Pikunas tied for 3rd; Spartan boys are 6th
Staff report
COLUMBUS
Despite having played Ohio State University’s Gray Course during the last two state tournaments, Boardman High School junior Jacinta Pikunas admitted she was a little nervous starting out Friday.
She recovered nicely.
In the first day of state tournament action, Pikunas shot a 74 to tie two other golfers for third place in the Division I state tournament.
Pikunas is three strokes behind Canton GlenOak’s Jessica Hahn, who shot a 71. One stroke back of Hahn is Cincinnati Sycamore’s Kellen Alsip.
Pikunas is tied wih Springboro’s Maddie Durbin and Massillon Jackson’s Hannah Lemons.
The tournament concludes today.
Boardman sophomore Jenna Vivo is one of six golfers tied for 16th place. Vivo finished with a 78.
Over on Ohio State’s Scarlet Course, Boardman’s boys team is tied for sixth place after the first day of the Division I state tournament.
Boardman shot 320, tying the Spartans with Centerville for sixth place. Cincinnati St. Xavier has the lead with 303. Behind the Bombers are Springboro (313), Dublin Jerome (316), Powell Olentangy Liberty (318) and Walsh Jesuit (319).
After her turnaround on the back nine, Pikunas said she walked off the course feeling “pretty good. Overall, it was a pretty solid day.”
This morning, because she and Vivo are competing as individuals, they will be among the last ones to tee off.
“For a tournament, it’s a fairly decent tee time,” Pikunas said of her 10:30 a.m. start. “But really, it doesn’t matter.”
Pikunas described her first few holes on Friday as “rough. I didn’t get off to as good a start,” Pikunas said. “The greens were really fast.”
She felt much better on the back nine.
“I was much more consistent,” she said.
Boardman freshman Cole Christman shot a 77 to tie with five other golfers for 13th place in the boys tournament.
Sophomore Brian Terlesky is one of six golfers with 78 to tie for 18th place. He’s making his second straight state tournament appearance.
Sophomore Cade Kreps is one of seven who shot a 79, tying him for 24th place.
“We didn’t play how we wanted to do,” said senior Ethan Thomas who shot an 86 to tie for 53rd. “Hopefully we’ll get better [today].”
Bobby Jonda, Boardman’s other golfer, shot a 97 for 71st.
Thomas called the course conditions “pretty tough. It’s dry and the greens were rolling fast.”
Saying his teammates “played pretty well today,” Thomas said the Spartans are hoping to move up in the team standings on his final day as a varsity golfer.
“It’s pretty cool being here, seeing how we stack up against all this competition,” Thomas said.
The Spartans spent Friday evening hanging around their hotel and getting updates on the Boardman-Austintown Fitch football game.
”I miss being there,” Pikunas said. “It’s a big game for us and I’m a big supporter of the team.
“But it’s exciting being [in Columbus]. We’re having fun.”