Galax High School swept the team and individual titles at the Class 1 state golf tournament Tuesday.
Lord Botetourt finished second at the Class 3 state tournament at Stonehenge Golf and Country Club in Richmond on Tuesday.
Galax was the runner-up at last year’s Class 1 tournament but earned the title this time. The Maroon Tide shot a 34-over 322 at Olde Mill Golf Resort in Laurel Fork on Tuesday.
“Olde Mill beat us up last year,” Galax coach Graham Laird said Tuesday in a phone interview. “But this year, with a year of growth, … and embracing the moment, there was no doubt they were the hands-on favorites going in and I told them to enjoy it and embrace it and to play an 18-hole championship fight.”
Galax won a state team title in golf for the first time since the Maroon Tide claimed the Group A tournament 11 years ago.
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George Wythe and Middlesex tied for second out of the eight teams Tuesday at 60-over 348.
Galax sophomore Grayden Laird, the son of the Galax coach, won the Class 1 individual crown with a 1-over 73.
“I’m excited,” Grayden Laird said in a phone interview. “I was striking it really well. I made a couple putts early in my round. Hitting into the water on 14 wasn’t great, but we kept it together.”
“He’s probably got some of the best talent you’ll see in the state,” his father said. “He finally figured out that you’ve got to stay focused and mentally in the game for 18 holes.”
Galax junior Talan Gentry and defending champ Benson Blevins of George Wythe tied for second out of the 60 golfers at 2-over 74.
In addition to Grayden Laird and Gentry, the other golfers who contributed to Galax’s winning team score were freshman Carson Iroler, who took sixth with a 6-over 78, and junior Adam Dillon, who tied for 29th with a 97.
“This is what we work for, moments like this,” Grayden Laird said.
David Goode of George Wythe finished fourth with a 3-over 75.
Chase Coley of Chilhowie took ninth with a 9-over 81.
Drew Royal of Auburn finished 12th with a 14-over 86.
Walker Gillespie of Giles tied for 15th with an 88.
Hunter Howard of Eastern Montgomery tied for 19th with a 90.
Reece Vaught of George Wythe finished 28th with a 96.
Abingdon won the Class 3 tournament for the third straight season. Abingdon shot an 18-over 306.
Lord Botetourt was second out of the eight teams with 30-over 318. Rockbridge County was eighth with a 351.
Preston Burton of Charlottesville won the individual title with a 3-under 69. Grace Addington of Abingdon was second out of the 60 golfers with a 1-under 71.
Owen Bright of Cave Spring finished third with an even-par 72.
Defending champ Ashton Harper, a Lord Botetourt senior who has verbally committed to Virginia Tech, took fourth with a 1-over 73.
Hunter Duncan of Lord Botetourt tied for sixth with a 4-over 76.
Magna Vista’s Patrick McCrickard was 10th with a 5-over 77.
Hidden Valley’s Richard Hearp tied for 12th with a 7-over 79.
Andrew McCoy of Rockbridge County tied for 18th with a 9-over 81.
Kasey Davis of Lord Botetourt tied for 27th with a 12-over 84. Xavier Shelton of Lord Botetourt tied for 30th with an 85.
Sofia Vargas of Rockbridge County tied for 32nd with an 86. Tyler Meade of Lord Botetourt tied for 38th with an 89. Cadyn Bowles of Lord Botetourt and Harrison Tanner of Rockbridge County tied for 43rd with a 91. Abby Brooks of Rockbridge County tied for 49th with a 93.
The Class 5 tournament was held Tuesday at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg.
Caroline Gilreath of Patrick Henry tied for eighth out of the 60 golfers with a 1-over 71.
Independence won the team title for the second straight year. Josh Haggerty of Frank W. Cox won the individual title with 2-under 68.