OSWEGO, NY – Some golfers might consider playing in their first varsity match a bit of a nerve-racking experience. A competitive environment, an unfamiliar course, and the added pressure of knowing that the team is depending on your score is usually enough to break a first-timer, send their score soaring over par.
This was not the case when Oswego junior golfer Collin Daino stepped onto the first tee box last Thursday at Northern Pines for his first tee shot as a Buc varsity golfer.
After a practice swing or two, Daino stepped up and ripped a drive up the first fairway as if he’d played in 100 matches before and proceeded to shoot an eyebrow-raising round of 38, helping Oswego to a pair of victories over CNS and Auburn at Northern Pines Golf Club in North Syracuse.
Oswego’s total of 197 bested Auburn by 6 shots and CNS by 29.
Senior captain Sam Lalonde provided the team’s lowest score of the day (37) and continues to make the most of his final season as a Buc golfer.
Freshman Alec Kunzwiler followed his stellar score of 38 at Central Square (where he was overall medalist) with a fine round of 39 on the front side at Northern Pines, giving the team 3 sub-40 scores in the match, the first time this feat has been accomplished this year.
“In order to compete for a league title, we will need to have totals around 195 all year,” said Coach Rose when asked about the team talent in the CNYCL League this season. “To get to 195 we need a few scores in the 30s every time out. Today’s result proves that we are capable of doing just that.”
Also scoring in the match was junior Luke Boshart, who appears to be back on his game after a slow start to the season. Luke figures to be a major factor in every match down the stretch for the Bucs. Also playing and scoring in his first varsity match was junior Dylan Morgia whose nine-hole total of 42 was very respectable on this day. Sophomore Brandon Tracz also shot 42 but played better than his score indicated – having to take a quadruple bogey 8 on the sixth hole at Northern Pines.
“We’ve had a nice start,” commented Coach Rose about the team’s early success. “Now it’s going to be up to the players to work on their games, get enough rest, and stay focused as school gets under way.”
The Buc golfers probably wish summer would last forever, but school officially begins next Wednesday. New year, new grade, new teachers, new workload.
Hopefully, their swings stay the same.
The Oswego boys’ golf team secured its first league win of the 2011 season on Tuesday, defeating Central Square by a final stroke count of 201-219 on the front nine at Greenview Golf Course in West Monroe.
The Bucs are now 2-0 on the season.
Against Central Square on this day, Brandon Tracz and Sam Lalonde continued their steady play for the Bucs, firing rounds of 40 and 41 respectively. The round of the day, though, went to incoming freshman Alec Kunzwiler, whose nine-hole total of 38 strokes captured overall medalist honors. Alec’s relatively tidy score card containing seven pars and two bogeys included five greens in regulation.
“Compared to last season, Alec is getting more yardage off the tee and consequently he is hitting more greens in regulation,” commented Coach Rose on the bus ride back to Oswego. “I look for Alec to really provide us with some consistent scoring all year.”
Not far from Alec was teammate Luke Boshart, whose 3 bogey six-par day (39) left him second best in the match. “It was nice to see Luke back in the mix,” said Coach Rose about the reigning 2010 Sectional Champ. “He’s had a bit of a slow start this year, but today was a big step in recapturing his form.”
Also scoring for the Bucs was Jake Anderson, whose steady play early this season has been a pleasant surprise for Coach Rose.
On Aug. 29, the golf team competed in the ninth annual pre-season Henninger Invitational Tournament at Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse, finishing in the middle of a pack of schools including Baldwinsville, West Genesee, Liverpool and CNS.
“This is a great event to start the year,” commented Coach Rose when asked why he travels so far to compete every season. “We get to play one of the finest courses in Syracuse and the tournament serves as a great measuring stick to see how we stack up against the other teams in our league.”
Oswego’s overall total this year of 222 was not the team’s best, especially considering they won the event in 2010 with a 200 total. Coach Rose chalks some of this up to youth. “Except for one senior, we still have a fairly young squad. We are going to experience some growing pains at some point this season. Two of our players today had never seen the course and I think it showed.”
