{"id":260945,"date":"2025-10-30T14:44:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T14:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/260945\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T14:44:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T14:44:19","slug":"canton-wins-first-division-2-golf-state-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/260945\/","title":{"rendered":"Canton wins first Division 2 golf state championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

WILLIAMSTOWN \u2014 With one hole remaining at the MIAA Division 2 state golf championship and the team title hanging in the balance, Canton freshman Chase Thomas took a quick glimpse at the leaderboard. <\/p>\n

He saw Canton in second place, trailing Tantasqua by one stroke. Five other teams were within two strokes of them. <\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing that, I was just like, \u2018Alright, here we go,\u2019 \u201d Thomas said. \u201cThat\u2019s when it all felt surreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the weight of the moment sunk in, Thomas reset himself from a bogey on the 17th to notch a par on No. 18, a 510-yard par 5. Just down the Taconic course, teammate Mason Wachtendonk similarly responded from three consecutive bogeys to par his final hole, a 221-yard par 3.<\/p>\n

The clutch finishes from Thomas (5-over-par 76) and Wachtendonk (79) helped the Bulldogs (324) fend off a crowded field to capture the program\u2019s first state title.<\/p>\n

Masconomet and Nauset (327) tied for second, with the Chieftains claiming the runner-up trophy due to a higher fifth-place finisher, Cooper Wassung (89). Tantasqua (240) fell back to finish tied for fifth, though senior Sam Pieczynski (72) captured the individual medal by a stroke over Foxborough\u2019s Zac Georgantas and Wayland\u2019s Cooper Stowell.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything just clicked for us and came together this year,\u201d said Canton coach Mike Barucci. \u201cThe [team leaderboard] was going back and forth all day, so no one was ever going to be comfortable. But they played good golf at the end, and it was just enough to win.\u201d <\/p>\n

The event was supposed to be held Oct. 20 in Foxborough, but was postponed due to rain and rescheduled eight days later at Taconic \u2014 a scenic course nestled in the Berkshire mountains, adjacent to Williams College. <\/p>\n

The course featured challenging greens and windy conditions, and Canton needed strong finishes to hold on. The Bulldogs\u2019 other scoring results came from senior Teddy Shuman (84) and sophomore Harrison Weitz (85), which tied them for 38th and 47th, respectively. <\/p>\n

The victory was the culmination of a red-hot six weeks for Canton, which started 2-3 before finishing the regular season on a nine-game win streak and capturing the Division 2 North sectional by 12 strokes<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe state title was maybe a thought during the summer, but it just felt so far away,\u201d said Wachtendonk. \u201cOnce we got some steam towards the end of the season, I think we all felt confident and like we had a chance, just no one wanted to say it then. But now, we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"IndividualIndividual medalist Sam Pieczynski of Tantasqua poses with tournament director Joel Jenkins after winning the Division 2 crown.Matty Wasserman<\/p>\n

Much like the team competition, Pieczynski (72) had an up-and-down round before securing the individual crown with a strong finish.<\/p>\n

Pieczynski\u2019s roller coaster day was exemplified by a three-hole stretch on holes 10, 11, and 12 \u2014 where he eagled a par-5, bogeyed a par-4, and then triple-bogeyed a par-4. He responded by netting an even par across his final six holes. <\/p>\n

\u201cI knew going in that this course was playing tough, and there were going to be big numbers everywhere,\u201d Pieczynski said. \u201cIt was tough after 12. I was just trying to find my rhythm again, keeping hitting good shots, which I was fortunate enough to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matty Wasserman can be reached at matty.wasserman@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @Matty_Wasserman<\/a>.<\/p>\n