Sayville's MacDonell dethrones Lee as state girls golf champ
Sayville's Julie MacDonell held off defending champ Suzie Lee of Commack to win the state girls golf championship. (June 2, 2010) Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Julie MacDonell and Suzie Lee entered the final round Sunday tied for the lead and they had matching scores as they approached the final two holes. The girls state golf champion medal would indeed be returning to Suffolk, the only question was in whose possession.
Would it remain in the hands of Lee, the South Carolina-bound, two-time defending state champion from Commack who birdied the 15th and 16th to pull even? Or MacDonell, the Harvard-bound Sayville senior fresh off leading the Golden Flashes to a Long Island championship?
MacDonell managed to par No. 17 while Lee three-putted for bogey. Nursing a one-stroke lead on No. 18, MacDonell dethroned Lee, who parred, by hitting an iron approach to within 4 feet and sinking the birdie putt to finish with a 1-over-par 73 for the second straight day and a two-stroke victory in the state girls tournament at the College Golf Course at Delhi.
"It was surreal," MacDonell said. "It was a really good way to end with a birdie and with my coaches and family all around. It hasn't sunk in yet, but right now, it's pretty exciting."
The second place finish for Lee (73-75-148) marked an end to a stellar high school career that included four county championships.
"The putting greens were a little slow and I left a lot of putts short," Lee said. "I'm kind of sad but it's not the end of the world. Even Tiger Woods loses matches, so it's OK."
After shooting 10-over 82 Saturday, Victoria Snak of Smithtown West shot par 72, the best score of the tournament, to finish tied for third at 154. She helped Suffolk to a 56-stroke win and its fifth straight team championship. The combined team score of 1,076 is the lowest in the five-year history of the girls state tournament.
Sayville's Jennifer Clinton (82-75-157) and Half Hollow Hills West's Michelle Rosenhouse (80-77-157) tied for eighth. Sayville's Cynthia Cheng (83-76-159) tied for 11th and Northport's Cameron Lambertson (77-83-160) tied for 14th. Longwood's Emily Garrahan shot a 167 (88-79) to tie for 26th and Smithtown East's Lindsay Shulock shot a 190 (97-93).
Syosset's Elizabeth Choi led Nassau with a 159 (82-77) to finish tied for 11th. Samantha Sessa of Garden City tied for 28th with a 168 (85-83). Her teammates Alex Michielini (85-87-172) and Erica Gambardella (86-89-175), and Sewanhaka's Casey Durant (87-90-177) all had top 40 finishes. Syosset's Rohini Rudra (92-86) and Garden City's Marisa Cameron (88-90) each shot a 178. Garden City's Laura Ketigian finished with a 184 (98-86) and Syosset's Tara Petruzillo shot a 188 (94-94).
But the day belonged to MacDonell, who hopes to walk on to the golf team at Harvard.
"I tried to stay within my own game," she said. "My coach has this mantra about taking it one breath at a time, one step at a time, one swing at a time."
A mantra MacDonell has abided by, one victory at a time.
