Independence’s first year of girls golf already exceeded expectations when the Blue Devils finished a surprising second at the Chagrin Valley Conference preseason tournament. On Monday, the Blue Devils turned in another shocking performance when they knocked off several Division I schools to finish third at the Mentor Invitational at St. Denis Golf Club in Chardon.
 |
| Christina Brunsman chips to the green |
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin won the event with a score of 374. Stow was second with a 394 and the Blue Devils finished just one stroke back with a 395. Aurora (401) and Hawken (403) rounded out the top five.
“I was surprised when the scores were added up,” said Independence head coach Karl Schuld. “It didn’t look, especially early on, that we were putting together that kind of round.”
At 5800 yards, St. Denis was the longest course the Blue Devils had played this season and it also provided challenging lies and elevations.
Early on, the Blue Devils struggled to maneuver the course but regained their composure to finish strong.
Sophia Trombetta led the Blue Devils with a 90, which was tied for third overall, and Lyndsay Blum carded a 93. Christina Brunsman (104), Kaylie Kemenyes (108) and Bryleigh Wise (116) all improved their scores on a very challenging course.
“For a lot of our girls, it was a bogey before it even started,” Schuld said. “We weren’t going to be able to reach the green in regulation. In order for them to score, a 5 was basically a good score when you’re playing 370 yard par 4’s. The good golfers have a hard time reaching that. If you have one shot that’s not what you want it to be, it’s hard to reach it.”
Trombetta shot a 50 on her first nine holes and closed out with a 40 to finish among the top three golfers. Blum again played consistently throughout the course, overcoming a few challenges along the way, and the rest of the Independence golfers continued to improve their scores.
“Sophia really came back and fought hard and Lyndsay Blum just keeps going out every match and throwing up a good score for us,” Schuld said. “Christina, that was a really good score for her. She’s only getting better. Kaylie fought all the way through hand didn’t give in even though she had some tough holes at the beginning and Bryleigh is getting better every match. She goes out and never is really satisfied with what she’s done but her score continues to go down. I think she’s lowered her score every match, which is pretty amazing.”
The Blue Devils play Orange at Punderson on Wednesday and will see Kenston and Aurora next week. The Bombers defeated the Blue Devils by four strokes at the CVC preseason tournament.
2014 Mentor Invitational
Team Scores
1. NDCL – 374
2. Stow – 394
3. Independence – 395
4. Aurora – 401
5. Hawken – 403
6. Lake Catholic – 407
7. Cloverleaf – 426
8. Mentor – 427
9. Cuyahoga Falls – 452
10. Willoughby South – 477
11. Mayfield – DNF
Individual Scores
NDCL: Olivia Jereb 77, Nora Nelson 95, Katie Dubrava 107, Kelsey Walton 95, Jessica Riley 110
Stow: Rachel Huber 90, Maddie Dunn 98, Laura Perch 103, Taylor Paxton 103, Meredith Montgomery 103
Independence: Sophia Trombetta 90, Lyndsay Blum 93, Kaylie Kemenyes 108, Christina Brunsman 104, Bryleigh Wise 116
Aurora: Asia Lerner 93, Erin Grohe 97, Gia Leone 105, Erin Murphy 106, Brittany Griffen 107
Hawken: Isabella Joseph 80, Victoria Chardiet 103, Dorothy Lowenstein 110, Ryan Covitt 110, Jane Wiertel 122
Lake Catholic: Brooke Inghram 97, Amanda Sconyers 102, Paige Rost 108, Katie Dybzinski 115, Marina Marusic 100
Cloverleaf: Nicole Horstman 107, Ashley Zwingelburg 108. Nicole Mayer 121, Ava Illig 102, Ellie Siedel 109
Mentor: Tori Rykaczewski 112, Brittany Duplessis 107, Julia Bleck 108, Lauren Profilet 107, Riley Powers 105
Cuyahoga Falls: Erin Jackson 106, Julia Szalay 122, Bridget Hilston 118, Nicole Hannan 106, Lauren Noska 144
South: Theresa Adams 109, Sarah Cummins 124, Ashley Jones 121, Megan Scowary 123, Kyliegh Evans 139
Mayfield: Hannah Purgar 131, Lexi Brezovec 115, Sami Burns 131
