Poland boys finish sixth at state golf tournament

Staff file photo / Dan Hiner. Poland’s Ryan Lombardo walks to the next tee during the Division II boys district championship on Sept. 30 at Windmill Lakes Golf Course.
The Division II boys golf season came to a close on Tuesday.
Poland was the lone team from the area to make it to the state championship, and the Bulldogs finished sixth with a 329 at NCR North Course in Kettering.
The tournament was shortened to one day due to weather on Tuesday, as the OHSAA decided to only accept scores from the first round on Monday as the final results.
With a team full of juniors, Matthew Morrone led the way with a 77 to finish fourth. Classmate Angelo Rinaldi was right behind in sixth with a 78, and Ryan Lombardo finished 19th with an 80. AJ Battaglia, Poland’s lone senior, ended his day with a 94 to finish 65th.
The team’s final golfer was Parker Ogden, but only the top-five scores count toward the team standings. Ogden finished 72nd, carding a 108 to conclude his junior campaign.
Morrone’s performance earned him First Team All-State honors, while Rinaldi earned a spot on the All-State Second Team.
Archbishop Alter won its fourth straight state championship after shooting a 314, and Buckeye Valley was the runner-up with a 316.