Malta Athletic Club Invitational

Last Saturday was a cold and windy day with a threat of precipitation, but the Malta Athletic Club invitational reached its conclusion without a single drop hitting beautiful Marian Hills Golf Course. Malta also saw action last Friday at Glasgow's Invitational.

In the boy's standings, Malta took third as a team with 410 strokes, while the Malta girls took fourth with 577 strokes.

Individually fifth place finisher Cru Darrah led Malta with a score of 91. Landon VanWichen had a 97, which gave him eighth after a chip-off.

Saco's Cyra Mears took third with a score of 104. Whitewater's Layne Engel had a score of 109.

Darrah also shot a 93 in Glasgow while taking seventh in a three way chip off for fifth place.

He started the day at hole two and he was off to a great start, grabbing par.

"I just had to drive it straight down the middle of the fairway," he said. "Don't go left, don't go right because there's out of bounds on both sides."

The wind didn't affect Darrah that day as he fought it with a strong mindset.

"Just play it like I normally play," he said. "You just have to relax, talk to the other kids. I found it easier if I talk to the kids in our group. We all relax and we golf better usually."

Mears was off to a great start in Malta, already a few strokes ahead of her group at hole one. Though she typically does great in Malta, she admitted her first meet at Marian Hills could've been better. She finished second that day.

"It could've been better," she said. "I didn't do so good at one of these holes but I guess I'm going to improve this time."

Mears was determined to bring her best game so far. She was pretty happy for her teammate Jamison Schaaf who had just qualified for state in Glasgow.

“I just have to focus I guess,” Mears said. “I’m excited my buddy scored yesterday and I’m excited that I have a buddy for state.”

Grant O’Brien seemed to have a better second go at Marian Hills in his home meet scoring 110, but he was off to a rough start in his first hole.

“I got a triple bogey,” he said. “I could’ve chipped a little better but I can’t be too disappointed. I didn’t hit any out. I just gotta keep my cool, play it safe and hit it straight.”

Reba Doucette shot a 125 at the meet. She felt pretty confident at Marian Hills during this meet after posting a score of 117 in Glasgow. It was her lowest score of the season.

“It was good weather and I was in a good mood, so it went good,” Doucette said. “I don’t think I’ll do as good as yesterday but not as bad as the first meet here.”

Christian Menge has made it his goal to qualify for state at some point during the season and with the State C qualifying standard set at 100 strokes in any given meet.

He hasn’t met his goal but he was still optimistic during the Malta meet, even knowing that he didn’t qualify.

“I don’t think I’ll qualify (today) but I definitely did better this time than last time (at the Whitewater meet.),” Menge said. “I made less mistakes when it came to chipping onto the green. My short game also came along better than last time I was here.”

At the late stages of the meet, Menge said that he had made par at two holes that day.

“I think I’ll probably shoot in the 120’s,” Menge said. “And last time I was here, I shot a 129. Low 120’s is what I’m expecting.”

Menge finished with 122 strokes with a circle 10.

Chloe Hunter finished the day with 154 strokes. It’s the second meet of her career at Marian Hills.

“I improved,” she said. “I hope to get above a 150 by having good drives and putting.

In boy’s JV Jacob Czereda scored a 126.

“I did pretty good in Glasgow but this is my second meet in Malta, so I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “I’m just going to do the best I can.”