Gregoria going for three-peat
- Updated: April 9, 2015
Team race in Calhoun County Girls Championship expected to be tight
Jordan Gregoria has won the Calhoun County girls title the last two years. White Plains’ Layne Dyar (on the cover) beat her in a tournament playoff Thursday.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Alexandria senior Jordan Gregoria will be looking for an unprecedented third straight individual title when the Calhoun County Girls Championship gets underway Friday at Pine Hill Country Club.
Her primary competition is expected to come from teammate Katie Roberts, White Plains’ Layne Dyar and Reagan Thompson, and JCA’s Chloe Borders. The six-team team race is expected to be a tight affair between senior-laden Alexandria and White Plains.
“It’s exciting to know I have a chance to win again and it’s an opportunity for me, but we’ll have to work for it this year because we have competition,” Gregoria said. “It’s up for grabs, but I’m hoping I can take it. If I can get my mental game straight and think about it the right way, I’ll do fine.”
In perhaps a preview of the championship Thursday, White Plains edged Alexandria by three strokes to win a tournament at Chesley Oaks and Dyar took medalist honors from Gregoria on the second hole of sudden death.
The Wildcats shot 228 and counted scores from Dyar (72), Reagan Thompson (78) and Morgan Prickett (78). Macy Pressley completed their lineup.
Alexandria shot 231 with Gregoria shooting 72, Roberts 78 and Abbey Stevens 81. Savannah Chaffin completed the lineup.
Dyar, a junior, made a 20-foot par putt on the first extra hole to extend the playoff. She then hit her approach into the next hole to six feet and made the birdie to win.
White Plains coach Marcus Harrell is expecting a similarly tight battle this weekend. Action is scheduled to get underway with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. Gregoria, Dyar and Borders are expected to be in the marquee pairing.
“We will need to play our best to have a chance,” he said. “It’s hard to defeat teams that know how to win and they definitely do. The only thing we can do is try to prepare the best we can and pray things go our way. We have done all we can do as far as preparation goes. Now we just have to play our game and see what happens.”
This is a big week for Gregoria. In addition to playing for another county crown this weekend, on Wednesday she will sign to play golf at Jacksonville State.
She also considered Montevallo, but chose the local option.
“It’s very exciting to know my golf career just doesn’t end in high school and I get to carry it out for the next four years,” she said.
BOYS GOLF: Oxford comes up short
GADSDEN — Tyler Putnam shot 1-under-par 71 and Joey Salonia shot 75, but Oxford’s balance wasn’t strong enough and the Yellow Jackets lost an 18-hole match to Gadsden City at Twin Bridges GC.
The Titans posted 305 as a team. Oxford 319.
The Jackets return to action Monday in a home match against Jacksonville at Cider Ridge GC.
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