Advertisement

Tampa Bay Times' all-Tampa Bay boys and girls golf teams

 
Our all-area golfers of the year, from left: Greyson Porter, Alyssa Lamoureux, Mike Spinger, Kelly Harris, Matt Ruel and Latanna Stone.
Our all-area golfers of the year, from left: Greyson Porter, Alyssa Lamoureux, Mike Spinger, Kelly Harris, Matt Ruel and Latanna Stone.
Published Dec. 10, 2015

Boys Pinellas Golfer of the Year: Greyson Porter, Sr., Shorecrest

Best round: Porter said it was a 6-under 65 at the Mustang Invitational at Seminole Lakes Golf Club. He won that tournament by three shots over Clearwater Central Catholic's Clark Lea. "I hit the ball very well that day," said Porter, who had six birdies and an eagle.

Best finishes: Not only did Porter win the Mustang tournament, but he won the CCC Invitational at Belleair Country Club by shooting 66, the Calvary Christian Invitational at Innisbrook's Island Course with 69 and was tied for first at the Class A-14 tournament at Feather Sound with 72. He finished second at the Class A state tournament on the Mission Inn and Resort's El Campeon Course in Howey-in-the-Hills with a two-day score of 73-69—142, one shot off the lead.

Did you know? Porter did not start out attending Shorecrest. He attended Canterbury from kindergarten through sixth grade. He then went to Lutheran Church of the Cross Day School for seventh and eighth grade. In high school, he started at Berkeley Prep before transferring to Shorecrest as a sophomore. "I've been to four schools in the last six years. I liked the teachers and everybody there (Shorecrest). I liked everything at Berkeley, too, but I just didn't know many people there."

What's next: Porter will play golf at Florida State in the fall. He follows St. Petersburg's Jack Maguire, who was the Times' Pinellas Golfer of the Year in 2013. Porter said he plans to major in finance and would like to pursue a PGA Tour career.

Quotable: "I'd like to keep golf in my life somehow. Whether that be playing professionally or being in finance and playing in golf all the time. I've learned that golf is something you can play until you die, and it can be very important in the business world."

Hillsborough Golfer of the Year: Matt Ruel, Sr., Jesuit

Best round: Ruel shot 5-under 31 in a nine-hole match at Carrollwood Country Club. It tied his own school record and was his lowest nine-hole score of the season.

Best finishes: Ruel won the Class 2A district tournament with 72. He also shot 72 at the Sebring Invitational to finish third. He was tied for second at the Class 2A state tournament with 76-73—149.

Did you know? Ruel dedicated his season to his older sister, Morgan. Morgan battled Stage 3 cancer during the fall, but Ruel said she has completed her chemotherapy treatments and is now nearly cancer free. "It's pretty uplifting," Ruel said. "We think it's mostly all gone. I really made it my goal to get to states and try to win it for her. I couldn't win it, but second place is acceptable. She was certainly my motivation."

What's next: Ruel will play golf in the fall at the University of Mississippi. He said he plans to major in business.

Quotable: "I'd say it's been a pretty good season and now I'm ready to get to Ole Miss and see what I can do."

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

North Suncoast Golfer of the Year Mike Spinger, Sr., Mitchell

Best round: Spinger believes his best round was the even-par 72 he shot at the Class 2A region tournament at Lexington Oaks Golf Club. "I woke up that morning with the flu. I wasn't going to play but I wanted to make sure we made it to states. I had no expectations, but I played well."

Best finishes: Spinger finished tied for 11th at the Class 2A state tournament with 157. He finished third at the Calvary Christian tournament at Innisbrook with 74. He won the East Lake Invitational with 70 and finished third at the CCC Invitational.

Did you know? While making a living at golf is appealing, Spinger said his ultimate goal is to become a dentist. "I don't know what it is, but I've always wanted to become a dentist."

What's next: Spinger is undecided on his college choice. He is deciding between Florida Atlantic and USF. He said he would choose FAU if he wants to continue golf in college, or he would go to USF and take a break from the sport. "I might take the year and try to get better (at golf) and then transfer."

Quotable: "I think it was a really good season for us. We finished seventh (at state) and last year we finished sixth, but we lost of a lot of good players from last year."

Boys

First team

Anthony DeRosa, Sr., Seminole: DeRosa was consistent the entire season. He won the Lakewood Ranch Invitational with 66 and shot 1-over 72 at the competitive Vinoy Invitational. He finished tied for fifth at the Class 3A state tournament with 73-75—148.

Ryan Hicks, Jr., Countryside: Hicks qualified for the state tournament after shooting 77 in regionals. He then overcame an opening-round 79 to shoot 3-under 69 and finish tied for fifth at the state tournament. He also placed second in PCAC scoring average with 36.8.

