SBHS scores drop while victories rise

By: Rich Fisher
   The goal for the South Brunswick High girls golf team is to get better, not win matches.
   But it would stand to reason that when a team wins 67 percent of its matches, it must be getting better.
   "I did some stats today," said coach Joe Dougherty after Monday’s 216-225 win over Princeton left the Vikings at 6-3. "Our average as a team is about 221, and in the last four matches we’re shooting under that. Our first three matches of the year we shot 244, 222 and 229, then we had a 221, 214, 209 and 215.
   "As long as I see that number going down, I’m happy. Consistent improvement in our scores is what I’m going on. If that means we win some matches, even better."
   The Vikings had a solid outing at Bunker Hill Monday, with Courtney Snyder carding a 49, followed by Samantha Chromey (52), Meghan Jackson (54) and Tatiana Kim and Caitlyn Brady (61 each).
   Last Friday, the Vikes took on a 5-3 East Brunswick team and came away with a 217-223 win at Bunker Hill. Snyder had a 53, followed by Jackson, Emily Clark (54 each) and Chromey (56).
   "Snyder and Jackson are pretty consistent, you can count on them to shoot below 55, and that’s our goal," Dougherty said. "We’ve talked often, and 55 is the number for most of them to try and beat. We want Courtney to shoot for a 45 and Meghan’s number is 50. Then the rest of them who are out there, we want them to beat 55.
   "Whether they shoot that or not is another story. But that’s the aim number, so they’re not just out there playing golf. They have something to shoot for."
   Dougherty added that his team is trying to shave their scores while playing on one of the more formidable courses in the Greater Middlesex Conference.
   "Bunker is hard," he said. "We have a couple holes out there that are kicking our butts, that we need to work on."
   Some of the best girls in New Jersey visited Bunker Hill last Thursday in the 2nd Annual Bunker Hill Invitational. It was one of the few chances the Vikings will get to play 18 holes during competition this year.
   Snyder was South Brunswick’s top golfer with a 103. To show how loaded the tournament was, winner Marina Alex of Wayne Hills carded a one-over 73.
   "The girls that do well in that, are the girls that play golf all the time," Dougherty said. "They’re taking lessons, playing 18 holes every day. You have to get a little more of that going on to reach those kind of scores."
   Other Viking scores in the event came from Jackson (109), Chromey (109), Clark (117), Alissa Perez (122) and Brady (124).