LHS golfers shoot better after trip

Mann, Lawrence finish fourth in Cherry Valley/Montgomery Invitational.

By: Tim Falls
   A little time away did the Lawrence High School varsity golf team some good.
   During a spring trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Cardinals played plenty of golf, but they shot a little higher than they were hoping to card.
   Since getting back, however, Lawrence has dropped its scores and the Cardinals have excelled in tournament play and against Steinert.
   Lawrence senior Steve Mann led the Cardinals to a fourth-place finish at the Cherry Valley/Montgomery Invitational at Cherry Valley Country Club on Monday.
   Mann shot a 74 to claim fourth individually and helped Lawrence tie for fourth with a score of 236.
   Along with leading Lawrence to an impressive finish against rather elite competition, the low number Mann posted put the senior back on track after a rough round down in Myrtle Beach.
   The Cardinals competed in the Palmetto Springs High School Golf Championship during a spring trip last week.
   Mann shot an 85 in the qualifying round on Thursday and improved on that by posting an 81 Friday in the opening round in Flight 3 in the tournament. Mann then carded an 89 on Saturday.
   "I was proud of the way he came back," said Lawrence coach Gregg Zenerovitz. "He didn’t play his best golf in Myrtle Beach . It was great he was able to play so well in the Cherry Valley Tournament and rebound right away."
   Mann chopped 15 strokes off his score to finish in the top five at Cherry Valley.
   "He shot a 74 and finished fourth," said Zenerovitz. "That was a great accomplishment for him."
   Likewise, Andrew Slom lowered his score from Myrtle Beach in the Cherry Valley/Montgomery Invitational. Slom followed Mann’s example and posted an 80.
   "He struggled a little down in Myrtle Beach ," said Zenerovitz. "For him to come back and shoot an 80 is a testament to his character."
   Unlike his teammates, Lawrence sophomore Chris Boutote shot well in his rounds down in Myrtle Beach and continued that trend in the Cherry Valley competition. Boutote shot an 82 for Lawrence at Cherry Valley and carded an 86 and 85 down in Myrtle Beach.
   "Chris is having a very good spring," said Zenerovitz.
   The three low scores helped Lawrence match West Windsor-Plainsboro South with a fourth-place finish in the Cherry Valley/Montgomery Invitational.
   "Looking at the 20 teams in the tournament," said Zenerovitz, "there were three of the top three teams in the state."
   Princeton won the invitational with a score of 227 behind medallist Peter Teifer’s 71.
   Hillsborough claimed second with a score of 229, and Ridge finished third with a 234.
   While not all the Cardinals had their best showing in the Palmetto High School Championship, Lawrence remained competitive.
   "After the first round we were four strokes from the leader," said Zenerovitz. "We ended up sixth out of 18 teams. I was looking at it as an opportunity to play some challenging golf courses."
   The golf trip provided the team plenty of opportunity to play, which can be crucial early in the season.
   Lawrence opened the season with a tough loss to Notre Dame.
   "I think it was good for us to get ready," said Zenerovitz. "For us it was a fun weekend."
   The Cardinals continued their Colonial Valley Conference season with a 211-223 victory over Steinert on Tuesday.
   Lawrence only led the Spartans by one stroke both times the teams faced off last season.
   "We had two strokes on them last season," said Zenerovitz, "one each team we played."
   The 12 stroke lead Lawrence gained this season is a good sign of how the program is developing.
   Boutote led Lawrence against the Spartans with a 40, while Mann carded a 41, Slom shot a 42, Marencik and Wrobel each recorded a 44 and Kwan had a 45.
   Lawrence takes on Ewing on Monday and Trenton on Tuesday, both at Mountainview, and then hosts Nottingham at Green Acres Country Club, before playing Allentown at Cream Ridge on Thursday.
   The Cardinals played lots of golf on challenging courses down in Myrtle Beach, that training should continue to pay off as Lawrence takes on Colonial Valley Conference competition with multiple matches each week.