Easton golfer, 7, records hole in one

Some golfers try all their lives and never make a hole in one. Ryan McGarry, 7, got his first last week.

Ryan, of Easton, aced the fourth hole at MGA Links at Mamantapett in Norton during a First Tee event on May 21. He hit a driver on the Par 3, 110-yard hole.

"He's hit that before, but it usually just sticks near the green," said Sean McGarry, Ryan's father. "This time it took a bounce up and just rolled right up into the hole. . . . He just kept repeating, 'My first hole in one! My first hole in one!' "

McGarry used his cellphone camera to record the moment. He kept the ball and plans to put it in a display case.

Golf Digest estimated the odds of an average golfer making a hole in one is 12,000 to 1. The odds increase to 5,000 to 1 for a low-handicap golfer and improve to 3,000 to 1 for a tour player.

What did Ryan think of his first hole in one?

"It's hard to explain," Ryan said. "I was thinking a lot of things. . . . I was excited."

This is not the first time McGarry has been in the spotlight. In 2005, he was featured in the Globe as a 5-year-old golf whiz. After the story, "The Today Show" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" featured him.

Sportsmanship honor for Notre Dame squad

The Notre Dame Academy of Hingham track and field team lined the fence and cheered on every pole vaulter at the Division 2 track and field meet last weekend at Reading Memorial High School. Never mind that Notre Dame didn't have a teammate competing.

The show of support -- each time the bar rose, the girls' cheers grew louder and louder for whoever was about to make the next attempt -- is a reflection of why Notre Dame was awarded the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's sportsmanship award this season.

It is the sixth time that either a track and field team or cross-country team has earned the honor for Notre Dame.

"We feel it is more important than winning any meet," coach Rick Kates said.

The team is also committed to community service.

It raised enough money to pay tuition for a young girl from Kenya to attend the Silgich Hill Academy in Kenya and another young girl in Singapore to attend the Singapore Girls School.

Raynham's Cooper sets pace for UMass-Lowell

Clint Cooper, a senior at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, helped the 4 x 400-meter relay team capture seventh place and All-America honors at the NCAA Division 2 Track and Field Championship last week.

Cooper, who is from Raynham, ran his split in 46.4 seconds as the River Hawks clocked a time of 3:10.99. The relay team included Doug Caves, Andrew Grange, Cooper, and Erick Colon.

"That was a great run by Clint, and this was a great way for him to go out," River Hawks coach Gary Gardner said in a release.

Sharon runners prep for All-State meet

Qualifiers for Saturday's MIAA All-State track and field meet had a week to perfect their techniques.

In Sharon, the boys' 4 x 100 meter relay was looking to improve its handoffs before the big meet. Last weekend, the relay team of Andrew Revanales, Wes Gemba, Justin Rodriguez, and Ivan Mukasa finished second with a time of 44.31 seconds at the Division 2 meet. A couple of improvements could improve the team's chances of challenging for a title, assistant coach Alan Conway said.

"We really think if the kids step it up, they could do something," Conway said.

Odds 'n' ends

Last weekend the Mansfield boys won the Division 2 track championships for the second year in a row with 68 total points. ... The Hingham girls' track team captured the Division 3 championship with 61 points. . . . The Bridgewater-Raynham softball team snapped Milton's undefeated streak with a 4-3 win in the Cardinal Spellman Tournament last week. . . . The boys' and girls' lacrosse state tournaments began this week. . . . In the boys' volleyball tournament, No. 6 seed Norwood will take on No. 7 Newton North in the Division 1 South semifinal at 7 tonight at Norwood.

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com.