<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3gEV5V_0w18sYpC00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3gEV5V_0w18sYpC00" width="2048" height="1365" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0RjLlI_0w18sYpC00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0RjLlI_0w18sYpC00" width="2048" height="1365" ></figure>WHEELING, W.Va. — For all his success throughout a decorated career at Cabell Midland, Jack Michael had yet to break through in the fashion he desired at the WVSSAC State Golf Championships.Michael took a big step toward doing just that when he shot a 2-over par 73 on the opening day of this year’s event at Speidel Golf Club’s Jones Course. That enabled the Knights’ senior to lead by three shots entering Wednesday’s second and final round, and Michael followed it up with a 4-over par 75 to finish with the best individual score in the event and as Class AAA low medalist with a two-day total of 148.Michael won AAA by six shots, besting runner-up Tommy Evans of Washington, who carded rounds of 76-78 one year after he was the event’s top finisher.“I didn’t really know what the lead was. I wasn’t assuming I was way up or way down,” Michael said. “I tried to go out and make pars really. I figured I’d be OK with a few mishaps, but I tried to limit the mistakes.”Conditions, which included swirling winds throughout the afternoon, made things tough.“The greens are lightning fast. Borderline unplayable in some areas with the wind and everything,” Michael said. “You have to be in the right positions to score. You saw sometimes people putting it back to themselves, and it made it tough with the combination of the wind and greens.”Michael’s play was instrumental in leading Cabell Midland to a Class AAA state championship as the Knights had a team total of 457 to finish 31-over par and 20 shots ahead of runner-up Hurricane.Michael shot a 1-over par on his opening nine Wednesday highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 ninth. He made a second birdie at the par-4 12th, and held a comfortable late lead, before a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 17 narrowed it.He had finished third in Class AAA at the 2022 state championships and second a year ago.“You have very little area to put the pins out here, which makes it tough,” Michael said. “Fortunately, this is my fourth state tournament and I’ve played here so many times, so I kind of know how to attack the pins, which made it easier.“I can’t think of another place where you have to be more experienced to get around. This place is so quirky. You can’t miss in certain areas. It’s a lot.”Other key finishers for CMHS included all-state honorees Carson Sergent and Alex White, who each totaled a 15-over 157 over two rounds, while Wyatt Maynard tied for ninth with a 160.“I’m so proud of those guys,” Michael said. “They’ve worked so hard the last couple months to get us here and eventually to win. We weren’t sure if we were going to win or not. There are a lot of great teams here, but we put in the work and it delivered.”Wheeling Central had won consecutive Class A state championships, and moving up to Class AA, the Maroon Knights were in the mix for another crown, but ultimately fell short and settled for runner-up as Shady Spring took home the team title.The Tigers totaled a 485 with rounds of 239 and 246 as a team, besting the Maroon Knights by 17 in the process. They were led by four of the top seven finishers in the class, including individual runner-up Tyler Beard with a 157. He was immediately followed by teammate Cooper Ward with a 162, while Jackson Williams (167) and Grant Winkler (170) were fifth and tied for seventh, respectively.The Maroon Knights did still claim a state championship as Luke Tiu was AA low medalist with a 154. Tiu followed up his opening round 75 with a 79.“I’ve been all state the last two years, but I was never really close to the top,” Tiu said. “My goal from last year’s state championship was to get medalist this year. I worked really hard and I’ve hit it pretty well all year. It feels good to have the work pay off.”His day couldn’t have gotten off to a more dejecting start as Tiu took a two-stroke penalty that led to a triple bogey on the par-4 10th.He ended up with a six-over 41 on the back nine, before making four pars and one bogey from holes 1-5. However, a double bogey at the par-4 sixth left him in a tight battle, but Tiu, a senior, closed strong with par, birdie, par on holes 7-9.Tiu began the day tied with Ward and five shots clear of Beard, but was in for a battle throughout the rest of the round following the tough start.“I moved my mark to get it out a kid’s way and never moved it back. A dumb mistake, but I realized I can’t give up here and I have 17 more holes to play,” Tiu said. “Nothing really phased me after that. I’ve been working on my mental game for years now and I’ve gotten to the point where I can handle it.”It was a close call for Class A low medalist as well, with those honors going to East Hardy’s Jordan Teets.Teets began with an 82 and was in sixth place after 18 holes. He began to charge up the leaderboard with a strong front nine Wednesday that included back-to-back birdies at the par-3 fourth and par-5 fifth holes.Teets was even for the day through 10 holes, but then made bogey and double bogey, before bouncing back with a birdie at the par-4 13th. Following consecutive pars, Teets made two more bogeys, before finishing with a clutch birdie on 18 when he rolled in a putt from the fringe between 15-20 feet.Teets, who shot 74 in Round 2 to finish with a 156 for the event, was done well before his closest competitor — St. Marys’ Trent Renner.Renner needed to play holes 15-18 at 1-over par to force a playoff, but instead made bogey at 15 and 16, par at 17 and bogey at 18.“After I birdied 18, I thought there’s no way he doesn’t bogey at least one hole and I should at least force a playoff,” Teets said. “I knew I was at least going to be in the running.”Teets felt far better at the state championships than he did during regional play, which came four days after he suffered a significant cut to his left ring finger while cutting meat at his family’s butcher shop.“My finger didn’t even bother me today any. It’s still numb on one side, but it’s healed a lot,” Teets said. “Regional day, every shot, I could feel it and it hurt. I had to play through it.”Renner finished with a 158, and his score was tops for the state champion Blue Devils. St. Marys posted a 497 (253-244) to finish 17 strokes ahead of runner-up Charleston Catholic.In addition to Renner, the Blue Devils were keyed by sixth-place finisher Preston Lawhon (83-84) and Tripp Morrison, who tied for eighth by following up his opening round 90 with an 82.It marked St. Marys’ third state championship since 2020.— — — — —Class AAA all-state team: Jack Michael, Cabell Midland (73-75); Tommy Evans, Washington (76-78); Isaac Hutchison, Greenbrier East (79-77); Kellen Pauley, Hurricane (79-77); Carson Sergent, Cabell Midland (82-75); Alex White, Cabell Midland (78-79); Josh Gooden, Hurricane (77-81); Stephen McDavid, Winfield (76-83).Class AA all-state team: Luke Tiu, Wheeling Central (75-79); Tyler Beard, Shady Spring (80-77); Cooper Ward, Shady Spring (75-87); Scott Underwood, Lewis County (87-78); Jackson Williams, Shady Spring (84-83); Justus Mann, Chapmanville (85-84); Bryson Moorehead, Frankfort (81-89); Grant Winkler, Shady Spring (84-86).Class A all-state team: Jordan Teets, East Hardy (82-74); Trent Renner, St. Marys (80-78); Rocky Frye, Montcalm (79-83); Grant Roush, Wahama (79-84); Will Gruse, Charleston Catholic (79-85); Preston Lawhon, St. Marys (83-84); Ben Carew, Charleston Catholic (86-83); Tripp Morrison, St. Marys (90-82); Braylon Mencer, Gilmer County (84-88).</div></body>

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Cabell Midland’s Michael breaks through as medalist; Wheeling Central’s Tiu, East Hardy’s Teets tops in their class

WHEELING, W.Va. — For all his success throughout a decorated career at Cabell Midland, Jack Michael had yet to break through in the fashion he desired at the WVSSAC State Golf Championships. Michael took a big step toward doing just that when he shot a 2-over par 73 on...

Cabell Midland’s Michael breaks through as medalist; Wheeling Central’s Tiu, East Hardy’s Teets tops in their class

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