The Gatewood golf team left no stone unturned, capturing the Georgia Independent Athletic Association Class AA championship on its home course at Harbor Club in Greensboro earlier this week.
As a team, five Gators shot a combined score of 332, edging out second-place finisher Heritage Preparatory School by nine strokes to secure the title win. They defeated eight other teams as well.
“I’m just proud of them,” head coach Doug Price said last week. “They’ve competed hard this year.”
Gatewood senior Gavin Gignilliat shot a 75 on Monday and was the second-place low-medalist at the tournament on Monday. The rest of the Gators’ golfers had a solid outing as well, helping drive their team to victory.
Mikey Padula and Ames Johnson each shot 85, followed by Sean Harvey with a score of 87. Lathan Hillin, an eighth grader playing up on the varsity level, shot an 88 to help his team win the title.
The win on Monday capped off a great season for Gatewood, which captured the region title as well. The Gators’ championship run wasn’t easy, though, as they faced a lot of fierce competition this year.
They played in tournaments across the state against some of the best teams, placing first several times. Their success led them to play together and win a title this past Monday at their home course.
Last week, Price talked about how deep his lineup was and how well-connected this year’s team was.
“We’ve had a good season. We’ve won every one of our matches and are led by one of the best golfers in the GIAA in Gavin (Gignilliat),” Price said. “He’s followed up by our eighth-grader, Lathan Hillin, who is a great golfer. But I’ve also got a great mixture of talent all the way down the line, and they enjoy playing golf together. That’s the big thing. They enjoy hanging out and practicing together. It helps when you’ve got kids that dedicate so much time to their craft and it pays off.”
Gignilliat, Hillin, and Padula were All-Region selections this season, and Price also was named Region Coach of the Year. Gignilliat earned All-State honors for his performance on Monday as well.
Gignilliat and Harvey leave the program as state champions, and while they’ll be gone next year, Gatewood will try to win another title with three starters returning and a few key reserves.
The combination of Padula, Johnson, and Hillin returning makes for a great foundation heading to next season, but the trio will need to step up as leaders to follow in the footsteps of Gignilliat and Harvey.
“We’ve got a strong core group returning,” Price said. “There’s a few other guys we can lean on, too.”