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Wiregrass Golfers Focus On Improving

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A Tribune staff report

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2008

GAINESVILLE - Last season, the Wiregrass Ranch boys golf team wasn't competitive enough to get out of its district tournament. But for Coach Nick Cuviello and his young Bulls, 2008 was a different story.

In only its third year of competition, Wiregrass made its first appearance in a region golf tournament.

Although they didn't get the results they were looking for, the Bulls gained valuable experience in the boys Class 1A-Region 3 tournament at the Gainesville Country Club.

Wiregrass, led by Logan Horrigan's 8-over-par 80, finished tied for sixth with a team score of 355. Other Bulls scores were Dylan Larson (85), Chris Kluender (95) and Nick Stutt (95).

"It was a good learning experience for the young kids," Cuviello said. "Especially since we have one senior, three sophomores and one freshman. Last year, we weren't even close to getting through the district tournament."

The Gainesville Country Club was a challenge for all of the golfers, with no one shooting par or better. Cuviello thought the length of the course was the toughest to overcome.

"The length was tough for us," Cuviello said. "We're young and we don't hit the ball as far as some of the other teams. Our decision-making could have been a little better, but overall, we did the best we could do."

Ocala Trinity Catholic (312) and Inverness Citrus (313) advanced to next week's state tournament in Lakeland, while J.D. Tomlinson of Gainesville Oak Hall (73) and Joaquin Martinez of Montverde Academy (75) advanced as individuals. Martinez defeated Bryan Odaiyar of Ocala St. John Lutheran in a 1-hole playoff for the final state qualifying spot.

Other locals included Kentaro Toyota of Bishop McLaughlin (86) and Alex Bensahel of Saddlebrook Prep (92).

A few miles away, at the Mark Bostic Golf Course at the University of Florida, Zephyrhills' girls saw strokes drop like 3-foot putts.

The Bulldogs finished fifth with a score of 404, 89 strokes better than last year's district score and 40 better than last week's district.

Ashley Zullo (98) dropped 27 strokes off her district score, while Megan Huppert (112) shot 13 strokes better. Other region scores were posted by Sarah Bainiszewski (95), Laurren McLeod (99) and Taylor Brady (119).

Citrus won the tournament with a 352 score, followed by Gainesville Oak Hall (360). Both teams will play next week at the state tournament in Lakeland. Joining the teams will be individuals Audrey Monssoh of Montverde Academy and Jessica Negron of Ocala West Port. Both shot 72. Monssoh won a playoff to earn medalist honors.

Other local scores included Saddlebrook's Lauren Riehle (80) and Ankita Tiwana (81). Former Saddlebrook golfer Mallory Etcheberry, an eighth-grader playing for Montverde Academy, shot an 82.

Rick Harmon

Cavender, Padova's Prep Careers End

TARPON SPRINGS - What happened to Kenny Cavender and Jordan Padova on Monday didn't seem fair. Their rounds at the 2A-Region 4 tournament played out like lessons on how cruel the game of golf can be.

Cavender, the reigning Pasco County Golfer of the Year, and Padova, the leader of one of the most improved squads in Pasco County, encountered trouble at the worst times, failing to reach the state tournament.

It all seemed to be a blur to Cavender, who struggled to find any positive words to sum up his career as he agonized over the memory of two shots that got away.

Cavender described the 15th at Wentworth Golf Club as a "nothing" hole, a 405-yard par-4 with a relatively wide fairway. But like so many other players, it claimed his playoff life when he hit back-to-back tee shots out of bounds left, resulting in a 9.

When the hole began, he was 1 over par - one shot ahead of tournament favorites Ian McConnell of Riverview and Doug Letson of Plant. He also was about to be in one of the two coveted state-qualifying positions, as leader Matt Cote hit out of bounds in the group ahead and ultimately made an 8. Only East Lake's Linzy Clark, several holes behind, had a better score than Cavender's.

But when the hole ended, Cavender was 5 over, falling behind McConnell and Letson and also losing ground to Cote and Clark. A birdie at 16 and two pars gave him a 76, good for fifth place and five shots behind eventual winner Clark.

"I don't know what to say," said Cavender, who thought his chances of playing college golf at a top school took a hit because he didn't make state. "I don't want to be thinking about it when I leave, but yeah, I will."

The Mustangs' team score of 336 was four shots out of a playoff with Dunedin for the final state berth. Of course, Cavender's one bad hole shouldn't be blamed for the Mustangs' failure to make state as a team, as his score was by far the best of the five Mitchell players who competed Monday.

Sterling Bash had an 84, Isaac Schaefer an 86 and Chaz Heinz a 90 on the 6,459-yard, par-71 layout, which was wind-swept all day.

Padova finished with an 80, good for 10th place. It was a wonder he was able to play at all, after the back problems that plagued him earlier in the year resurfaced three days before the tournament.

Sitting near contention for a state berth at 2-over through 8, Padova found three water hazards in the next four holes. He triple-bogeyed the par-4 ninth and made double bogeys at Nos. 11 and 12. He bounced back with birdies at Nos. 13 and 17 and was one of the few to get through No. 15 with a par.

"I scrapped it around a little bit. If you hit a bad shot around here, you pay the price," said Padova, making his first regional start. "It was fun, I was just happy to be here, but I wanted to play better."

Padova also is interested in playing college golf, and he has received some interest from Saint Leo, but he is far from making a decision. He plans to play some more junior tournaments the rest of the year in hopes of elevating his stock as a college prospect.

Ridgewood teammate Jeff Koos, who also qualified as an individual at districts, finished with an 89.

Bart O'Connell

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