NEWBURGH, N.Y. — Four Kingston High golfers will compete in the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Boys Golf Championship on Tuesday, May 12, at The Powelton Club in Newburgh. It is the first step for golfers in their quest to qualify for the state tournament.
Senior Antonio Cecelia, juniors Austin Hand and Andre Miller, and freshman Jameson Beesmer have qualified for the OCIAA tournament based on their top six scores during the Tigers’ regular season.
The top 50 golfers in Section 9 will compete in the 18-hole tournament beginning at 10 a.m. at The Powelton Club, a Devereux Emmet-designed course. The Powelton Club, which was established in 1882, is one of the oldest golf and tennis clubs in the United States.
The top 29 golfers and ties at The Powelton Club will advance to the first round of the Section 9 Championship on Monday, May 18, at the West Point Golf Course. The top 20 and ties will advance to the final round of the 36-hole tournament on Wednesday, May 20, also at West Point.
The top nine finishers at the Section 9 tournament will qualify for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Boys Golf Championships, which will take place Saturday, June 6, through Monday, June 8, at the Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville, New York. Churchville is a suburb of Rochester in Monroe County.
Kingston’s last golfer to qualify for the state tournament was 2023 graduate Vlad Olenski, who advanced in 2022 and 2023.
Kingston boys golf coach Juan Weissenberg’s top two golfers so far this season have been Hand and Miller, both left-handed golfers.
Hand led the Tigers with a 2.7 average over par for his six qualifying scores. He finished with an average nine-hole score of 4.3 over par. Both those numbers are better than Olenski’s average score when he qualified for the states.
“Austin has made OCIAA every year since the ninth grade,” Weissenberg said. “Last year, he made the sectional tournament and just missed the second day by three strokes. He is confident and steady, so he should flourish at Powelton. This is what he’s worked for.”
Miller, whose six-round average was 5.5 strokes over par, qualified for the OCIAA tournament for the second year in a row. He advanced to the Section 9 tournament a year ago.
“He (Miller) was able to shave four strokes off his average (score) from last year, which is an awesome improvement,” Weissenberg said. “He is mentally one of my strongest players. He keeps his composure throughout a round and has been improving every day leading up to this.”
Weissenberg said Cecelia has rebounded to qualify for the OCIAA tournament this season after missing it for the first time in his varsity career his junior year. Cecelia’s average qualifying score was 6.2 strokes over par.
“He (Cecelia) hasn’t made it to sectionals yet, and this is going to be the year he does it,” Weissenberg said. “He has always been a kind and respectful player, and a player the coaches remember because he is so positive. I think he will have a lot of people rooting for him at the event.”
Beesmer, whose six-round qualifying rounds averaged 7.5 strokes over par, will be making his debut at the OCIAA tournament in his freshman campaign.
“This was one of his goals at the beginning of the year, and Jamo always works hard when he has a goal in mind,” Weissenberg said. “He is also an amazing runner, and that same relentless passion and never giving up is something he brings to golf. Powelton fits his game well since it is not too long, so he has a good chance to get through this event.”