"That's what you get from Ralphie," said BBA senior Kieran Halligan.
And what the well-worn track gave this time was a repeat. Defending champion Champlain Valley Union slogged its way to a 331 total - exactly what it shot last year and one stroke better than heavily favored Rutland - to claim the Division I crown.
Spaulding freshman Troy Evans survived the conditions, which included an extra 370 yards with competitors directed to the back tees, to take medalist honors with a 77.
Jack Tomashot, last year's medalist, paced the champs with a 79. After posting four rounds in the 70s to win the southern sectional, Rutland (332) only got 79s from Max Major and Drake Hull to finish runner-up.
"It was a rough day for the kids but everyone had to play in it," BBA coach Jeff Houghton said. "I'm surprised CVU upset Rutland. But, you think about it, that's high school sports."
Burr and Burton (347) ended up fourth in the six-team field. Mount Anthony senior Jack Ralbovsky, playing as an individual after his first-place 72 at the southern qualifier, carded an 83.
"Oh, boy, it was soaked, so that was tough. This course just gets you, I guess," Ralbovsky said. "The course was different
High school players normally tee off at the middle set of markers, but tournament officials decided to employ the back tees.
Halligan steered himself to one of the six sub-80 rounds of the day, an 8-over 79. He rebounded from a 42 on the front nine - and back-to-back double bogeys at Nos. 6 and 7 - with a 1-over 37 on the back.
"I just got unlucky more" on the front, Halligan said. "I was playing pretty good golf and trying to manage the course the best I could but got a little unlucky."
"I'm happy for Kieran, that's good for him. That was a great 79," Houghton said.
Halligan kick-started the turnaround in spectacular fashion, dunking his approach shot for an eagle on the par-4 10th hole. The field only produced two eagles.
"I hit it well, right at the pin, and I thought it went over the green because I never saw it," said Halligan. "I looked for it behind the green and someone suggested looking in the cup and it was there."
Freshman Joey Shehadi carded BBA's second-best score with an 88. Becker (89) and freshman Hunter Caler (91) completed the team total.
"The conditions are tough. You've got to use your course management really well and if you don't that's what gets you in trouble," Shehadi said.
Ralbovsky's day was hampered by a pair of triple bogeys, one at No. 3 and the other at the notorious par-5 11th. He closed 1-under over his final four holes after dropping a 20-foot putt for birdie on No. 16.
"The first [triple bogey] kind of got me discouraged, then I started playing bad, trying to get it all back," Ralbovsky said. "Then the second one, I started not caring and playing better because I was more relaxed."
Spaulding (338) nabbed third place. St. Johnsbury (365) was fifth, followed by Mount Mansfield (374).
According to the tournament officials, the average score for Division I was 91.2. The par-4, 378-yard 15th hole turned out to be the day's toughest with a 5.8 stroke average; at 532 yards, No. 11 was second-toughest at 6.49.
The top 10 scores across all three divisions qualify for the New England Championship on June 18 at Brentwood Golf Course (N.H.).
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