By Greg Mattura, NorthJersey.com

RIVER VALE – Ryan Applin closed his season with the best round of his young life.

The Park Ridge sophomore became just the fourth player to break par in the 10-year history of the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference Golf Championship.

Applin sank a 6-foot putt for par on his final hole to shoot 1-under-par 69 on Friday at Valley Brook Golf Course and win the Division 2 individual title. He had never even broken par for 18 holes during a casual round with no pressure.

“I was shaking a little bit just to know that if I made the [last] putt, I would shoot 1-under,” Applin said.

Meanwhile, the NJIC team titles went as expected, with Dwight-Englewood winning Division 2 with a four-player score of 319 and Glen Rock capturing Division 1 with 321.

Dwight-Englewood was led by junior standouts William Rich and Dylan Gallagher. Rich shot 71 to finish second to Applin and Gallagher was third with 72. Two freshmen shot season bests, with Danny Lax carding 85 and Zach Wolpov 91.

“It’s been a good one-two punch for us the whole season,” Dwight-Englewood coach Dan Farinola said. The Bulldogs have several capable ninth graders and Farinola said, “I think I made the right call with the two guys who went in today.”

Glen Rock seniors swept the top three individual spots in Division 1. Maddox Miller-Jones shot 75, Ryan LeBlanc 80 and Jack Randazzo 81. Senior Jack Blake shot 85, generating four solid scores heading into Wednesday’s State Boys Championship at Hawk Point in Washington.