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Cy Storlien

Sunlake golfer among local standouts at states

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Nearly two dozen high school golfers, boys and girls, from The Laker/Lutz News Coverage area competed in the 2017 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state tournament, which ran Oct. 31 to Nov. 8

Sunlake High’s Jordan Sarhaddi was one of the standouts.

Sunlake High junior Jordan Sarhaddi tied for 16th at the FHSAA 2A boys state golf meet, held Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 at El Campeon Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Orlando. (File)

The junior tied for 16th in the 2A boys meet, shooting a +13 (75-82—157) at El Campeon Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Orlando.

Only two other golfers from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area secured top 20 finishes: Freedom High senior Cy Storlien, who tied for 14th in the boys 3A tournament, and Freedom High junior Helena Noel, who tied for 17th in the girls 3A tournament. Both were individual qualifiers.

Sarhaddi’s strong showing at states is no surprise.

He took first place at districts and runner-up at regionals — firing 69 at both meets.

The state tournament, however, presented unique challenges.

There were elevation changes of more than 80 feet, cumbersome wind conditions and fast, complex greens.

Simply, the course “exposes every part of your game,” Sarhaddi said.

“The course was playing real difficult. There are not many low scores out there,” said Sarhaddi.

“I feel like I played better than my score showed both days, but it’s a tough golf course,” he said.

Sarhaddi last reached states as a freshman in 2015, where he finished 30th after shooting +30 over par.

Scores aside, Sarhaddi savored the chance to test his skill set and compete alongside his Sunlake teammates at the state meet.

The Seahawks finished 12th out of 16 teams in 2A.

“It’s definitely fun whenever you get to go with the guys who you’ve spent the entire season with and have practiced with them. You set your goals at the beginning of the season and this is what we wanted — we wanted to make it to states,” Sarhaddi said.

“We made it a lot of fun. It’s a great group of guys that we have, and they’re all fun to be around,” he added.

The state meet caps off what’s been a breakout campaign for Sarhaddi in 2017.

The Land O’ Lakes resident currently ranks fourth on the Premier Junior Golf Tour in the boys 16-18 division, with first place finishes at the St. Petersburg Country Club Junior Championship in May and the Crescent Oaks Junior Open in February.

He also ranks 13th on the Florida Junior Tour in the boys 16-18 division, earning several top 20 finishes at sanctioned tournaments over the summer.

Those performances have since caught the eye of Division I college programs, including the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.

Sarhaddi, meanwhile, is gearing up for another busy offseason and a daily practice schedule that consists of countless hours of swing drills and short game work.

“I’m definitely going to stick with it. I’m going to keep the practice schedule going everyday and just really try to better myself — work harder with the practice, do everything I can to take care of my body and my golf swing,” Sarhaddi said.

“In the summer, I’ll try to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur. I really had a great summer this past summer, so I’m just really going to try to build on it and work up for the bigger tournaments coming up.”

Besides Sunlake, other local schools represented at states included Pasco High School (boys), Steinbrenner High School (girls) and Zephyrhills High School (girls). Wiregrass Ranch High freshman Norah Catlin was an individual qualifier in the 3A girls meet.

Additional Q&A with Sunlake’s Jordan Sarhaddi

On favorite moment from this past season:
“Regionals was probably the best that I shot, just because that even though I shot a 69, I started off much worse there, and I had to really fight back. I think I was 3 over par through six holes, and I really fought back. That was probably the best 69 I’ve ever shot as far as how I was playing because I really wasn’t playing that great, but I was able to scratch and claw, and make a few birdies coming in. …That was probably the best one because the stakes were the highest, too. We needed a good score to actually make it to states, which has been the goal the entire year.”

On his biggest golf strength:
“My short game has really been good for me the past three or four years because I’ve learned to salvage good rounds out of not playing so well— not hitting the ball as well as I know I can— but still being able to grind out pars and shoot decent scores, knowing I can rely on my short game even though I’m not hitting it great. I just know my own game. That’s one of my strengths as well, just knowing my own game and knowing how to almost outplay my competitors.  Even when I’m not hitting as well as they are, I know when the right moments are to come up clutch with a par save or something. That’s where I’ve really leaned on my short game, and I work on that really hard because it’s saved me many times, and it will continue to do so probably in the future.”

On what he’s looking to improve:
“I haven’t always been the most consistent ball striker as far as getting it to the green. Usually my iron play is a bit off, which exactly what was off at states, which is why I struggled in the last round.”

On which pro golfer he idolizes:
“My favorite ever is Tiger Woods. He’s always been the grinder, and he’s always known how to win and to close out tournaments. That’s the kind of player I try to be. I don’t think there’s anyone that I try to model my game after, but he’s definitely someone I look up to as far as what I’d like to be and what I’d like to do, if I do end up making it pro. That’s someone to really follow as a role model for what he’s done on the golf course.”

