “We were so consistent all year and we continued it right through this week. This is the best team I’ve played on.”
Peel and Wielgus were in a battle for the individual championship, but finished four strokes behind South River’s Josh Eure (142). Peel, who finished a stroke back in the rain-shortened tournament last year, had a chance when Eure made a double bogey at No. 14. But Wielgus did the same two holes later.
Churchill graduates three of its four starters next year. But that’s been the case the last three seasons. When the Bulldogs were announced from the patio as champions again, a player from Broadneck yelled, “Not next year.”
Don’t count on it.
Maryland State Championships
University of Maryland Golf Course (Monday-Wednesday)
Boys Leaders
1. Josh Eure (South River) 70-72 — 142
2. Billy Peel (Churchill) 71-75 — 146
2. Connor Wielgus (Churchill) 73-73 — 146
4. Spencer Gifford (Westminster) 72-75 — 147
5. Kyle Gebhart (Stephen Decatur) 75-73 — 148
Girls Leaders
1. Lauren Smith (Arundel) 74-75 — 149
2. Kelly Lynch (Severna Park) 78-74 — 152
3. Caroline Sweet (Roosevelt) 76-81 — 157
4. Alex Brown (Churchill) 79-81 — 160
5. Hilary Lawson (Magruder) 86-76 — 162
5. Julia Sizemore (Bel Air) 82-80 — 162
3A/4A Team Scores: 1. Churchill 604,
2. LaPlata 635, 3. North Carroll 639,
4. Broadneck 644, 5. Whitman 647
