Championship Matches Set at RI Junior Amateur
Championship matches are set at the Rhode Island Junior Amateur at Pawtucket Country Club.
In the girls final, defending champion Lily Dessel will face Hanley Correia.
The boys final features two Oxbridge Academy teammates squaring off – Joey Iaciofano and AJ Colonna.
Matches are scheduled to take place Friday morning at Pawtucket – weather permitting.
7:40 a.m. Girls Championship – Hanley Correia vs Lily Dessel
Both Dessel and Correia rolled through their semifinal matches on Thursday morning to advance to the championship.
Dessel beat her former Barrington teammate Claire McTaggart, while Correia cruised past former La Salle star Olivia Williams.
“It means a lot. I’ve been playing this tournament since I was probably ten years old so to make it this far, I don’t think I have made the finals before, so it really means a lot,” Correia told the media after the round.
Playing out of Ledgemont, Correia came into the tournament as a little bit of underdog, and now finds herself in the final.
“Just have fun. I made it this far and I’m proud of myself no matter what happens. Lily is a great player, great person and we are friends. I know we are going to have fun,” added Correia.
On the other side, Dessel will look to close out her junior golf career by defending her Junior Amateur title.
“I definitely want to go back to back. I didn’t make it to the finals until last year, so to win two straight would be solid,” said Dessel after the round.
Dessel is off to Holy Cross in the fall and will be hoping to take a trophy with her.
7:30 a.m. Boys Championship – Joey Iaciofano vs AJ Colonna
The boys final match features two of the star players of Oxbridge Academy down in Florida – Joey Iaciofano and AJ Colonna.
Just a few months ago, they helped Oxbridge to a Florida High School State Championship title, and now compete for the RI Junior Am title.
“I’m excited. I’ve known Joey for a long, long time, so we will see how it goes,” said Colonna in advance of Friday’s showdown.
Colonna beat former Moses Brown star Parker Kroll in 19 holes to advance to the finals.
Meanwhile, Iaciofano cruised past Noah Patel to reach the championship match.
“It definitely feels great to get there (to the finals), because the past two years I have lost in the first round,” said Iaciofano after his semifinal match.
Bragging rights are on the line in this match.