Mark Nauert, Sr., Newsome: It was another steady season for Nauert, who helped lead the Wolves back to the Class 3A state tournament. He finished tied for 16th at state, tied for top score at the region tournament with 74 and shot 76 at districts.

Jackson Suber, So., Plant: On a Panthers team full of talent, Suber finished the strongest. At the Class 3A state tournament, Suber shot 75-70—145 for second overall at 1-over par, three shots behind the leader.

Travis Wells, Jr., Sunlake: The highlight of the season for Wells was shooting 3-under 68 to win the Sunshine Athletic Conference tournament. He was the only player under par at Crescent Oaks Country Club. He qualified for the Class 2A state tournament, finishing tied for 14th.

Second team

Cameron Fady, Sr., Osceola

Justin Wendling, Sr., Newsome

Dalton Shettle, Jr., Canterbury

Jasen Norris, Sr., Seminole

Gunnar Raney, Sr., Plant

Third team

Kyle Murphy, Sr., Countryside

Chase Baum, Sr., Palm Harbor U.

Dhruv Patel, So., Newsome

Max Sabo, Sr., Mitchell

Robbie Eisch, Jr., Plant

Honorable mention

Academy at the Lakes: David Singh; Berkeley Prep: Rowan Majumdar; Reid Leiter; Bloomingdale: Cameron Wright; Brandon: Stephen Thomasson; Brooks DeBartolo: Kevin Sims; Calvary Christian: Cal Stephens, Charlie Lathrop, Jonathan Bunner, Aaron Shahriari; Cambridge Christian: Matt Liffrig; Carrollwood Day: Nick Neugebauer; Clearwater: Clay Harvey; Clearwater Central Catholic: Clark Lea, Davis Harrison, Nathaniel Joyer, Ryan Merrill; Durant: Jacob Penny; East Lake: Nick Pero, Michael Beausang, Jack Dickson, Spencer Alt; Jesuit: Connor Murphy, Matt Zloto, Sean Lanoue; Mitchell: Ben Wagner, Cody Miano, Anthony Salvati; Nature Coast: Michael Dono; Newsome: Andrew Wally, Tommy Wang; Northside Christian: Robert Vinson III; Osceola: Connor Krajnik; Palm Harbor University: Matt Perenich, Zack Brodersen; Plant: Chris Kern, Aaron Tobin; Plant City: Kaelib Carlough; River Ridge: Aidan Holmes; St. Petersburg: Parker Sanderson, Trey Walker, C.J. Macari; St. Petersburg Catholic: Luke Kaleel; Seminole: Jack Robertson, Chad Dayton, Matt Tharp; Strawberry Crest: James Morotti; Sunlake: Jordan Sahaddi; Tampa Prep: Bo Blair, Yousuf Latif, Ty Weathers; Wesley Chapel: Tyler Rover, Alex Nay

Coach of the year

Tom Feeney, Plant: Feeney kept a strong team, from top to bottom, intact all season. The Panthers easily won the district and region tournaments, then finished in a tie for second at the Class 3A state tournament with a 624, 18 shots behind champion Lake Mary.

Girls Pinellas Golfer of the Year : Alyssa Lamoureux, So., Seminole

Best round: Lamoureux had several good rounds this season, but she said none was better than the first-round, 4-under 68 she shot at the Class 3A state tournament. That put her in a tie for the lead with Viera's Sophie Liu, whom she eventually beat in a playoff to win the state championship. That 68 came on the heels of her 7-over 79 at the region tournament at Tampa Palms the week before to barely qualify for states.

Best finishes: Lamoureux won the Mustang Invitational with 67, defeating Cambridge Christian's Alison Armstrong on a one-hole playoff. She won the Vinoy Invitational with an even-par 71 and won the district tournament with 69 at Innisbrook's North Course. Lamoureux even played a tournament with the boys team, the Lakewood Ranch Invitational, where she shot 73.

Did you know? Lamoureux comes from a big family, and has five brothers and one sister. Her sister, Ashley, played golf at Clearwater Central Catholic and the University of Miami. She also has cousins spread out around Tampa Bay. "The Lamoureux name is everywhere," she said.

What's next: Lamoureux said she wants to attempt to qualify for the Women's U.S. Amateur and the Women's U.S. Open during the summer.

Quotable: Lamoureux is just 5 feet, making her one of the smaller players in every foursome. "I was this height when I was 11. I just never grew again. I've been getting jokes about it ever since then. I don't care. I joke about it, too. I try not to let it affect me."

Hillsborough Golfer of the Year: Latanna Stone, Fr., Cambridge Christian

Best round: Stone shot 4-under 68 at the Class A-13 district tournament at the Eagles. She had the lowest score in the tournament by five shots.

