The area’s boys golf teams gathered Wednesday morning at Liberty Hills Golf Club for the 29th Ryan Reynolds Memorial Invitational, with Bellefontaine leading the local field by placing third in the annual 18-hole event.
The Chieftains posted a team score of 336, finishing just 10 strokes behind tournament champion Archbishop Carroll (326) and five strokes behind runner-up North Union (331). Indian Lake finished fifth with a 350, while Riverside placed ninth at 415 and Benjamin Logan rounded out the local teams in 10th with a 428.
Bellefontaine was paced by a pair of standout freshmen who finished among the tournament’s top 10. Ean Fultz earned runner-up medalist honors after shooting a 78, highlighted by two birdies and seven pars. Fellow freshman Hudson Banta placed eighth with an 81, carding one birdie and 10 pars during a steady round.
Junior Noah Smith finished 19th with an 86, recording one birdie and six pars. Freshmen Keaton Dinovo and Colson Garver each shot 91 to tie for 26th, with Dinovo making three pars and Garver adding two pars. Freshman Sammy Strayer rounded out the varsity lineup with a 104, highlighted by one birdie and three pars.
Also competing for Bellefontaine were junior Tyler Rossey, who finished 16th with an 85 after recording five pars, sophomore Christian Sterling with a 113, and freshman Beckett Kesler, who shot a 123.
“I was very happy with our performance today. We were very competitive and in the mix for the team win. We bounced back from a tough first tournament Monday because all the guys have great attitudes and are staying positive going into their next shot.”
— Bellefontaine head coach Jason Steider
Indian Lake finished fifth behind an outstanding performance from senior Jaxon Snipes, who claimed individual medalist honors with a 76. Snipes’ round included three birdies and eight pars. Freshman Mason Berg added an 88 with seven pars to finish 21st, while senior Crew McPherson shot a 92 with one birdie and three pars. Junior Grant Wickline finished with a 94, highlighted by two birdies and three pars, while junior Jesse Carder carded a 98 and Charlie Stimmel finished with a 101.
Riverside totaled 415 as junior Brody Orsborne led the Pirates with a 90, recording one birdie and four pars to place 22nd. Junior Jaycen Roby shot a 98, senior Zane Armbruster finished with a 109, and senior Syler Clark posted a 118.
Benjamin Logan finished 10th with a 428. Junior Drake Newland paced the Raiders with a 95, highlighted by one birdie and four pars. Sophomore A.J. Bergman shot a 109 with one birdie and one par, while sophomore Landyn Shields added a 111. Sophomores Colson Knight and Dane Reffner finished with 113 and 122, respectively, and sophomore Ashe Moorhouse rounded out the lineup with a 170.
The invitational gave area teams another opportunity to measure themselves against a strong field early in the season as they continue preparing for conference competition and the postseason.
