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Clearfield golf teams return four letterwinners
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
By Andy Stine Sports Writer
HYDE - The Clearfield boys and girls golf teams come into the 2012 season with little experience and perhaps some growing pains.
After sporting a senior-laden group in 2011, the boys come in with just one letterwinner in Ricky Clark, while the Lady Bison welcome back Hannah Kirsch and Mountain League first-teamers Dorothy Celli and Jordan Lehman. The girls are fresh off a Mountain League championship in just their second season of competition.
"We are very inexperienced, but they are starting to pick up on some things," said Clearfield golf coach Chad Gearhart. "Throughout the season, we're just going to try to improve on our golf techniques."
"The letterwinners are helping out very much. They're taking some of the younger ones out and showing them proper etiquette and proper techniques. They've been a big help so far."
John Gaylor, who was lost due to graduation, tied for third place at the district tournament last year. Gearhart will be looking to replace Gaylor along with six fellow classmates that were a big part of the program in 2011.
"The boys had a solid team in the past few years and this year we're just a little inexperienced," said Gearhart. "Next year, you never know. But we'll just take it match by match this year and try to get them some experience."
While the boys were hit heavily by the graduation bug, the Lady Bison only lost two of their teammates in Dayna Hedges and Melinda Owens. However, there is still plenty of experience from last year's championship team that almost sent Lehman to the regional tournament.
Meanwhile, the ladies have picked up a few newcomers to assist the veterans.
"This is the third year for the girls team and this year we have more out than ever," said Gearhart.
"They're doing very well. Jordan came pretty close last year to moving on and we're looking for her to take that next step this year.
"Last year we won the MAC Championship and I know it'd be a very tall order to repeat that. There's some good competition out there this year, but we are still keeping that in our sights. We came in second at districts and we're going to try to repeat that."
Gearhart expects the letterwinners to be competing in the majority of the matches, but there should be spots open and up for grabs for the younger players.
"Of course, our returning people will be up there," said Gearhart.
"We're looking for the new ones to step in any place they can and help the team anyway they can."
The boys will begin their season tomorrow against Brookville at the Clearfield-Curwensville Country Club. Tee off is set for 1 p.m.
The girls hit the links for their first match Friday in a tri-meet with DuBois and State College.
The match at CCCC begins at 11 a.m.
Boys Roster
Seniors
*Ricky Clark.
Juniors
Patrick Barnes, Shae Bishop, Cory Maines, Erik Neville.
Sophomores
Anthony Grenus, Kerry Maines.
Freshmen
Casen Zitselberger.
*Denotes returning letterwinners
Schedule
August
23-Brookville; 30-with Philipsburg-Osceola at Bellefonte.
September
4-Curwensville; 6-Central and Central Mountain, 2 p.m.; 11-DuBois, 3:30 p.m.; 13-at Tyrone; 15-at Bradford Invitational; 19-at DuBois Tournament, 10 a.m.; 24-at Districts, TBA; 27-with Huntingdon at Penns Valley; 29-at Districts, TBA.
October
3-at Mountain League Championships, TBA; 4-at Curwensville, 3 p.m.
Matches begin at 1 p.m. unless noted.
Girls Roster
Juniors
*Dorothy Celli, *Hannah Kirsch, *Jordan Lehman, Natalie Lemmo.
Sophomores
Rachel Duke, Alaina Shaffer, Alexis Stephenson.
Freshmen
Racquel Grice.
Schedule
August
24-DuBois and State College, 11 a.m.; 27-with Hollidaysburg, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola at Bellefonte.
September
5-Bellefonte, Hollidaysburg, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola; 12-with Bellefonte, Hollidaysburg and Penns Valley at Philipsburg-Osceola; 17-with Bellefonte, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola at Hollidaysburg; 19-at DuBois Tournament, 10 a.m.; 20-Curwensville, 1 p.m.; 26-with Bellefonte, Hollidaysburg and Philipsburg-Osceola at Penns Valley.
October
1-at Districts, TBA; 3-at State College, 2 p.m.; 4-Mountain League Championships at Philipsburg-Osceola, TBA.
All matches begin at 3 p.m. unless noted.
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