This composite image shows Renna Chang of Jericho, left, and...

This composite image shows Renna Chang of Jericho, left, and Lia Huang of Great Neck during the Nassau girls golf individual championships on May 24 at Bethpage State Park. Credit: Dawn McCormick

After a two-year absence due to COVID, the girls golf state championship returned Sunday and the Nassau golfers put forth a strong showing.

Great Neck’s Lia Huang and Jericho’s Renna Chang each shot a 12-over 156 over the two-day competition and finished tied for fifth at McGregor Links Country Club in Wilton. Each golfer parred the final hole. Kennedy Swedick of The Albany Academies led Section II and earned the top finish in the competition by shooting a 144.

Huang and Chang anchored a Nassau team that had a total of 1,122 over two days and finished second, 20 strokes behind first place Section I.  

“The competition was much different, but this was just a great experience overall,” Huang said. “I think everyone [from Nassau] did pretty good, I’m satisfied with our results.”

Great Neck's Caylin Wong (157) tied for seventh, Manhasset’s Madison Chen (159) placed ninth and Friends Academy’s Ava Estrella (163) placed 16th.  

Huang’s impressive finish wasn’t a surprise. The eighth-grader took home first place in Nassau’s individual championship on May 24th, finishing three strokes ahead of Chang. Chang was the 2021 Nassau individual champion as an eighth-grader.

“It’s been a lot of practice, pretty much every day to get to this point,” Huang said. “I don’t think I played my best, but I enjoyed the course and playing with my friends.”

Melanie Hagen of Shoreham-Wading River was the top finisher for Suffolk. Hagen shot a 17-over 161 and tied for 11th. Ward Melville’s Ella Girard tied for 35th with a total of 174. Suffolk placed sixth with a two-day score of 1,241.

“It was definitely a lot of pressure because there were so many great golfers,” Hagen said. “I think I shot pretty well. I had some difficulty on maybe one or two holes, but I was able to get back on track.”

Catherine Slade of Kellenberg placed 27th after shooting a 169 and St. Anthony’s Grace London shot a 175. London and Slade finished first and second respectively in the CHSAA girls golf championship May 17.  

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