September 21, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Mount golf stays on a roll
by TOM UTESCHER

Freshman Emily Gimpel has already emerged as one of the Mount’s top golfers this fall. (Photo by Lene White)

Mount St. Joseph Academy managed to squeeze in home golf matches just before and just after last week’s rainy spell, topping Villa Joseph Marie on Wednesday, 253-299, and beating Gwynedd Mercy on Friday, 201-238. The Magic, now 7-0 on the season, hosted Villa Joe on the par-36 front nine at Whitemarsh Valley. Because Gwynedd’s home course was closed at the end of the week, the teams played at the Mount’s practice venue, Twining Valley, where an improvised course avoiding the puddles yielded a par-35 circuit.

If the Mount golfers did not produce some of their best rounds in Wednesday’s encounter, they still were able to post an easy win over the visiting Villa Joe Jems (3-3). The players reported that the recently aerated greens at on the course had not completely healed, providing some surprises in the short game.

Mount senior Christen Kouch was off attending to student council business, and the team’s other co-captain, Victoria Arena, led the pack, as usual. The defending state champ was the only one to break 40 on this occasion, carding a 39 at Whitemarsh Valley. Her playing partner, sophomore Nicole Weinrich, turned in a 54.

Their combined scores had already given the hosts a 20-stroke advantage over Villa Joe, which received a team-best 52 from Katie Hano and a 61 from Amy Venuto.

Each school scratched one of the scores out of the second foursome; the two rounds that counted were a 47 by MSJ freshman Emily Gimpel and a 68 by the visitors’ Beth Labrasca. In the third foursome to reach the clubhouse, Carson Price shot a 48 and Susie Mahoney had a 65 for Mount St. Joe, while the Jems’ team score was completed by a 54 from Bev DeGacobbe and a 64 from Lauren Wagner.

Will Reilly, the Magic’s first-year coach, has taught several of the girls on the Gwynedd Mercy team, and the Mounties knew that the Monarchs were likely to provide the stiffest challenge of the season so far. The locals dialed their game up a few notches, paced by Arena, who birdied three holes to record a 32. Kouch, now back in the fold, fired a 38 and Gimpel posted a 41. A 44 from Weinrich and a 46 price capped an exemplary effort for the Magic, adding up to a score of 201.

Gwynedd’s total of 238 would’ve been good enough to win many matches, but not this one. The Monarchs received rounds in the 40’s from Chiara Trentalange (44), Melanie Reynolds (45) and Tierney Sadoul (49), and Elyse McCabe and Megan Payton each made it around in 50 strokes.