Capturing team medalist honors for the Bucs on this day was Brandon Tracz, a sophomore who was instrumental to the team’s success last season. Brandon shook off an opening double bogey at Drumlins and settled down the rest of the way, shooting 41 on the difficult, tree-lined course. Freshman Alec Kunzwiler and sSenior Sam Lalonde got it around in 44 strokes, helping Oswego to their 222 total.
The tournament winners this year were the sectional winners of last year, West Genesee, whose 203 total bested FM by only 2 strokes.
“It looks like the league title could be for grabs this season,” said Coach Rose after all the scores had been posted. “We have a plethora of teams in our league this year with potential. Oswego is one of them.”
The golf team opened its season with an impressive win against Central Square by a final count of 208-222.
The day started out breezy and cool but ended with sunshine and warm temperatures. As for the golf, the young Oswego team proved that this might be a year in which they compete for a league title.
Medaling for Oswego in this match were teammates Sam Lalonde and John Phillips whose nine-hole totals of 41 strokes helped the Bucs get off to a fine start in 2011. Also scoring in this match were Buccaneer golfers Brandon Tracz, Jake Anderson, and Alec Kunzwiler who all shot respectable rounds of 42. The real star of the day, however, became Oswego Country Club’s famed ninth green.
The renowned ninth green at Oswego Country Club has formed a love/hate relationship with Oswego golfers and area golfers through its 100 years in existence. The green is something you are thinking about as you walk off the first tee box and something you are usually still thinking about after you finish your round. It can be docile and submissive one day, and terrorizingly tormenting the next. The tantalizingly tilted, slippery shell of a putting surface does not always make rounds, but it most definitely breaks them – sending browbeaten golfers off shaking their heads and wishing for a do-over. The sloping ninth green struck again on this day, a day when Oswego was poised to post one of its lowest home totals in five years.
After all the dust had settled, the Oswego golfers had accumulated a 12 over par total on the hole including 2 bogeys, 2 double bogeys, and 2 triple bogeys between the six golfers (17 total putts). “Depending on the pin placement, I may or may not watch the boys come in,” said Coach Rose after he had witnessed the carnage. “Today, I wished I had not watched.”
The team will take the win though as they moved to 1-0 on this young season, a season full of optimism and promise. “I expect these guys to continue to practice and get better,” continued Rose. “We have a lot of season left and I am fully confident that putts will fall.”
Jayvee Tennis Defeated
The Oswego High School girls’ junior varsity team dropped its first match of the season on Thursday 5-2 against the Auburn Maroons.
Winners for Oswego were Morgan Thomas at third singles and the third doubles tandem of Shannon McIntosh and Samantha Davis.
At first singles, Carrie Kelly dropped a hard-fought two-and-a-half hour marathon, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6.
Sydney Knight also battled in a three-set match, before falling 4-6, 6-2, 4-6.
Doubles teams of Abigail Allen/Kennedy Singletary, Rana Al-Salemeh-Krysta Broeker, and Katie Knopp-Victoria Fix were each defeated in straight sets.
“We took a lot of positives out of this first competition of the season. Everyone won at least one game in each set, and our nine first-time tennis players gained valuable experience,” stated coach Mike McCrobie.
Jayvee Volleyball Falls to Genny
The Oswego jayvee girls’ volleyball team started the new season losing to West Genesee. The Bucs won the first game 28-26, but lost the final two by identical scores of 25-23.
Coach Ted Beers said, “We played a tight match. Each set was decided by two points so it was back and forth. Tonight we were better getting up to block and we had a better net presences as the game progressed. Our small mistakes ended up costing us some needed points. This is a good learning lesson.”
For the jayvee team Mikayla Allen had a kill, two aces and point block while Emilee Anderson had a kill and ace. Brooke Broadwell was credited with a dig and Margo Dillon three aces and six assists. Kellie Gorman finished with a kill, ace and point block and Molly Malone had three kills and two aces. Jessica Pfeifer had a dig.
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