Circle Christian Girls Hold Off FAU to Win FHSAA Class 1A Golf State Title
What’s the best way to prevent an eight-shot lead from slipping away on Day 2 of the FHSAA golf state finals? The answer: shoot even better than the first day.
After posting a 7-under-par 281 on Day 1 at the Las Colinas Course at Mission Inn Golf Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, the Circle Christian girls showed no signs of backing down. They improved their score by three strokes on Day 2, shooting a 278 for a two-day total of 559 (17 under par) to secure the title. Runner-up FAU finished with a total of 564, while Windermere Prep took third place with 571.
This victory marks the second Class 1A girls state championship for the Centurions, adding to their first title in 2013. Between these championships, Circle Christian has finished as runner-up four times, including last year. The win also continues a strong tradition, as it’s the 15th time in the last 16 years that an Orlando area private school has claimed the 1A girls title.
FAU came back strong on Day 2 with a round of 275 and got as close as two shots behind during the back nine, applying serious pressure on the Centurions.
“I wasn’t looking at the (iWanamaker) app for any score updates until later on the back nine,” said Circle Christian coach Allyson Kotes. “And I was like, ‘Wow, FAU is having a great day.’ They were definitely putting pressure on us.”
The golfer who rose to the challenge down the stretch was senior Bella Dovhey. Dovhey, the individual champion, shot a 4-under 68 on Day 2, including four birdies on the back nine. “Bella said she was going to turn it up and she did,” Kotes remarked.
Dovhey’s outstanding performance put her into a five-person tie for first place with Peyton Johnson of Florida High, Man (Cynthia) Yang of Montverde Academy, Valentina Guertin of FAU, and Windermere Prep’s Ava Zhang. In the playoff, Dovhey prevailed on the third hole to claim the individual title.
Zhang, a sophomore, tied for the lowest single round of the two-day tournament with a 67 on Day 2, earning her spot in the playoff. “She played an incredible round and I couldn’t be more proud of how she handled the pressure,” said Windermere Prep coach Michael Brunson.
The Boys Competition: Benjamin School Tops The First Academy
On the boys side, The First Academy (TFA) finished as runner-up to Benjamin School of Palm Beach County for the second time in three years, continuing a friendly rivalry despite the distance between the schools.
“The guys are friends with their team and we play in a lot of invites together,” said TFA coach Robin Rosado. “We have a wonderful relationship with them.”
Benjamin won with a two-day total score of 572 after shooting 284 on Saturday, while TFA finished with 577.
A key contributor for Benjamin was Charlie Woods, son of PGA legend Tiger Woods, who bounced back from a 74 on Day 1 to shoot a 68 on Day 2.
For TFA, senior Mingbo Jiang made a valiant effort to keep his team in contention, shooting a second straight 68 to clinch the boys individual title.
“He’s so steady as a player,” Rosado said of Jiang, who will be playing collegiate golf at the University of Southern California next year. “He doesn’t miss fairways and he didn’t miss a putt today. I knew he would do everything he could for the team.”
Jiang becomes the third individual champion for TFA in eight years, joining John Dubois (2018) and Mohit Balaji (2020).
Last year’s individual medalist, Luke Gossett of Circle Christian, finished third with a two-day total of 140. Windermere Prep’s Chase Bauer and Montverde’s Byungchan Yoon tied for fourth place with 142.
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*Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].*
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/16/bella-dovhey-69-68-leads-circle-christians-fhsaa-1a-golf-state-champs/
