Cape golf team finishes regular season with a flourish
There’s nothing like ending the regular season on a high note. The Cape Henlopen High School varsity golf team finished its regular season matches with a May 15 victory over Woodbridge High School’s squad, 188-210.
The win came six days after the Vikings assured themselves of a winning season for 2013 with their 185-187 victory over Indian River May 9. Cape completed the season with an 8-5 record.
Cape’s head golf coach Claudio Smarrelli said these last two victories were the true indication of his team’s abilities this year. “The Cape team average should have been 186 overall, but next season I expect to see the average drop to 175 or lower. I’m looking forward to the players to mature physically and mentally,” he said.
Michael Johnson and Michael DeStasio shared medalist honors for the day against Woodbridge with a nice pair of 43s. Tyler Reed was third best for Vikings with his 48. Maddie Baptiste contributed once again to the total team score with her 54.
On May 20, DeStasio, Johnson, Baptiste, Mason Jones, and the Branner twins, Darren and Luke, traveled to Wild Quail Golf Club near Camden-Wyoming to play in the Henlopen Conference Championship tournament. The group played well enough to finish in fifth place overall among the 14 teams participating.
DeStasio played best for Cape with his 82 in the 18-hole round. Jones followed with an 89, while Darren Branner posted a 94. Johnson completed the team scoring with a 97 for a team total of 362. Caesar Rodney High School’s Riders, playing on their home course, easily won with a 291 total that was a few dozen strokes ahead of second-place Polytech.
Smarrelli noted that except for Johnson and DeStasio, the conference tournament was the first time any of the other four Cape golfers had ever played a full 18-hole round. That is a sure sign of the team’s relative inexperience.
The next event on the scholastic golf calendar is the two-day state DIAA High School Championship tournament, to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28 and 29, at Rock Manor Golf Course in Wilmington. For the second time in a row, 19th-ranked Cape was unable to qualify the entire team for the event. The Henlopen Conference teams that will play the Rock are Caesar Rodney, Polytech, Delmar, Dover and Sussex Tech.
DeStasio and Jones both qualified to play in the state tournament as individuals, however, and were awarded medallions for their performances at the conference event.
DeStasio also earned an honorable mention for the all-Henlopen Conference team.
We’ll learn soon enough how DeStasio and Jones perform in the 36-hole state championship, which should be a great experience for them, especially if they can qualify for the second round.
In the meantime, Smarrelli had this to say about his team’s season-long performances, “These youngsters should be proud of themselves and walk with their heads up high. They did a great job.”
Local club competition results
The Kings Creek Country Club Ladies 18-hole golf league played a Cross-Country match as the game of the day May 16.
Donna Vaughn won first place in the first flight, with Ruth Lauver in second and Faye Slatcher in third.
In the second flight, Trish Galioto took first, followed by Mary Mezger in second and Atom Irwin in third.
The third flight finished with Rita Musi in first, Senise Stewart in second and Theresa Derville in third.
Betsy Allwood won the closest to the pin contest, with a tee shot on the par-3 eleventh that finished 10-feet-11-inches from the hole.
On May 20, the Kings Creek 9-hole ladies golf group played a 2,1,1 team format competition. Susan Spence, Evelyn Vanderloo and Sue Eisenbrey triumphed.
Mary Beth Merolla won the day’s closest to the pin contest.
