During a two-day stretch in which many struggled mightily against the elements, Nansemond River High School senior No. 1 golfer Griffin Genier fulfilled a goal held throughout his high school career. He was named medalist for having the top individual score at the VHSL Division 4A South Regional Championship and qualified for states on Tuesday at Sleepy Hole Golf Course.

He was the lone Suffolk state qualifier out of the 11 competing from the three public high schools.

“I feel really good,” he said after the tournament. “I had come up short my freshman, sophomore and junior year from making it to states.” After persevering through those years of disappointment, he said, “It made it a lot better to win it this year.”

Nansemond River head coach Craig Stephenson said he had expectations for Genier to come up big in the tourney but knew there would be strong competition, particularly from Jamestown High School, which won the event as a team.

“For him to come out with the win, with the medalist (honor), is full circle with all the hard work and time he’s put in,” Stephenson said.

Genier won by six strokes, shooting a two-over 74 during the first round on Monday and a 77 on Tuesday, but what makes the scores doubly impressive were the circumstances in which he delivered them. Heavy wind pushed almost every golfer off their “A” games on both days, but not Genier.

“Beyond just the wind, the head pro at Sleepy Hole had the course set up probably more difficult than we’ve ever seen it,” Stephenson said. “I think it just makes the two rounds more impressive.”

“Those two scores that I put up were pretty good scores to begin with, and that fact that it was so tough out there makes it a lot better,” Genier said.

As a team, Nansemond River struggled, coming in fourth, 25 strokes behind Jamestown. The top two teams qualified for states, the other being Powhatan High School.

Those teams aside, the top six remaining individual finishers also qualified. Genier’s teammate, Bryce Strong, fell four strokes shy of the mark, shooting rounds of 88 and 80, coming in 17th overall.

Stephenson said the team played its worst round of the season on Monday. On Tuesday, he said, “We came back today and played a lot better than yesterday considering the conditions. Obviously, we were expecting to be one of those top two, but we also understand that we were playing against better competition.”

King’s Fork High School senior Griffen Saylor shot rounds of 93 and said he did not feel the best about the tournament, his first appearance at the regional level. He cited the wind and the greens being faster than expected as things holding him back.

Will Crow, also of King’s Fork, shot rounds of 95 and 101.

“They didn’t play their best today and yesterday,” Bulldogs head coach Calvin Mitchell said. The wind again was the culprit, and they were unable to keep the ball down to avoid its influence.

Lakeland High School fielded three golfers: Blake Harris had a two-day score of 203, Dalton Huffman shot a 209 and Jack Boswell shot a 239.

Harris said they could have done a lot better, but added, “we’re really proud to have made it here.”

Cavaliers head coach Stephen Watkins expressed optimism for the future, saying he would have some players returning. He even had a goal already in mind: “Push Nansemond River.”

At Lakeland, Harris said, “I think it’s going to be the beginning of something good with golf.”

The qualifier for the girls’ state tournament will take place in two weeks and will feature more than one Suffolk golfer.

Genier will play in the boys’ Virginia High School League state championships on Oct. 14 and 15 in Harrisonburg.