FRA girls to challenge for Division II-A state golf title

The first of three weeks of TSSAA state golf tournaments tee off Monday at Manchester’s WillowBrook Golf Club with the opening day of the 36-hole Division II-A and Division II-AA tourneys.

Here is a look at who to watch in the Division II tournaments.

The favorites

Franklin Road Academy sophomore Angelina Chan captured the Division II-A state golf championship in 2015.

FRA sophomore Angelina Chan is back to defend her DII-A individual title. Runner-up Hannah Powell, a senior from St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, also returns.
FRA’s girls had the best state tournament qualifying score (151) — 15 strokes better than any other state squad. Knoxville Webb is the only qualifier of the six that wasn’t in the state last season.
In DII-A, the top three individual boys from last season — St. George’s Davis Irving (champion), USJ’s Ryan Davis and St. George’s Winston Maragritis — return.
Father Ryan’s Nick Wolf is the top returning golfer among the DII-AA boys field, having placed fourth last season.
Baylor returns to defend its boys title in DII-AA, though Memphis University School posted the top qualifying score (280). Only 14 strokes separated the six teams last year.
St. Agnes is the favorite to three-peat in DII-AA girls, returning defending champion Abby Heck and runner-up Rachel Heck.

Sleepers

The three boys teams from the DII-A West Region had the top qualifying scores — University School of Jackson (292), St. George’s (295) and Evangelical Christian (303). Battle Ground Academy is the lone state qualifier that wasn’t in the field last season.

Franklin Road Academy sophomore Josh Holtschlag placed ninth in the Division II-A State Tournament last season.

FRA’s Josh Holtschlag shot 71 to claim DII-A East/Middle Region Tournament medalist honors after placing ninth at state last season.
Brentwood Academy’s Alex Cobb (68) — the DII-AA East/Middle Region Tournament medalist — and Montgomery Bell Academy’s Cal Rieke (69) posted top qualifying rounds.

Reach Craig Harris at 615-259-8238 and on Twitter @CHTennessean.