Wheeling Central, with four players in the top 10, edged past defending co-champion Linsly to capture the OVAC Class 3A championship Thursday at sun-soaked Belmont Hills Country Club. The Maroon Knights shot 311, which was three strokes ahead of the Cadets, who also had four top 10 finishers.

“It’s a team sport. All your scores count, with the top four going towards your team score” Wheeling Central assistant coach J.B. Burge said. “The kids dug deep and did what they had to do.”

Luke Tiu, who earned medalist runner up honors with a 1-under-par 71, led the Maroon Knights.

He was followed by Bode Burge who finished sixth with a 78. Jake Brown and Rowen Parker both carded 81s to tie for eighth with Monroe Central’s Owen Weckbacher and Barnesville’s Graham Spence.

photo by: Kim North

Earning all-OVAC Class 3A Golf honors Thursday at Belmont Hills Country Club in St. Clairsville were, from left, medalist Chatum Courson (Fort Frye); Luke Tiu (Wheeling Central); Adam Gill (Linsly); Brady Gallagher (Barnesville) and Hayden Treadway (Barnesville). Chatum shot a 3-under-par 69.

Coach Burge raved about the course conditions.

“It was great for the weather conditions we’ve had here lately, (Belmont Hills CC Pro) Mr. (Ron) Baker and his staff did such a great job,” Burge praised. “They (the OVAC) moved the tournament here because of the poor conditions at Crispin due to the dry weather, and we took advantage of it.

“Fairways and greens. That’s what wins tournaments,” he noted. “We’ve played this course in the past, so we were a little familiar with it.”

With one goal accomplished, Wheeling Central can set its sights on a third straight W.Va. Class A state championship which begins in a couple of weeks with regional competition on Sept. 30.

“We’ve had our ups-and-downs this season, but 311 is a great score,” Burge said. “I think they are capable of going lower, though. That’s the way I look at it. As long as they (the kids) know that, everyone will know that.”

Barnesville finished a distant third with a score of 323. Monroe Central finished fourth at 342, with Martins Ferry (356), Columbiana (372), defending co-champ Fort Frye (375) and Union Local (392) rounding out the 8-team field of 40 players.

Fort Frye’s Chatum Courson held off Tiu for medalist honors. The duo was tied after 15 holes,

“Finishing second last year was definitely motivation to win it this year,” Courson said. “I started off really hot. I birdied the first hole and was three under through six holes. I was 4-under when we got to 13 and 14, but I went bogey-bogey, so I knew I had to battle back because Luke and I were tied at 2-under. I parred No. 16 and he bogeyed, so I knew I needed to birdie 17 so I had a couple shot cushion going to 18. I had an 8-foot putt and knocked it down.

“For as dry as it was, the greens were firm,” Courson said of the course conditions.

Two-time defending medalist Adam Gill of Linsly finished third with a 72 to join Courson and Tiu on the all-conference team. Barnesville’s duo of Brady Gallagher (75) and Hayden Treadway (76) rounded out the all-conference top 5.