GOLF
By: John E. Powers
The Lawrence High School golf team didn’t have to wait long to get at an opponent they had eagerly wanted.
The Cardinals, beaten twice by Steinert last year, knocked off the Spartans, 210-211, in the opening meet of the season Monday at Miry Run Country Club in Robbinsville in raw, wet and sometimes windy conditions.
"The greens were quick for this time of year and not too forgiving," Lawrence coach Greg Zenerovitz said.
Lawrence, 13-8 a year ago, beat Notre Dame, 219-247, at Green Acres Country Club in Lawrenceville the next day.
The Cardinals split with Notre Dame last year.
Senior Chris Trapp led the way with a 40 against Steinert, followed by junior Steve Mann and senior Alex Shin’s 41s, junior Matt Marencik’s 43 and senior Pat Stanger’s 45.
Steinert’s Sandeep Ramachandran shot a par 36 for the nine holes.
The victory was doubly important since Steinert is a Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division opponent.
"We had been preparing to open up with them so we could measure where we were at," said Zenerovitz, who is beginning his second season as head coach.
Zenerovitz said that the Cardinals went to Miry Run last Friday to play a practice round. But he said the team didn’t play that well Monday.
"The one thing the kids know is that they left some strokes out there," the coach said. "Our course management wasn’t at its best. There were a few things did well, but we didn’t feel like we played our best. But to go on their course and win is a bit more satisfying."
But to beat a tough opponent like Steinert on a miserable day on the road wasn’t lost on the coach.
"We’ll see them again at our place," he said.
The victory over Notre Dame was much more comfortable. Trapp, a four-year starter, who’ll play at Muhlenberg next year, nailed a 39 followed by Mann’s 41, junior Andrew Slom’s 43, Shin’s 46 and Marencik’s 50 on the par 36.
"Trapp is leading by example, he’s working hard,"Zenervotiz said.
Trapp, the team captain, averaged a 41.1 led the Cardinals to the state tournament last year in what was billed as a rebuilding year for the Cardinals.
Mann finished third in the CVC last season with a 39.1 average. Only Hopewell Valley’s Ben Bershad and West Windsor-Plainsboro South’s Anthony Aloi had better averages. Bershad and Aloi each had a 38 stroke average.
Trapp and Mann set a high standard for this year’s achievements. Both Cardinal goflers shot an 82 on the 18-hole par 71, Buena Vista Country Club at the NJSIAA Group IV Championship. Shin also showed improvement, averaging 43.6 for the year and playing his best golf down the stretch, when his team needed it most. Stanger and Marencik provided solid support of the leaders, each averaging a 44.9.
With a solid core like that and perhaps the emergence of freshmen Greg Wrobel and Chris Boutote, the Cardinals are expecting big things this spring.
They didn’t lose anybody to graduation and are coming off a season in which they finished ninth out of 21 teams at the Central/South Jersey Group IV Tournament, just three strokes away from qualifying for the Tournament of Champions.
Lawrence placed second among Colonial Valley Conference teams in Group IV, 10 strokes behind West Windsor-Plainsboro South and four strokes ahead of Steinert.
Lawrence also finished eighth out of 17 teams at the Mercer County Tournament with a combined 344.
Mann lead Lawrence with an 81, just seven strokes off the winning pace set by winner Bershad.
The 2006 season was scheduled to continue at Hamilton Wednesday, followed by a Thursday match with Ewing at Green Acres, followed Friday with a match at Mountain View against St. Peter of Jersey City.
The team plays at Rancocas Valley Monday against Burlington County Golf Club before a spring break trip to Ocean City, Md.
"We don’t have any matches down there," said Zenerovitz. "We’re just going to play golf."

