LUERS’ GIRLS GOLF TEAM HAS POTENTIAL FOR 2010

Although it might have marked the end of the season sooner than coach Tom O’Brien had hoped, he sees a bright future for his Bishop Luers girls golf team that finished seventh in the sectional tournament held at Timber Ridge in Bluffton.

Junior Alex Eagleson was named to the All-SAC team and will return to head up the Knights next season.

Her 54-53–107 score at Timber Ridge was the second-best team score behind senior and fellow All-SAC player Kyren O’Shaughnessey’s 53-47–100. Eagleson and O’Shaughnessey also tied for Luers’ best round in the Summit Athletic Conference meet at McMillen Park, where each had 18-hole scores of 94. O’Shaughnessey’s nines were 50 and 44, and Eagleson shot two sub-50 rounds of 49 and 45.

The 94s were the best 18-hole rounds of the year for both players.

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Eagleson set a personal best nine-hole score this season with a 41 at Geneva, and junior Amanda Vankoski also had her best round with a 44 in the close win over Norwell and North Side.

Vankoski, who shot a 116 in the sectional and a 110 in the SAC tourney, was named All-SAC honorable mention, as was junior Lexie Hamel, who had a steady 51-52–103 in the sectional and had a career-best 49-46–95 in the SAC, where Luers placed third.

The team total of 388 that Luers had in the SAC meet was the school’s lowest score since the 2007 team that was led by Kristi O’Brien and her fellow seniors.

Even the 105 round in the SAC by Alexis Baker was a personal best.

“The girls got much better at staying away from really bad holes,” Tom O’Brien said, pointing out that of the 90 combined holes played in the SAC tourney, there were only four in which more than a triple bogey was carded. “That is very impressive, and a marked improvement from earlier in the season. This comes from better decision-making and improved course management skills.”

O’Brien also cited two sophomores who made great strides this season in Georgia Gladding and Michaela O’Shaughnessey.

“Our varsity will have a ton of tournament experience (next season) through both summer tourneys and high school competition heading into the 2010 season next August,” O’Brien said. “And with a summer of golf experience ahead for our young JV girls, they will get nothing but better. These kids have great potential. Overall, I believe we’ll have the best team in the SAC for 2010.”