GAINESVILLE - After a strong district championship run a week ago, the Fleming Island girl's golf team kept their roll going with seniors Kalia Polete and Cambree Hodge both hammering home 75 (3-over) scores at the Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville to finish second to a record-setting run by Lake Mary at 279.

On the boy's side, a day behind the girls, junior Tyler Mawhinney smoked the 18 holes of St. Johns Golf Club with a 64 (8-under par) day that fueled an overwhelming district 3-3A championship win for the boy's team at 280 with runnerup and third place Nease and Creekside at 313 and 314. Oakleaf was ninth for the boy's district.

Mawhinney led a three-man wrecking crew at 1-2-3 for Fleming Island with Jaylen Abbas at 69 and Emmet Kuhlenkamp at 70

For the girls, Fleming Island coach Brian Nedrich has run the gauntlet without the talent of injured Alyzabeth Morgan, the top golfer for the Golden Eagles last year.

"The difference has been the work that they have put in during the off-season and the senior leadership of both Kalia and Cambree," said Fleming Island coach Brian Nedrich. "The fact that they play so well helps inspire the rest of the girls to play better. The girls all believe in each other."

Lake Mary was nearly as dominant as last year's 280 region title en route to a 303 Class 3A title over Niceville with Fleming Island 12th at 345.

With their senior duo pushing the pace and chasing the frontrunners, Fleming Island improved their team score with a 315 total compared to a 341 at last year's region meet to move from seventh to runner-up.

Last year's top finisher, Alyzabeth Morgan, has been unable to compete due to a knee injury after last year's state tournament. Morgan and Polete both scored 83s at last year's region tournament.

"The absence of Alyzabeth has made the girls realize that if they wanted to make back-to-back years of playing at the state tournament, they all needed to fill the void," said Nedrich.

For the top three finishers, Lake Mary finished with the top two; junior Ryleigh Knaub at 65 and sophomore Meyher Khokhar at 67, with Buchholz senior Braydn Smith third at 68.

In 2022, Smith was Class 3A runner-up with Knaub 14th and Khokhar just a freshman but not on the Lake Mary state team.

The rest of the Fleming Island team had Chloe Blanc at 80, Shayla Abbas at 85 and Kathryn McNeil at 93.

At their district 3-3A tournament, Fleming Island won with a 329 score over Creekside's 345 and Mandarin's 350 for third. Oakleaf was sixth at 399 led by senior Hailey Evans.

Polete led the Fleming Island team at districts with a 77 with Hodge second finisher at 81. Blanc, Abbas and McNeill finished as 3-4-5 with scores of 84, 87 and 87.

Oakleaf's district score came from Evans at 87, junior Emma Farrar at 95, senior Emily Acosta at 99, senior Taylor Bing at 118 and senior Christen Wallace at 123.

In region 1-1A, with Keystone Heights fielding their entire team and St. Johns Country Day School junior Addy Vogt hoping for a second state trip, Vogt, at Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, finished fourth with a 75 (4-over par) tied with six golfers to get her state ticket. The Keystone Heights girls finished 10th. Winner Islay Benoit of Pensacola Catholic won with a 72 (even).