VASSALBORO — Tournament experience. Keeping calm under pressure. Overcoming adverse conditions.

Thornton Academy, Cape Elizabeth and Mattanawcook Academy used all those qualities to take home elusive state golf titles Saturday on a cold and windy day at Natanis Golf Course.

Thornton dominated Class A, winning its first state championship since 2009. Cape Elizabeth finally got over the hump after two years of close calls, winning its first Class B title since 2007. And Mattanawcook won its first Class C championship.

Thornton’s top four of Hashilla Rivai, Greg Kalagais, Logan Picard and Jordan LaPlume all shot 80 or better to finish with a team total of 310 on the Tomahawk course, 14 strokes in front of Cheverus. Scarborough (326), Messalonskee (330) and Greely (334) rounded out the top five.

“Throughout the year, we’ve been very consistent. Our scores have been good all year,” Thornton Coach Jeff Camire said.

“We felt we were the best team coming into the tournament because we knew we had a lot of tournament experience from some of the junior tournaments. I thought the kids were ready. They were relaxed. Four of the five are seniors, and the experience alone really made the difference, I think.”

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“No one really played lights out. We just got it done,” Kalagais said. “We all had decent scores and got the job done.”

Rivai, the 2014 girls’ state champion, shot an even-par 72, the low score of the day.

“She’s an elite player,” Camire said. “If you watch her enough, you can just see that she plays at a different level. It doesn’t matter who she’s playing with.”

Cape Elizabeth has only one senior but still boasts plenty of tournament experience. Low-scorer Austin Legge (78) and Lauren Schonewolf (82) each won Maine Junior titles (age 15-17) in August.

“We’ve come in runner-up for the past two seasons, so we really wanted it this year,” said Schonewolf, a junior. “We knew we had a better chance. It was definitely an amazing feeling.”

“It means a lot,” said team captain Bryce Hewitt, the Capers’ lone senior. “It took me four years to get here. It means a lot.”

The Capers capped their unbeaten season with a team total of 322, 12 strokes ahead of Old Town.

Golfers encountered wind gusts approaching 30 mph and temperatures in the upper-40s when they teed off at 10 a.m.

“We get to the first tee, and the wind chill makes it like 35 degrees,” Schonewolf said. “You try swinging your club and your entire body is so tight. You just had to warm up. I think a lot of people had a pretty tough start.”


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