Best finishes: Stone shot 70-75—145 at the Class A state tournament in Howey-in-the-Hills to finish tied for sixth. She also shot 74 at the region tournament at East Lake Woodlands to tie teammate Alison Armstrong and Tampa Prep's Julie Zhang.

Did you know? Stone is a good singer and is teaching herself how to play the piano. She studied YouTube videos instead of taking lessons and says she is getting better. She is learning to play Beethoven's Fur Elise. She also learned how to play Riptide by Vance Joy, as well as some Lana Del Rey and Adele songs. "I'm trying to expand myself and have hobbies away from golf. I don't want to get too burned out on golf so I want to have things to relax my mind."

What's next: Stone said she will play in junior tournaments throughout the winter and spring, and will attempt to qualify for the Women's U.S. Open again. She tried last summer and shot 3 under but fell just short.

Quotable: "Anything can happen for me. Right now I'm just thinking about getting through high school and going to college and seeing where that takes me."

North Suncoast Golfer of the Year: Kelly Harris, Sr., Sunlake

Best round: Harris said it was her 1-under 70 at the Class 2A region tournament at Heritage Spring Golf Course. And rightly so since she won that tournament by 10 shots.

Best finishes: Harris won the SAC tournament for a third straight time with 74. She was the district champion with 77 and finished tied for 24th with 162 at the state tournament.

Did you know? Aside from golf, Harris excels at track and field. She mainly focuses on the high jump and triple jump, but also runs the 400 meters when needed. "Whatever they need me to do, but triple jump is my main thing," said Harris, who is 6 feet tall. She is also a solid student with a 4.1 weighted GPA.

What's next: Harris will play golf at Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach in the fall. Harris said she would like to pursue a career in engineering, which is what drew her to the school.

Quotable: "I'm looking forward to getting to college and enjoying that whole experience. I'm not sure what the future holds. That's something I hope to figure out in college."

Girls

First team

Taylor Dedmen, So., Seminole: She may have been overshadowed by Lamoureux's state championship, but Dedmen was right there with her most of the season. She averaged even-par 36 in her nine-hole Pinellas County Athletic Conference matches. She tied for 13th at the state tournament with 151. And she actually beat Lamoureux at the region tournament with 76 on a very windy day at Tampa Palms.

Haydyn Gibson, Sr., Osceola: Gibson, who will play golf at Tulane in the fall, had another consistent season. While she was unable to defend her Class 2A state championship, she did finish tied for fifth with a two-day total of 4-over 148.

Kendall Johnson, Sr., Plant City: Johnson had a very good season, especially in the playoffs. She shot 78-73—151 and tied for 13th at the Class 3A state tournament. In regionals, she fired 1-under 71, the top score in the field. She shot 70 at the district tournament, also tops in the field.

Mariana Ocano, Sr., St. Petersburg: Ocano is one of those steady golfers who is consistently near par. She finished tied for 13th at the Class 3A state tournament and averaged even-par 36 in her PCAC matches.

Ashley Zagers, Jr., Cambridge Christian: Zagers is right there with teammates Stone and Armstrong as one of the top three golfers on a Lancers team that finished sixth at the state tournament. She shot 77-75—152 at state and 74 in the region tournament.

Second team

Alison Armstrong, Sr., Cambridge Christian

Lillian Berry, 8th, Tampa Prep

Estefania Guizar-Diaz, Jr., Mitchell

Madison Heideman, So., Osceola

Ryanne Jackson, Sr., Northside Christian

Third team

Sadie Chlapowski, Jr., Boca Ciega

Shyanne Dove, Sr., Mitchell

Skylar Muscianese, So., Nature Coast

Bianca Sol Cruz, So., Indian Rocks Christian

Julie Zhang, Fr., Tampa Prep

Honorable mention

Academy of the Holy Names: Georgia Ruffalo; Clearwater Central Catholic: Michelle Dudenhoefer; Durant: Cheyenne Hodock; Gaither: Laura Pasolodas; Gulf: Sarah Usewick; Hillsborough: Sarvika Bommakanti; Mitchell: Mackenzie Bennett; Northeast: Hollie Grchan; Osceola: Lauren Morris, Claire Vermette; Pasco: Kacie Huber; Plant: Payton Paro; Plant City: Kaylee McIntosh; St. Petersburg: Kayla Shelton; Shorecrest: Adrianna Linn; Sickles: Lauren DeJoe, K.C. Montgomery; Steinbrenner: Alyssa Serino, Lindsey Kolano; Tampa Catholic: Lindsay Gonzalez; Tampa Prep: Katie Hochhausler, Morgan Peterson; Wiregrass Ranch: Morgan Powers

Coach of the year

James Hill, Osceola: The Warriors had experienced senior Haydyn Gibson, but they also had a group of underclassmen behind her. Despite the inexperience, Osceola went back to the state tournament and finished a respectable third with a 662.