Rams’ Howington, Woods advance to golf state championship

FUQUAY-VARINA — Purnell Swett golfers Logan Howington and Haidyn Woods each advanced to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 4A state championship with strong performances at the 4A East Regional Monday at Bentwoods Golf Course in Fuquay-Varina.

Howington, a junior for the Rams, shot an 88 to finish in 16th place, while Woods, a freshman, shot 90 to finish tied for 21st.

The pair will play in states beginning Monday at Pinehurst No. 6.

Purnell Swett finished in seventh in the team standings at the regional with a 274, missing the cutoff to advance to states as a team by five strokes.

Rams junior Madison Oxendine finished 37th with a 96.

Hoggard’s Ellie Hildreth won the regional with a 69, five strokes ahead of runner-up Alexis Paquin from Pine Forest. Hoggard also won the team competition with a 245, 17 strokes ahead of Heritage.

Fairmont competes at 2A regional

Fairmont golfers Kimberleigh Stevens and Addison Ivey each competed at the 1A/2A East Regional Monday in Goldsboro.

Stevens shot a 104 to finish in a tie for 31st; Ivey shot 118 to finish in 60th.

Stevens missed the cutoff to qualify for states by two strokes.

The two Fairmont competitors reached regionals in the season’s first program of competition .

Yuwen He, from the North Carolina School of Science & Math Durham, was the individual medalist with an 80, two strokes ahead of Falls Lake Academy’s Jana Tackema. NCSSM, with a score of 261, won the team competition by eight strokes over Northside-Pinetown.