LaGRANGE, Ohio -- Rocky River competed in sectional tournament play on Tuesday. The Pirates took seventh place, missing the four-team cut for advancing in the DI Buckeye State postseason. [results]

Rocky River fired a four-man score of 337 in placing seventh in a field of 17 teams. That score missed out on a top-4 by seven strokes, but two Pirates will move forward to district tournament play as at-large qualifiers. Sophomores Luke Dietrich and Nick Tianello each carded 6-over 78s over the 6,687-yard, par-72 grounds of Grey Hawk Golf Club. They represent half of a quartet of at-large berths earned on Tuesday.

Junior Owen Toole (89) and senior Robby Lang (92) finished as River's No. 3 and No. 4 on the team score sheet.

Amherst Steele (317), Westlake (323), Strongsville (327), and Avon (330) were the four teams qualifying at Grey Hawk. Strongsville's Dean Upholzer was the tournament medalist. Upholzer carded a 35-36--71 to finish 1-under par.

Dietrich and Tianello will move on to a Northeast district tournament Monday at Pine Hills Golf Club in Hinckley, Ohio. Both will be making their second district appearance.


CANNON FIRE ...

DYNAMIC DUO: Luke Dietrich and Nick Tianello went into Tuesday's tournament as Rocky River's top two scorers, Dietrich averaging an 80.6 and Tianello averaging 81.8. Both earned First Team All-Great Lakes Conference status with their in-conference averages.

DUO PART II: Tianello has posted a 78.6 average over the team's last six events. ... Dietrich's best score of the season thus far -- 74 -- was carded at Pine Hills on Aug. 5.


by Skip Snow

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