Dave Shilanskas called the victory “four years in the making.” The veteran Brick Memorial golf coach remembers how disappointed freshman Peter Tadrick was when he carded a 113 at the sectional championships four years ago. This time, as a senior and returning to the same RiverWinds Golf Club on a windy, overcast day in West Deptford, Tadrick departed as the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 individual champion, shooting a 3-over 75 for a one-stroke win over Mainland teammates P.J. Foley and Daniel Herzchel. Tadrick birdied his finishing hole, the par 5, 456-yard fourth hole to pull into a tie with another Mainland golfer, Keller Tannehill, atop the leaderboard. But when Tannehill closed with a double bogey on the par 4 fifth hole, it gave Tadrick the championship on the par 72, 6,544-yard layout. Led by Foley, Herzchel and Tannehill, Mainland defended its team title with a 15-stroke margin of victory over runner-up Shawnee (308-323). “Everything was just working right for me today,” said Tadrick, who had three birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey on his card. “I had a few good ups and downs for par that really helped put this round together. I was just hoping for top 10 and I just kind of surprised myself today.” Anyone who witnessed Tadrick’s struggles at RiverWinds four years ago couldn’t have predicted this. “After his freshman year, he almost wanted to quit,” Shilanskas said. “He was very frustrated, but he looked the part (of a golfer) and he just needed confidence and just needed experience… After that, he started caddying at Hollywood Golf Club (in Ocean Township) and maybe that sparked him a little bit. He just kept working at it and when he came back as a sophomore, he was a different player. Same thing as a junior, and this year he was so motivated.” Shilanskas monitored Tadrick’s performance by checking the leaderboard on his phone and knew he had par 5’s on two of his last four holes, so the coach knew he had a chance to move up the board. Tadrick delivered with a birdie on the 520-yard first hole and, after parring the next two holes, closing with another on No. 4 to close at +3 on the day. “I thought my drive wasn’t that great – I pushed it a little right – but I still ended up in the fairway,” Tadrick said. “I hit my iron short so I knew I had to get up and down for a chance to win. My birdie putt was about 20 feet left to right and it just dropped in.” After that, it was just a matter of waiting to see if his clubhouse lead would stand. “It was tough walking in and constantly refreshing the leaderboard to see what was going to happen at the end,” he said. “This was pretty exciting for me.” As a team, the Mustangs finished 16th – last among the teams in the sectional field – and their four other golfers all shot a 100 or higher. But each of Tadrick’s younger teammates shot better than he did at RiverWinds as a freshman. “I try to motivate them – I told them I shot a 113, so they have plenty of time to improve,” he laughed. “When I saw him on top (of the leaderboard), it was an amazing feeling,” Shilanskas said. “He’s great with the other guys. He’s like another coach out there. He works with them non-stop. It’s so great to see what he accomplished today.” Mainland continued its magical season with its second straight team title. The Mustangs, ranked fourth in the NJ.com Top 20, are 20-1 overall with 19 straight victories. They recently won the prestigious Carl Arena Memorial Tournament. They put four golfers in the top eight at RiverWinds. In addition to Foley (who took second on a match of cards) and Herzchel, who both shot a 76, Tannehill joined A.J. Bookman of Colts Neck with a 77, and Patrick Hiltner shot a 79 to tie for eighth, rounding out the team score. Senior Luke Tappeiner shot an 81. Foley finished in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard a year ago but lost in a playoff to Shawnee’s Trevor Sieben. Finishing behind Mainland and Shawnee were Hammonton (327), Clearview (332) and Moorestown (334) in the top five. Mainland and Shawnee advance to the state group championships, which will be held at Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater on May 12. Tadrick and Bookman also advanced as individuals. “We’ve had a nice run this season and it’s a testament to the kids and the work they put in day in and day out,” said Mainland coach Andres’ Clements. “I’m very proud of them and the next step is to try to become Group 3 state champions.” A year ago, the Mustangs were the state runner-up in Group 3, losing to Millburn by two strokes. “Last year left us with a bitter taste in the mouth based on how close we were,” Clements said. “But at the end of day, it was great competition, a great opportunity and a great experience. You learn from those experiences and we have a chance to go back up there and put a stamp on a great season.” Rob Callaway can be reached at hssports@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook |Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)