The Division 2 State Tournament Qualifying Round was held today at Easton Country Club, where senior captain Matt Korzec and Junior Aidan Miller represented the Whitman Hanson Panthers as individuals.
In a field of 96 golfers, both Korzec and Miller had about a 10% chance to be the fourth Panther in the past five seasons to advance to the state finals - Miller rose to the occasion and delivered an 8 over par, 79 to punch his ticket moving forward. Korzec, however, missed the cut by just a single stroke, as he finished the day with a 9 over par, 80.
Though disappointed that his high school golf career as a Panther was officially ended today, Korzec, the true gentleman and captain that he is, did not let that take away from Miller's excitement and accomplishment.
All year the two have battled for the top spot in the lineup, the lower average on the season, and, of course, the most signatures on the team's Tiger ball. Today that was settled - Miller earned his fifth Tiger ball honor, surpassing Korzec's four honors, and edged out his teammate to be the fifth player in seven years to earn a spot in the season's final round of golf.
"Watching these two competitors push each other over the past couple of years has been a pleasure to watch" said head coach Brian Dempsey. "I'm confident that Korzec could not have been the leader or player he became over the last two seasons without Miller providing him with that motivation to keep improving; likewise, Miller would not have learned as much about the game and earned as many accomplishments as he has without a player like Korzec to look up to and strive to beat," added the eighth year coach.
Korzec was named a Patriot League All-Star this year for his impressive play, while Miller was an honorable mention; however, both were highly respected as players throughout the league for their consistent play and approach to the game. "Nothing would have pleased me more to have both of these guys qualify for the state finals, but I'm still really proud of both of them. They have helped to build and create a culture for our program that I know players will continue to benefit from for years to come," Dempsey added. "This hasn't been the most successful season we've experienced over the years, but our team's chemistry and character has risen to new heights, in large part because of these two, along with Korzec's fellow senior captains, Ian Brown and Brian Fox."
From the coaches, team and school, congratulations and good luck to Aidan Miller for advancing to the Division 2 State Finals next week, and thank you to captain Matt Korzec for his service to the program and for continuing to teach us what it means to be a fierce competitor, a supportive teammate, and a true gentleman. [cid:C2E2D5BF-5FF4-4278-9113-534A42640068-L0-001] [cid:C25C7C2F-4A5C-44C2-91AE-4BC0B117B714-L0-001] [cid:95EFC65B-63CD-4CF1-8E4D-4B23AC1A20FA-L0-001] [cid:1F10FC6A-2BD0-44E3-9487-47CE6D9AF782-L0-001]
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