Cashiers – For the second time in Swain County School history the golf team won a team Smoky Mountain Conference Championship. This is how the two-day event transpired. Starting on Thursday April 21st, the team traveled to Cherokee Hills in Murphy. Overall the team placed 2nd after the first round with a team total of 343. Swain was thirteen shots out of first place from Murphy (330) and five shots ahead of Highlands. Leading the charge for the Maroon Devils and placing first in round one of the tournament was Junior Grant Shuler firing a 77. Rounding out the top 4 spots were Junior Jack Cornblum with an 86, Junior Brett Treadway with an 87, and Junior Cameron Hampton with a 93. Holden Petty shot a 97.
Going into the second round at Sapphire National in Cashiers, Swain not only made up the thirteen shot deficit with a two-day total of 691, but beat first place Murphy (703) by twelve shots. Grant Shuler didn’t look back from round one, he shot an impressive 78 to take home the title of Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year Honors. He had a two-day total of 155. Jack Cornblum was in eleventh place after the first day, but shooting an impressive 81, vaulted himself to solo 2nd place with a total of 167. This earned Jack All-Conference Honors. Brett Treadway moved from twelfth place to tie for eighth placed with a second round score of 92. He earned Honorable Mention for conference with a tournament score of 179. Cameron Hampton and Holden Petty shot a 97 to finish the conference tournament. Cameron finished tied for 16th while Holden finished 20th. “Getting off the bus on Monday, I told my team to relax and just play. We didn’t need to try and do anything fancy, just eliminate big scores. These young men went above and beyond expectations. The competition was fierce this year, but our biggest enemy was ourselves. We overcame both. I am very proud of my boys and a very blessed coach.,” stated Coach Crisp. The team will travel to Hayesville and play at The Ridges on Monday, May 2nd in the Regional Round. Tee times start at 8:00 am.