Lawrence golfers relax after winning six

Trapp has four 39s in six matches.

By: Tim Falls
   The Lawrence High School golf team earned its reward.
   The Cardinals won their first six matches and then took their annual golfing trip over spring break.
   "We had a really nice start to the season," said Lawrence coach Greg Zenerovitz. "To play five matches in one week and win them all is pretty impressive. Then to play a tough team from South Jersey and beat them is even better."
   The Cardinals defeated Rancocas Valley, 168-173, on Monday and then left for their golfing trip to Ocean City, Md., Tuesday morning.
   Chris Trapp and Steve Mann led Lawrence with 39s against Rancocas Valley, while Matt Marencik and Alex Shin each shot 45. Only four scores count to the final score in South Jersey matches.
   "I looked at our schedule and I didn’t think we’d go 6-0," said Trapp. "Realistically, 5-1 would have been real good."
   Trapp has been on fire since the start of the season. Trapp has posted four 39s and two 40s in his six matches.
   "Chris has had a tremendous start," said Zenerovitz. "To have four rounds of 39 this early is really good."
   Mann, who led Lawrence last year, has been warming up as well.
   Mann has finished under 40 in his last three rounds.
   The Cardinal senior had the match-lows with 37s in Lawrence’s 206-221 victory over St. Peter’s Prep and the 208-294 win over Ewing.
   "Steve started a little high," said Zenerovitz. "He’s starting to find his rhythm."
   Alex Shin finished between Mann and Trapp with a low round against St. Peter’s Prep. Shin shot a 38, while Trapp had a 40, Andrew Slom had a 44 and Matt Marencik and Pat Stanger each shot 47.
   Shin had a 40 in the win over Ewing, while Matt Marencik and Andrew Slom each shot 46.
   While Trapp led Lawrence with one of his 39s against Hamilton, and Mann posted a 40, Shin had a 41, Marencik had a 42 and Slom had a 45.
   With six wins in hand, the Lawrence golf team had a chance to rest and relax by playing more golf.
   The Cardinals traveled to Delaware to play 18 holes on Tuesday before venturing farther south to Maryland on Wednesday when they played two full rounds. The team is scheduled to make its way back today (Thursday) with one last round at another Delaware course.
   "It gives us a lot of team unity," said Trapp, speaking by phone from the first tee Tuesday morning. "We play a lot of golf and it gets us going."
   The team has already played a lot of golf in its first week, but on their trip the Cardinals don’t have to stress over their scores.
   "It’s pressure-free golf," said Trapp. "We get carts and we have fun; we play different games."
   Unlike high school golf, were players have to walk with their bags and compete via stroke-play, the team gets to relax, riding around the course playing different golf games.
   Lawrence kicks up the competitive season once more against Trenton on April 18, then has Nottingham and Edison that week. After that, the real challenge begins as the Cardinals take on West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Thursday, April 27, and Princeton the next day.
   "In two weeks we’ll have Princeton and South," said Trapp. "Those will be two big matches."
   Trapp is even hoping to lower his score by those match-ups.
   "Last year, I didn’t get as good a start as I did this year," said Trapp. "I’m definitely going to be bringing my score down."