2017 FHSAA state golf meet results

Class 3A
Boys

Individual qualifier
Cy Storlien, senior, Freedom High School (Tied 14th) 71-81—152

Girls

Individual qualifier (s)
Helena Noel, junior, Freedom High School (Tied 17th) 77-74—151
Norah Catlin, freshman, Wiregrass Ranch (Tied 26th) 81-74—155

Steinbrenner Warriors—8th place 328-337—665
Anna Jansen, senior (Tied 39th) 77-84—161
Alexis Castillo, sophomore (Tied 48th) 79-88—167
Posie Farrelly, freshman (Tied 52nd) 88-80—168
Lindsey Kolano, senior (58th) 85-86—171
Mckenzie Kane, freshman (Tied 62nd) 87-87—174

Class 2A
Boys

Sunlake Seahawks—12th place (349-365—714)
Jordan Sarhaddi, junior (Tied 16th) 75-82–157
Damian Rhule, senior (Tied 38th) 83-82–165
Max Barile, freshman (Tied 54th) 81-91–172
Drew Taylor, senior (91st) 110-122–232
Colton Billet, sophomore (93rd) 126-110–236

Pasco High School—15th place (361-383—744)
Gabriel Fleck, senior (Tied 62nd) 89-87–176
Cole Darbyshire, junior (66th) 84-94—178
Christian Nieves, junior (Tied 80th) 90-101—191
Cade Darbyshire, senior (Tied 85th) 98-101—199
TJ Floberg, freshman (92nd) 117-117—234

Girls

Zephyrhills Bulldogs—16th place (438-437—875)
Emillie Alderman, junior (51st): 89-94–183
Hannah Sullivan, junior (76th): 111-107–218
Sydney Baldus, junior (87th): 117-118–235
Kenzi Ennis, senior (Tied 89th): 121-118–239
Ashley Regan, junior (95th): 143-122–265

Published November 8, 2017

Freedom golf reaches 3A state tourney

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For the second time in school history, the Freedom High varsity boys golf team has reached the state tournament.

Collectively strong postseason performances were enough to earn an FHSAA 3A tournament berth, the program’s first since 2013.

The Patriots captured their fourth consecutive district title on Oct. 10, and followed up with a second-place regional finish on Oct. 17 at Lansbrook Golf Club in Palm Harbor.

The Freedom High School varsity boys golf team reached states for the second time in school history. From left: Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, coach Michael Passarelli, Tyler Bray, Sam Smith and Cooper Smith. (Courtesy of Freedom High School)
The Freedom High School varsity boys golf team reached states for the second time in school history. From left: Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, coach Michael Passarelli, Tyler Bray, Sam Smith and Cooper Smith.
(Courtesy of Freedom High School)

“It’s a pretty big achievement,” said Nick Mitchell, one of the team’s three seniors. “We’re really glad we achieved the goal that we set last year, knowing that we had a really high-caliber team for this year.

“We’ve definitely gotten more comfortable during the season,” he added.

Fellow senior Tyler Bray—the lone holdover from the 2013 state team — believes that this 2016 squad will have an improved showing over the team three years ago, when the the Patriots finished last (out of 16 teams) at the two-day, 36-hole tournament.

“This year, we’ve had some really good players, and I feel like this team is better than that team,” Bray said.

Michael Passarelli, Freedom’s golf coach, said the group’s success lies in its consistency since August.

“They’ve been playing well all year,” Passarelli said. “What we’ve finally done at the end of the year is we kind of put it (all) together.

“They’ve improved, and they’ve stayed within themselves.”

The 3A state tournament, which runs through Oct. 26, is played at the El Campeon Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Orlando.

The highly regarded course, which features elevation changes of more than 85 feet, often proves challenging for even elite golfers.

The course, Passarelli said, differs from others the team has played this season.

“The thing that separates it from what we play is the elevation difference,” he said. “You’re shooting uphill, you’re shooting downhill, and the greens are tough and fast. There are really no courses around (Tampa Bay) that we have played that come anything close to what you see there.”

He added: “You can’t have a specific strategy when some guys are hitting 50, 60 or 70 yards longer than others. It’s going to be very different for some of these kids.”

Mitchell, who played the course over the summer, noted El Campeon has a “pretty tough layout.”

“It’s pretty high-rated, a very positional course,” Mitchell said. “Distance and short game are definitely key.”

Trying to “not shoot to a number” is also crucial, Passarelli said.

“That’s the biggest thing that we worked on,” he said. “It’s just hit your next shot and that’s it.

“We looked at the scores from all the regional contenders, and they know they can play with any of them. But, you can’t control what the other guys do.”

Perhaps most important is enjoying the overall experience.

“It’s about having fun. That’s seriously a big part of this as well,” said Passarelli. “Last time we went (to states), we kind of got beat up.”

He added: “If they’re relaxed, they’ll play well.”

