By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
STERLING — Last Monday, the North Reading High golf team made their first state final appearance in over 20 years. The Division 3 state final took place at Sterling National Country Club on a chilly, damp day.
Of the 12 teams there, the Hornets finished in 10th place with a final score of 360. Weston, who won the Div. 3 North sectionals the week before, won the event with a 322.
It was Weston’s second-straight state Division 3 championship.
“It was bad,” said Hornets head coach Brian McAuliffe, about the conditions. “There was standing water in the fairways and on some of the greens. It would have been interesting to see how we could have done under better conditions.”
McAuliffe was not making excuses for his squad knowing that all of the teams had to deal with the same conditions and he gave credit to Weston for what they accomplished .
Isabel Brozena and Leo Romanski tied for the Hornets best score with a 86 on the Par-71 layout. Jason Curran and Thomas Gazda both shot 94’s.
Liam Blanchette ended up with a 97 while Max Forristall had a 107.
Jack Carstensen, of St. John Paul II ,won the individual title with a three-over-par 74.
Although the team came in 10th, McAuliffe said it was a great experience for the Hornets.
“The players were able to take it all in and enjoy it despite the weather,” he stated. “It was a great experience.”
The Hornets qualified for the state final by coming in 3rd place last Monday at Stow Acres (North Course) in the Div. 3 North Sectionals.
In the regular season, the Hornets finished at 11-3 overall and 9-2 in the Cape Ann League. They placed 3rd in the CAL Kinney Division behind Lynnfield and Newburyport.