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BY JESSE SMITHEY
Earlier this week, the Christian Academy of Knoxville boys and Grace Christian girls snagged TSSAA state golf championships.
But what about teams in Division I-AA and Division II-AA, as Thursday was the opening round of their state tournaments in Sevierville?
Here’s where they all stand heading into Friday’s final round…
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DIVISION I-AA
Hardin Valley Academy junior Addisyn Newman and the Lady Hawks will be chasing championships on Friday.
Newman rallied from a 2-over start after three holes by carding three birdies en route to an opening-round, even-par 70 at Sevierville Golf Club’s Highlands Course.
Newman finished state runner-up in each of her first two high school seasons (2024, 2025) and was in second place Thursday at the end of Day One play.
She trailed Ooltewah sophomore Alli Troxel by three shots. Troxell eagled the par-5 first Thursday and raced to a front-nine, 4-under 33 before signing for a 67.
Newman and Troxell know each other well. They teamed up to win both the 2025 and 2026 Tennessee Women’s Four-Ball Championship in mid-August.
Dickson County junior Poppy Pewiitt, the 2025 Division I-AA individual girls champion, is four back of Troxell’s lead at 1-over 71.
Knoxville West’s Reese McMahan shot 77 and tied for 11th at the end of the first round.
Farragut’s Sophia Williams carded a 79 and was tied for 17th.
Ooltewah led the team competition on Thursday, posting a two-player total of 1-over 141. Clarksville (152), Page (154), HVA (155), Cookeville (157), Station Camp (158) and Dobyns-Bennett (161) remain within striking distance of the lead heading into Friday’s final round. Collierville rounded out the field at 186.
In Division I-AA boys’ play, Maryville sophomore Ray ReBell stayed close to the individual lead, overcoming a double-bogey on his second hole to ultimately shoot a 1-under 69 at the River Course — which was good enough to put him in a tie for fifth place.
Page senior Jake Eickhoff, a Nebraska commit, led after the first round, carding birdies on his final four holes Thursday to ascend to the top of the leaderboard with a 4-under 68.
Eickhoff’s teammate, Carson Jenkins, shot 2-under 70, to help the Patriots claim the first-round lead at 3-under 285.
Houston (299), Science Hill (307), and Lebanon (307) will try to apply pressure Friday and challenge for the team title. Bearden was in sixth place in the eight-team field after first-round play at 26-over 314. John Chapman led the Bulldogs with a 77.
Wil Huddleston of Maryville was the only other area player, besides ReBell, to finish in the top 25. Huddleston shot 76 to claim a tie for 23rd.
DIVISION II-AA
The Memphis University School boys’ golf team stormed to the top of the leaderboard Thursday on the River Course, posting a remarkable 9-under 279 mark. Charles Snider and Brantley Moore each carded rounds of 4-under 68 to pace MUS. Ensworth (289), Baylor (290), McCallie (294) and Christian Brothers (297) enter Friday’s final round in striking distance. Father Ryan rounded out the six-team field at 313.
Snider, Moore and Ensworth’s Carson Richards tied for the individual first-round lead.
Webb junior Colmore Sprouse shot 74 and was tied for 16th.
In Division II-AA girls, Knoxville Catholic sat in a tie for third with Ensworth after Day One, as Harpeth Hall (3-over 143) and Baylor (144) separated themselves from the pack. Catholic and Ensworth posted matching marks of 155. St. Mary’s (157) remained in the hunt while Hutchison landed in sixth at 176.
Catholic senior Teagan Walker led the Lady Irish with an opening-round, 6-over 76 on the Highlands Course. Her senior teammate, Linzy Johnson, overcame two double-bogeys to still break 80, signing for a 79.
Harpeth Hall freshman Olivia Jiang and Baylor senior Katie Tuder tied for the individual lead on Day one at 1-over 71.