Marriotts Ridge senior Jackson Courtney stood beneath the shadow of the University of Maryland golf course clubhouse, basking in the glow of helping secure the program’s fifth straight state championship, and took a moment to reflect on the last four years.
Through a wide smile he eventually said, “Honestly, I wouldn’t change a single thing.”
The Mustangs came out Wednesday and broke open what was a tight 1A/2A team race after the opening round by firing a second-day team-total of 309 — the lowest of any team in any classification on day two — to post a combined score of 633 and win by 34 shots over second-place Middletown.
The five straight team titles ties a state record previously set by Churchill from 2002 to 2006.
Courtney, who shot a tournament-best round of even par on the final day, led the charge to the championship by finishing in second-place overall with a two-day total of 148 — four shots back of boys individual champion Nick Roberson of B-CC.
“You know we put our hard work into it and we really got out of it what we wanted to,” Courtney said. “To be standing here today saying that we haven’t lost as a team in my four years that we’ve been here and to have five state championships in a row, I wouldn’t have done it any differently. I’m super proud of that and it’s something that I’ll be able to cherish for the rest of my life.”
Marriotts Ridge coach Mark Dubbs said this title holds extra special meaning because for this group of seniors — Courtney, Nick Mejia (tied for 13th, 155) and John Szymanski (tied for 22nd, 160) — it put the finishing touches on an undefeated four years.
“The first state title we won (in 2012) will always hold a special place, but this one is a close second because of what they’ve done over these last four years and how this whole group has stayed together the whole time,” Dubbs said. “Nobody knows just how much pressure they put on themselves because none of them wanted to drop the ball. They came into this year with a lot to live up to. But man, they have answered every challenge and these last two days were no different.”
While Marriotts Ridge walked away celebrating a team title, Howard junior Jacqueline Cherry saw a potential girls individual championship of her own slip just out of her grasp in what ended up being a three-hole playoff against Churchill’s Lena Capoccia.
The two found themselves all tied through 36 holes with totals of 151 and then matched one another with pars on the first two sudden-death playoff holes. But on the third extra hole, which was the par 3 No. 11, Capoccia came through with the shot of the tournament.
She nearly holed her second shot from the greenside bunker to set up another par that ultimately proved to be the one that clinched victory.
Cherry, who had hit the green with her tee shot, ended up three-putting for a bogey and was forced to settle for second place. While disappointed, she still managed to keep things in perspective afterward.
“Well I’m really happy because my first year at states as a freshman I didn’t make it to the second day and then last year I got fifth. And so this year it’s crazy that I was in contention for first place and I never imagined that could happen,” she said. “It was my first time playing in a playoff and I was really nervous … (Lena) played amazing and it was like neck and neck the whole time. It came down to every last stroke.”
For Capoccia it was a breakthrough week of her own, as she had finished runner-up last season to Delaney Shah of Wootton.
Earning the title this year took winning what amounted to a head-to-head match-play situation with Cherry almost from the very first hole of the final round. The duo came into the day tied after each shot four-over-par 75s in round one and neither led by more than one shot over the final 18 holes of regulation.
Even during the playoff, the two traded huge swings of momentum. Cherry scrambled from out of the greenside bunker on the first playoff hole to make a par and extend the match. Then on the second extra hole, Capoccia escaped with a par after an errant tee shot into the woods on the right.
And, even on the decisive hole, Cherry appeared to have the advantage until Capoccia’s clutch shot from out of the sand trap turned the tables.
Cherry said afterward she’s already looking forward to getting better for another shot next fall.
“I know now that I can play as strong as the other girls, I just need to work harder and I’m definitely going to put in the effort and play better next year,” she said.
Centennial’s Isabel Trojillo was the only other girls individual from Howard County to make the final round and she finished in 12th place with a total of 173.
For the boys, Marriotts Ridge stole all the local headlines.
Courtney may have fallen a few shots short of his ultimate goal of winning a state championship, but he did rebound from an opening-round 77 (6-over par) to shoot the lowest round in the field on day two. His scorecard featured 14 pars, two bogeys and two birdies on his way to a 71.
It was the final birdie, though, on his final hole, that was particularly meaningful.
“It was really nice to close out on a good note, especially birding my last hole. I can say my last hole of my senior year and last hole of my high school career, I made birdie on it,” Courtney said. “It feels awesome to play well and to place well and I’m sure I’ll be able to look back on it and be proud of it.”
Courtney wasn’t the only Marriotts Ridge player to finish strong and help the team build on its 10-shot cushion following the opening round over Middletown and Hereford.
After an opening-day 84, Szymanski was eight shots better on the final day en route to a 76 that vaulted him up the leaderboard. His improvement — along with the Mustangs’ fourth player Alex Pak improving seven shots from day one — was instrumental in terms of pulling away from the rest of the field.
“I worked yesterday on the range at Turf Valley and I found something new and I put it to use today. I’m just really happy I was able to come back today and be able to help the team like I did,” Szymanski said. “Five straight state titles is just amazing and it’s great to be a part of this legacy.”
While Mejia’s final round of 80 was a step back from the first day, his finish in a tie for 13th was still vital to the victory and served as a notable capper to a standout four years.
“The greatest compliment I can give this group is that they’ve always had each other’s back. When one person has an off day, the others are there to pick them up,” Dubbs said. “Today Nick was a little off, but John came through with maybe the best round he’s played all year. And that’s what makes this all possible.
“You don’t win five of these things in a row unless you have a complete team.”
Outside of Marriotts Ridge, River Hill’s Derek Gold was the county’s only other boy to finish in the top 20. Gold, after an opening-round 73 had put him two shots out of the lead, faded in the final round with an 84.
Still, his two-day total of 157 was good enough to put him in a tie for 17th. And, after falling short of even making it to states each of the last two years, Gold showcased himself as one of the area's most improved players over the course of the week.
Centennial’s Kenneth Chaplain (79, 87 – 166) and Atholton’s Branden Nguyen (83, 83 – 166) ended up in a tie for 41st, while Marriotts Ridge’s Pak (88, 82 – 170) finished 50th and Howard’s Shashank Gupta (83, 91 – 174) placed in a tie for 58th.