Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — The top teams in the Ohio Valley Conference proved to be the top teams in the Division II sectional golf tournament.
The Fairland Dragons were OVC champions and they added the sectional title to their list of season success stories on Tuesday at the Portsmouth Elks Country Club.
The Gallipolis Blue Devils were runners-up in the OVC and the Chesapeake Panthers third which was the same order they finished in the sectional.
The top five teams and top five individuals not on a qualifying team advance to the district tournament Wednesday at the Crown Hill Golf Club in Williamsport just outside of Circleville. The winning team and top two individuals not on the district championship team advance to the state tournament.
Fairland posted a 329 team score with runner-up Gallipolis at 340. The Panthers were third with a 357 score followed by Waverly with 359 and Wheelersburg 361 to complete the team qualifiers.
Piketon was sixth at 363, Portsmouth West 376, Minford 382, South Point 386, Wellston 410 and Portsmouth 413.
Ironton had only two golfers and thus not enough for a team score.
The Dragons’ Clayton Thomas and Waverly’s Conner Heffner shared medalist honors as each shot a 75. Thomas — who was the OVC co-medalist — had rounds of 36-39 while Heffner was the opposite at 39-36.
The five individuals advancing were Kameron Maple of Oak Hill with a day of 38-40=78, Denzel Endicott of Piketon had a 41-38=79, Logan Cummins of Piketon at 43-42+85, Eli Adkins of Portsmouth West with a 42-43=85 and Roark Brynden of Portsmouth West 43-43=86.
Brynden won in a playoff with Wheelersburg’s Tanner Stevenson.
Landon Roberts shot a 40-39=79 for the Dragons while Mason Manns (41-46=87), Cameron Mayon 42-46=88, and Kyle Slone 45-44=89.
The Panthers were led by Jacob Lemley who shot a 41-42=83. He was followed by Christian Hall at 46-41=87, Jackson Stephens 45-48=93, Austin Jackson 45-49=94 and Jackson McComas 46-50=96.
South Point was paced by Ben Walls with a 43-45=88, Brayden Sexton 43-50=93, Draeden Black 51-51=102, Brayden Adkins 54-49=103 and Wyatt Thacker 53-52=105.
Ironton’s Brayden Easterling had rounds of 46-48=92 and Logan Price went 70-60=130.