Freedom boys golf roster:
Tyler Bray, senior (4-year letterman, 2014 District 3A-10 champion, 2015 District runner-up)
Nick Mitchell, senior (3-year letterman)
Cooper Smith, freshman
Sam Smith, senior (2-year letterman)
Cy Storlien, junior (3-year letterman, 2015 District 3A-10 champion, 2016 District 3A-10 champion)

District results at Hunter’s Green Golf & Country Club
Freedom Patriots team score: 309 (first place)
Individual scores:
Cy Storlien-73
Tyler Bray-77
Cooper Smith-77
Sam Smith-82
Nick Mitchell-83

Regional results at Lansbrook Golf Club in Palm Harbor
Freedom Patriots team score: 313 (second place)
Individual scores:
Cy Storlien-73
Cooper Smith-77
Tyler Bray-82
Nick Mitchell-81
Sam Smith-83

Other locals: Gaither freshman Tyler Wilkes is competing in the 3A state golf tournament as an individual. Wilkes won the Class 3A, Region 4 tournament on Oct. 17, shooting a 72.  Wesley Chapel High’s Ben Wolfman (senior) and Sunlake High’s Travis Wells (senior) will compete in the Class 2A state golf tournament on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Published October 26, 2016

Freedom golf seeks a fourth district crown

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The expectations are high once again for the Freedom High School boys golf team, as it enters the 2016 campaign seeking its fourth consecutive Class 3A-District 10 title.

If it pulls off the noteworthy feat, it would Freedom’s first sports team to win four consecutive district championships.

Armed with the district’s past two individual medalists in senior Tyler Bray and junior Cy Storlien, plus a superbly talented freshman in Cooper Smith, the Patriots appear to have a solid nucleus with their season kickoff against Wharton scheduled on Aug. 23.

The Freedom Boys golf team is seeking their fourth consecutive district title. From left, Cooper Smith, Matt Daniello, Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, Tyler Bray and Sam Smith. (Courtesy of Chris Bray)
The Freedom Boys golf team is seeking their fourth consecutive district title. From left, Cooper Smith, Matt Daniello, Cy Storlien, Nick Mitchell, Tyler Bray and Sam Smith.
(Courtesy of Chris Bray)

Bray, expected to consistently be one of Patriots top one or two scorers, said this year’s squad has a similar profile to the one that reached the state tournament in 2013 — when he was a freshman.

“The last two years, we’ve kind of just been like one guy short, but I feel like we’re a lot stronger this year, for sure,” the senior said. “We have a new freshman on the team, Cooper Smith — he’s going to really help us out.”

He added: “We’re definitely focused on districts and regionals, and hopefully we’ll make it to states again.”

Michael Passarelli, Freedom’s golf coach, said this year’s group “absolutely” has the potential to not only win districts, but also make a solid showing at regionals, and possibly advance to states in late October.

“We’ve got a couple of really, really good golfers,” Passarelli said. “The goal is definitely there.”

The work ethic and commitment to reach those goals is, too.

“They’ve got a club in their hands at all times,” Passarelli said. “These guys practice every aspect — they hit a ton of balls, they chip and putt a thousand balls, they play all the time.

“They work unbelievably hard.”

Perhaps one concern heading into the season is the team’s depth, or lack thereof. As opposed to a roster that goes nine or 10 deep, the Patriots will need quality play from the likes of seniors Nick Mitchell and Sam Smith, if they plan on making a deep postseason run.

“The two guys behind our top three are the ones that need to step up and be consistent, solid contributors,” Passarelli said. “If those two guys can play the way they are capable of, then we have a real shot.

“Those ‘No. 4’ and ‘No. 5’ guys know that at least one of them has got to score for us.”

With just six players on the varsity roster, Passarelli said the main key is ensuring everyone’s “mental approach is sound” throughout the course of the season.

“They all just need to make sure they play within themselves, and their expectations are real,” Passarelli said. “It’s just a matter of understanding of how to deal with things if a certain aspect of the game is not there on a given day.

“When you’re as talented as some of these kids are — the game is there, every single shot in the bag is there — it’s just about being able to manage a round of golf from a mental standpoint to make sure that mistakes remain one mistake, and not two or three.”

Freedom golf coach Michael Passarelli
On freshman Cooper Smith: “He gets the ball out there for a little guy, but what makes him so dang good is his short game is ridiculous — you get that kid around the green and he has a chance to make anything happen.”
On senior Tyler Bray:  “Tyler is the only one that’s been here for four years (as a letterman.) He’s pretty much the leader of this team.”
On senior Nick Mitchell: “This kid has worked so hard. He’s come such an unbelievably long way — it’s really crazy to think about where he was two years ago and where he is right now because he’s a heck of a golfer. …He’s going to be one of the guys that we’re going to count on, and he knows it.”

Class 3A-District 10
Freedom High
Hillsborough High
Leto High
Tampa Bay Tech
Wharton High
Wiregrass Ranch High

Freedom boys golf roster:
Tyler Bray, senior (4-year Letterman, 2014 District 3A-10 champion, 2015 District runner-up)
Matt Daniello, junior (2-year letterman)
Nick Mitchell, senior (3-year letterman)
Cooper Smith, freshman (projected starter)
Sam Smith, senior (2-year letterman)
Cy Storlien, junior (3-year letterman, 2015 District 3A-10 champion)

Published August 24, 2016