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Ë®¹ûÅÉAV’s Golfer of the Year: Drew Mancini, Skaneateles

Mancini was one of nine members of the Section III team that captured first place at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association team championships. The squad claimed the state championship with a score of plus-38. In the individual portion of the state championships, the sophomore had a plus-15 for 43rd. At the Section III championships on Oct. 17, the Onondaga High School League Liberty National first-team member ended with a plus-8 to place the Lakers third. During his third season with the team, Mancini posted a scoring average of 36. 

Braden Wood, Weedsport

The Wolverines claimed the Section III West Division championship for the first time since 2003 after receiving a big boost from Wood. He earned the Section III individual championship with a score of 76, as Weedsport won the section title with a 434. The Onondaga High School League Patriot National first-team member helped lead the Wolverines to a 5-2 record during the regular season. 

Michael Culver, Union Springs/Port Byron 

The junior took home the Interscholastic Athletic Conference North Division individual championship by finishing with a score of 75. Culver also finished as a medalist in 12 of the Wolves’ 13 matchups, as he concluded the year with a stroke average of .5 over par.

Marissa Pesarchick, Auburn 

Leading Auburn girls golf to an 8-4 record, Pesarchick was named to the Salt City Athletic Conference Empire first team. Behind the junior's play, the Maroons came away with third place in the regular-season division standings. She also led her team with a score of 52 in fourth place on April 28 as Auburn placed second in a seven-team matchup. 

Daniel Johnson, Southern Cayuga

Johnson was a medalist in each of Southern Cayuga’s outings during his seventh-grade year. He shot an 84 at the Section IV individual tournament to come away with a 21st-place finish. Also earning 10th at the IAC championships, Johnson was named to the IAC Small School first team. On April 17, he had a hole-in-one and shot a team-best 43 to lead Southern Cayuga to a win over Spencer-Van Etten.

Caden Hearn, Jordan-Elbridge

The Eagles finished the season at 6-6, with Hearn being their top performer in three of the victories. He concluded the season with a match average of 40.1 and scored the second-most all-league points. For Hearn’s efforts, he was awarded OHSL Liberty National first-team honors.

Caraline Wasileski, Moravia

In her second season with the Blue Devils, Wasileski paced the team with a scoring average of 54.8. She placed in the top 10 at the IAC championships, and then took 23rd out of 47 golfers at the Section IV championships. The junior shot a season-low score of 50 on April 24 in a matchup with Dryden. 

Owen Casler, Auburn 

Auburn finished the regular season at 6-8 for fifth in the SCAC Empire standings, with Casler leading the charge. At the SCAC Empire Showcase on Oct. 4, the junior led the Maroons to a second-place finish with a score of 36, which tied him for third-best on the day. His play on the course in 2024 earned him SCAC Empire second-team honors. 

Cooper Emond, Cato-Meridian

Concluding the season with an average score of 44, Emond ended the season with OHSL Patriot National honors. During the regular season, the junior was a medalist against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and Pulaski. 

Cate Gunderson, Skaneateles 

Gunderson averaged a score of just under 50 during her sophomore season en route to a Section III state qualifier appearance. She punched her ticket to the qualifiers by finishing as a medalist at sectionals. She was also the Lakers’ leading scorer during the year as they placed third in the OHSL standings at 6-5.

Honorable mentions

• Stephen Case, Union Springs/Port Byron
• Landon Hauptfleisch, Southern Cayuga 
• Natalie Siracusa, Auburn
• Emerson Derby, Jordan-Elbridge
• Owen Jeffers, Weedsport