As late as last Monday morning, there was still snow in Madison County, but by the middle of the week the thermometer approached 90 degrees.
That allowed the Cazenovia and Chittenango girls golf teams to finally get underway with their compact, abbreviated regular seasons, each of them having to settle for defeats against OHSL Liberty National division foes.
At Cazenovia Country Club last Wednesday, the girls Lakers hosted Westhill, who already had two matches that week and had gone 1-1, and lost to the Warriors 222-251.
Over nine holes, Sophie Clancy shot a 54 to lead Cazenovia, with Margaret Kmetz adding a 63. Westhill got a 47 from Angela Vigliotti and a 52 from Catherine Dadey.
By then, Chittenango had already golfed twice, dropping both matches, including a tight 256-259 decision to Bishop Grimes last Monday afternoon.
Shannon Koegel opened her season by shooting a 63 to lead the Bears, but the Cobras’ Olivia Minor had a 51 and Brina Deppoliti matched Koegel’s 63. Haley Walters had a 64, with Coralee Everett getting a 65 and Mykala Markolopsky adding a 67.
When Chittenango had its turn against Westhill last Tuesday, it lost 202-235 to the Warriors at Camillus Country Club. Everett led her side with a 56, with Koegel getting a 57 as Walters and Emily Russell both shot 61. Vigliotti and Dadey both posted 47 for Westhill.
Then on Wednesday, the Bears lost 223-272 to Christian Brothers Academy, where Koegel’s 57 led her side, only to have the Brothers get a 43 from Meghan McKeen to start pulling away.
In a rematch with Westhill Friday at Woodcrest, the Bears took a 222-253. Everett had a 58, topped by Vigliotti (51), Dadey (54) and Madeleine Jones (58) for the Warriors, while Koegel posted a 60 and Walters had a 65.
Cazenovia also played on Friday, and also got beat. Skaneateles claimed the Laker duel 196-229, with Clancy’s 56 at Skaneateles Country Club trailing four host golfers, led by Karah Blair and Jenna Field, who both shot 48.
Not until Thursday was the Cazenovia boys golf team able to play its first match, but the Lakers pulled off a sweep, shooting 218 at Pine Grove to easily top host Solvay (287) and Jordan-Elbridge (295).
Alex Prezzi and Ryan Modzeleski led the Lakers, each shooting 40 to match the Bearcats’ Noah Capella for low individual round, while Alex Moesch was right behind, posting a 41.
A day later, Cazenovia lost, 207-252, to Manilus-Pebble Hill as the Trojans’ Johnny Gruninger blazed his way to a 30, the best score in the OHSL this spring. Pezzi could only manage a 42 as Modelzeski shot a 46, both of them trailing Gruninger and Grant Lewis, who had a 39.
