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With all four golfers in top five, Avon rolls to second straight Div. II state title

The Avon High boys golf team won their second straight CIAC Division II state championship Tuesday in Harwinton. From left,  Jack Hall; Tyler Hahn; Coach Josh Glick; Cole Hahn; Sam Cuddeback and Michael Hanratty

HARWINTON, June 5 – Coaches dream of the days when everyone works well together and turns in exceptional performances when championships are on the line.

“You have dreams about the kids all playing well on one day,” Avon High boys golf coach Josh Glick said. “You never think it will really happen. And you can’t believe it when it comes true.”

While it may have fulfilled a dream for Glick, it was a nightmare for Avon’s opponents at the CIAC Division II golf championships at Fairview Farms.

All four of Avon’s players finished in the top five, sophomore Michael Hanratty won an individual state championship by one stroke and the Falcons won their second straight state championship with a dominating performance.

Avon tied a state record for the lowest score in a CIAC championship meet with a 293, matching the score that Greenwich shot on Monday when they captured the Division I championship. Berlin was 14 shots behind the Falcons in second place with a 307 while Hand was third, 24 shots off the pace with a 317.

“What they did was incredible,” Glick said. “I thought we would have a good opportunity to compete but I could only imagine a performance like the one the kids put together in my dreams.”

Hanratty became the third Avon High golfer and the first since Matt Beizer in 1985 to win an individual state championship. Hanratty had five birdies on the back nine, including a birdie putt on the 18th hole, to finish with a one-under-par 71, beating freshman teammate Cole Hahn by one stroke (72).

Hahn shook off a two-over-par seven and had four birdies. At one point, Hanratty birdied the 10th, 11th, 12th and 14th holes.

His older brother, Tyler, an All-New England selection last spring, and Sam Cuddeback each finished in a tie for fifth place with a 75. Tyler Hahn had four birdies including three on his last four holes of the tournament. Cuddeback had three birdies.

Glick didn’t talk about defending a championship this season. “I think they brought it up on the bus in the morning,” he said. “We got to the course and it was business as usual. My message, which is the same I’ve given all year, was do your best, enjoy the day and enjoy playing golf.”

It was Avon’s third state championship. They also won in 1985.

The state tournament win came just a few days after winning the Central Connecticut Conference golf tournament for the second straight year. Tyler Hahn was third with a 73 to lead the Falcons, who shot a 306 to beat Simsbury (311), East Catholic (316), Conard (320) and Berlin (320).

Hanratty finished sixth with a 75 with Cuddeback shooting a 76. Cole Hahn shot an 82.

It was a satisfying win at the CCC Tournament considering that Simsbury won the CCC West championship with a 10-0-2 record. Avon was second with an 8-4 record in the CCC West and 15-4 overall.

“The competition we faced day in and day out on a daily basis is a knock down, drag out fight,” Glick said. Conard (298) and Simsbury (299) both broke 300 at in the CIAC Division I championship meet and finished third and fourth, respectively.

Tyler Hahn, Cuddeback and Cole Hahn was the medalist at least once this season. Tyler Hahn was medalist in three of the final dual meets of the season. A four-time conference All-Star and a four-time All-State selection, he will graduate with the program record for lowest single season career average (36.7) and the lowest career average (probably 37.92).

Avon’s lowest dual meet score of the season was 150 and they did four times. Avon shot a 150 against Simsbury and lost by four strokes and against Southington and lost by three. But Avon beat Hall, Wethersfield and Conard with their 150 score.

“It is just unbelievable what a run we have been on for the past two years,” Glick said. “To win both the CCC Tournament and state tournament in back-to-back years is such a great achievement for the kids, their parents, and the Avon program.”

Tyler Hahn, who will play at Bryrant next fall, was one of 12 golfers to qualify for the new CIAC State Open tournament at Black Hall Country Club in Old Lyme as an individual. Hanratty qualified Saturday’s State Open by winning the Division II title while Cole Hahn qualified by finishing tied for second place.

The Hahns, Hanratty and Cuddeback all earned All-State and All-Conference honors.

Cole Hahn and Hanratty qualified for the New England tournament on June 20. The top three golfers, plus ties, in each class earn invitations to the meet.

“(Hanratty) came off (the 18th green) with a big smile,” Glick said. “He said, ‘This makes the whole year worth it.’ Those smiles. Those seven kids will never forget this. We had a blast together this year.”

CIAC Division II championships
At Harwinton
Top 10 team results (par 72) at Fairview Farms: Avon 293, Berlin 307, Hand 317, Masuk 319, Notre Dame-West Haven 323, Wethersfield 335, E.O. Smith 328, East Lyme 334, Woodstock Academy 341, RHAM 344
Top 10 individuals: Michael Hanratty, Avon 71, Matthew Doyle, Hand 72, Cole Hahn, Avon 72, Jacob Lindsay, Berlin 72; Peter Cosmedy, Masuk 75; Tyler Hahn, Avon 75; Sam Cuddeback, Avon 75; Conner Quinn, Hand 76; Aham Lee, E.O. Smith 76; Jack Gelhaud, Woodstock Academy 76

2018 Central Connecticut Conference boys golf championship
At New Britain
Team results – 1. Avon 306, 2. Simsbury 311, 3. East Catholic 316, 4. Conard, Berlin 320, 6. Southington 323, 7. Farmington 330, 8. N.W. Catholic, Hall 333, 10. Manchester 335, 11. South Windsor 336, 12. Wethersfield 348, 13. Tolland 353, 14. E.O. Smith 354, 15. RHAM 359, 16. Maloney 366, 17. Middletown 368, 18. Enfield 369, 19. Newington 378, 20. Rocky Hill 381, 21. Bristol Central 388, 22. New Britain 421, 23. Plainville 428, 24. Bristol Eastern 445, 25. Windsor 484, 26. Glastonbury DQ
Individual results
Winner — Mac Mahoney, Hall, 70 at Stanley Golf Course (par 71 and 6,025 yards), 2. Luke Carroll, Conard 72, 3. Tyler Hahn, Avon 73, 4. Tom Dallahan, Simsbury, James Bosworth, Simsbury 74; 6. Michael Hanratty, Avon; Mike McCarthy, Berlin; Matt Chorches, Conard; Corey Roya, Manchester; Max Chubet, Southington 75; 11. Sam Cuddeback, Avon; Ben Ockert, East Catholic; Jared Walter, South Windsor 76; 14. Cameron Hosack, Glastonbury 77; 15. Colin Luca, East Catholic; Finn Morrison, E.O. Smith 78; 18. John Downes, Berlin; Justin Matthew, N.W. Catholic ; Demetre Carnot, Maloney; Cam Zegrzdyn, Southington; Max Ros, Tolland; Max Bos, Tolland, 79
Other Avon golfers:  Cole Hahn, Avon 82
Other Simsbury golfers: Bennett Ostern, Simsbury 81; Kevin McDonough, Simsbury 82

CCC West Division Overall
x-Simsbury 10-0-2 14-0-3
Avon 8-4 15-4
Hall 6-5 9-6
Southington 5-5 9-5
N.W. Catholic 3-6 5-8
Conard 4-8-1 8-9-1
Farmington 1-9-1 2-12-2
x-won division title

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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