DISTRICT 4 BOYS GOLF: DESPITE STRUGGLES ON DAY 2 OF CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIPS, ATHENS' HICKS PUNCHES TICKET TO STATES; SAXON FINISHES THIRD (16 PHOTOS) (2024-10-05)
By CHRIS MANNINGValley Sports ReportWILLIAMSPORT — It was a roller coaster day for Athens sophomore Eli Hicks.
He came into the second day of the District 4, Class AAA Championships with a 5-stroke lead, saw it disappear by the turn, nearly fell out of the top two, but then finished strong to take second and advance to the PIAA Championships.
“It’s amazing,” Hicks said about earning a state berth. “Just as a sophomore, and coming here last year as a freshman, tying Evan Cooper, and going to a three-hole playoff. It was just amazing.”
Hicks finished plus-16 for the tournament, four strokes behind champion Carter Girton of Jersey Shore. Hicks edged out teammate Dylan Saxon, who finished plus-18 on the day, while fellow Wildcat Brady Darrow was tied for eighth at plus-33.
Hick was 5-over after the first three holes before settling down, and finishing plus-7 for the front nine.
“I was so nervous going into today,” Hicks admitted. “I played it really tentative.”
Another rough stretch to start the back nine saw him get to 13-over on the day with six holes left.
He started getting pushed from behind by Selinsgrove’s Mac DeFazio.
“I just thought to myself, fairways and greens,” Hicks said. “Hopefully, my putting will do the work for me.”
After a par on the 13th, he got a birdie on the par-4 14th hole. That, coupled with a few bad holes by DeFazio, gave Hicks some breathing room as he pulled within one stroke of Girton.
“That made me a little bit more loose, allowed me to play free,” explained Hicks.
Girton took a double-bogey on the par-3 15th, but Hicks lipped out a par putt. Hicks then bogeyed 16 to fall two shots behind Girton.
Both parred 17, with Girton getting a birdie on 18 as Hicks took a bogey to finish with an 85 on the second day.
“It was amazing,” Hicks said about coming down 18 with a three-stroke lead. “I thought to myself, ‘just try and make the best of it, it’s a great experience.’”
As for States, Hicks is going to work on his putting.
“That really killed me today,” he said. “I lost a lot of strokes there, but I need to work on that a lot already.”
Saxon was consistent, shooing 80 both days, but also had a roller coaster ride during the day. He had four birdies but two double-bogeys, and even took a nine on the par-5 sixth hole.
He did finish strong, though, shooting 1-under the final six holes to make a run at the top two.
Darrow carded a 91 on the day with one birdie.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens sophomore Eli Hicks. IN TOP PHOTO: Athens senior Dylan Saxon. … PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING.
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