The REPORTER
Jacob Modleski won another big championship on Friday.
Just a couple weeks after helping Guerin Catholic defend its IHSAA state championship, the Noblesville golfer and soon-to-be Notre Dame freshman won the Boys State Junior Championship, which finished up play Friday at Purdue University’s Kampen-Cosler Course.
Modleski won an all-Hamilton County championship, beating Westfield’s Alec Cesare 3&2 in the match play championship. Cesare opened up play with a birdie and held a 1 up lead through the first four holes. Modleski evened the match on the fifth hole, then won four straight holes (Nos. 7 through 10) to take a 4 up lead. Cesare came back to within 1 up on the 14th hole, but Modleski won the last two holes to clinch the match.
Both Modleski and Cesare, who will play this fall at Ball State University, had to finish quarterfinal matches first before advancing to an all-county semifinal lineup. Modleski beat Bloomington’s Nick Bellush 3&2, while Cesare defeated Middlebury’s Silas Haarer 1 up.
In the semifinals, Modleski beat Carmel’s Jackson McCullough 6&5, making two late birdies before getting a par on the 13th hole to clinch that match. Cesare defeated his Westfield teammate Will Harvey 3&2, draining a birdie on the 16th hole.