Photo by Scott Gardner
You would have never expected it back in August, but Lord Botetourt finished second in the state Class 3 golf tournament last week. The Cavaliers shot a team score of 318 at the Stonehenge Golf & Country Club in Richmond.
Abingdon, the pre-tournament favorite, didn’t disappoint with a team score of 306 to win the state. LB was next at 318, four strokes better than Meridian High at 322.
Botetourt and Meridian were close all day for the second spot. LB coach Todd Smith was totally up the scores and figured he needed one on his two five and six players, Kasey Davis and Tyler Meade, to break 90. As it turned out both did, as Tyler shot par on the last hole to finish at 89 and Kasey had a big day with an 84, sealing the deal for LB.
Senior Ashton Harper led the Cavaliers with a two-over-par 74. That was good for fourth place overall for the Virginia Tech bound Cavalier. Preston Burton of Charlottesville was the medalist with a three-under 69 to edge Abingdon’s Grace Addison, who shot 71.
Hunter Duncan shot 76 for Lord Botetourt to finish sixth overall and Harper and Duncan both were award state medals. Xavier Shelton was LB’s fourth lowest score at 85 and Cadyn Bowles shot 91.
The second place finish was quite an accomplishment for the Cavaliers, who returned only Harper from last year’s starting lineup.
“Second in the state is pretty good,” said Smith. “The guys worked hard all year and I was just hoping we’d have a good showing in the regional. They played really good down the stretch and I’m very proud of them.”
Smith will be in virtually the same spot next year as all six of the Cavaliers who played in the state tournament are seniors.