Junior golf phenom Ben Lathrop dominated the first two days of the Class 4A State golf tournament and cruised into the clubhouse at Dornick Hills in Ardmore to capture the individual State Championship by 9 strokes. He carded a 54-hole total of 209 (-1), comprised of a 69 for round one, a course tournament record 64 for round two, and a 76 on the final round.

Earlier this season, Lathrop set a new school record and competitive course record with a 62 (-8) at Kingfisher; the record previous record of 63 in 2019 was held by William McDonald '19, now a starter for the Cincinatti Bearcats. Lathrop placed first in four regular season tournaments and captured the individual Regional Championship this season as well.

As a team, the Chargers finished the State Tournament in fourth (924) place behind Oklahoma Christian (896), Cascia Hall (913), and Plainview (918). Freshman Everett Strickland placed 12th (228, +18) to cap off a stellar first season for The Hall. Experienced sophomore Nate Seres continued to improve this season, placing 27th (239, +29). Rounding out the Chargers team card were junior Brody Henderson (261) and sophomore Sean Boyd (264).

Days after winning the State tournament, Lathrop announced his commitment to Oklahoma State University in an Instagram post. With the future Cowboy returning to lead an even more experienced group of Charger golfers next year, expect the team to be a favorite to win the program's 15th title.

Written by Luke Steelman '93
Photos by Tina Walker