Warriors earn regional, medalist honors

Published 6:53 pm Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Nansemond River junior Travis Johnson, here in a match earlier this season, won the individual title of the Southeastern District Golf Tournament shooting 69, 3-under par, Tuesday at Sleepy Hole Golf Course. Wednesday’s round was rained out and Tuesday’s first round counted as the final results. The Warriors finished tied for second with Western Branch with a 320 total to earn a team berth into the Eastern Region Tournament.

Nansemond River’s Travis Johnson won the individual title and the Warriors won the last team spot into the Eastern Region Tournament Tuesday in the Southeastern District Golf Tournament at Sleepy Hole Golf Course.

Johnson, a junior and the Warriors’ top-seeded golfer, shot 3-under 69 with four birdies and a bogey to win medalist honors by three shots.

Suffolk golfers swept the top three spots as King’s Fork sophomore Adam Peebles shot 72 and Lakeland senior Ryan Sigler shot 73. Peebles and Sigler claimed individual berths into the regional tournament.

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From preseason practices on, the Warriors and head coach Craig Stephenson said being one of the three Southeastern District schools to reach regionals was the main goal.

In the regular season, NR and Western Branch tied, both in district record and in their regular-season meeting. In a tiebreaker match at Nansemond River Golf Club, the Bruins edged the Warriors by three shots.

Tuesday at Sleepy Hole, Nansemond River tied again with Western Branch, at a 320 total and as runners-up behind Great Bridge at 312.

Wednesday’s second round was barely underway before it was rained out. The results from the first round became the final results.

In this case, the tie was perfect for the Warriors and it gave them the third and final berth, along with Great Bridge and Western Branch, into the Eastern Region Tournament. Grassfield finished fourth, nine strokes behind the Bruins and Warriors.

Griffin Genier shot 78, Shanice Mason shot 84 and Will Hunter and Bryce Strong both carded 89s to make up Nansemond River’s team score.

Johnson, starting on the back nine, birdied two par fours, Nos. 15 and 17, on his first nine. He birdied the par-five No. 2 and his last hole of the day, the par-four No. 9.