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Dons win region crown

MADONNA CHAMPS — The Weirton Madonna golf team shot 228 Monday at Williams Country Club to win the West Virginia Class A Region 1 tournament. From left, head coach T.J. Brancazio, Joey Ewusiak, Tony Sellitti, Peterson, Hunter Sistilli and Payne. (Contributed)

WEIRTON — It’s time for the Madonna golf team to stop a streak.

The Blue Dons have finished as the runners-up to Charleston Catholic at the West Virginia Class A state championship six of the last seven years. Madonna won the crown in 2010.

They get their chance Oct. 4-5 on the Speidel Course at Oglebay Park after winning the Class A, Region 1 title with a 228 Monday at Williams Country Club. The Dons finished with a 13-stroke cushion over Wheeling Central, which also qualified.

Magnolia’s Peyton Moore and teammate Trey Blain will participate in the state tournament after finishing with the top two individual scores of players not on qualifying teams.

Moore and Wheeling Central’s Kyle Wensel tied for low meadlist honors with 1-under 71s.

Madonna was led by Hunter Payne’s even-par 72, with Howie Peterson shooting a 73. Tony Sellitti shot 83 and Joey Ewusiak 87.

Payne shot 33 on the back to tie his career low round of at Williams.

“I played really well on the back,” he said. “I didn’t hit it well at all on the front. It was rough. I was hitting bad drives on the front and straightened it out on the back.”

Payne had two bogeys, a double and a birdie on the front, but backed it up with birdies on 11, 13 and 16.

“I just kept my head in it and grinded it out,” Payne said.

“I definitely have to work on my putting getting ready for next week. It is a grind all the way.”

He finished his round with a solid up-and-down par on 18.

“It was great to finish with a par like that,” he said.

Peterson, the Class 1A OVAC medalist two weeks ago, didn’t quite have it all clicking Monday.

“I felt pretty good out there, I just struggled with a lot of my easy shots and didn’t get many putts to fall,” the Blue Dons junior said. “The last few weeks I’ve been striking it well and scoring well. The season’s come to an end and now is when you have to grind.

“I felt I could hit the ball a lot better than I did today and make more putts, but that’s the way it fell. Once the putts start dropping, watch out.”

Peterson also knows what the practice regime will be in preparation for the state tourney.

“I have to work on everything — putting, short game, the swing — getting everything fine-tuned getting ready for states,” he said.

Peterson, like all the participants, must prepare for long rounds and the possibility of imclement weather.

“The weather always plays a factor there,” he said. “You have to be able to play in it and adjust throughout the round, through wind or rain or whatever it is.”

The state tournament is also a mental grind because of the pace of play and the fact not everyone likes the golf course.

“You can’t dwell on the fact you may not like the course, you have to play as well as you can and make the best possible number you can make that day,” Peterson said.

Wensel and Moore really didn’t like the way they finished their rounds.

“I felt good, but I’m kind of upset with the way I finished,” said Wensel, a Wheeling Central senior, who won the individual portion of the state tournament last year. “But, overall, I’m pretty happy with 71.

“I bogeyed 18 and missed that short one (for par) on 16. I still don’t know how I missed it.

“Any under par round here I’m happy with. It’s a tough course, tight off the team. But, I hit it better than what my score said — just from putting.

“The greens were good today. They were a little bumpy (from being aerified nine days ago), but they were fast. The course is in great shape from where it was a year ago. They did a lot with it.

“You can’t finish bogey-par-bogey. I don’t think anyone is going to be happy with that.”

Moore bogeyed 16 and 17 to shoot his 71.

“I thought I played pretty well,” he said of his 34-37 round. “I had a few bad holes there and probably should have shot a little lower. Overall, I’m happy.

“Although, I’m not happy with how I finished.

“I knew I had to come out here and shoot a good score to help my team and to ensure I could qualify individually.

“If I came out here and played well, I knew it would benefit me and my team.

“This is a great course to shoot 1-under on and it’s in great shape.”

He knows patience will be key for the state tournament.

“You can’t rush through your shots because you know it’s going to be slow out there,” Moore said. “You have to look over everything because you know it’s going to be a long two days.”

Class A Regionals

at Williams Country Club; Par 72

Madonna (228): Hunter Payne 72, Howie Peterson 73, Tony Sellitti 83, Joey Ewusiak 87.

Wheeling Central (241): Kyle Wensel 71, Jaren Straughn 82, Seth Carenbauer 88, Derrick Harrison 94.

Magnolia (249): Peyton Moore 71*, Trey Blain 81*, Drew Herrick 97, Olivia Mensore 97.

St. Marys (293): Noah VanZile 97, Devin Baxter 98, Jillian Keller 98, Orv Taylor 104.

Ritchie County (293): Sydney Brill 90, Kaleb Kovacs 100, Tyler Layman 103, Tristen Wright 117.

Bishop Donahue (307): Dustin Beazel 93, B.J. Stewart 104, Logan Ruckh 110, Logan Ingram 121.

Tyler Consolidated (308): Noah Miller 88, Cheyenne Morris 104, Caleb Boley 116, Gavin Morris 125.

Paden City: Jake Pierce 93, Richie Bertozzi 120.

*State qualifiers as individuals

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