For the second time in three years, the South boys golf team has won the Mercer County Tournament. And while the tournament’s top spot has eluded Anthony Aloi, who has been heavily favored consistently since entering the program, the senior finally received the accolades.##M:[more]##
With a 1-under-par 71, Aloi took the tournament title after three consecutive years of third-place finishes, and in doing so, he and three of his fellow seniors helped carry the team to a first place finish at the May 7 tournament. The Pirates defeated defending champion Princeton, 302 to 309, after Princeton handed them their only loss of the season, just a week earlier at Springdale Golf Club, 195-202.
For South Coach Russell Wray, the feat does not come as a surprise, since the team has a 14-1 record so far, with the last match of the season scheduled for May 22. During the tournament, Dan Kim took third place, and Greg Quinton took fourth.
“Anthony’s a great golfer, but to win the Mercer County Tournament you need more than one player, and fortunately, we had three great players really perform well, which is really impressive,” Wray said.
The team followed up its performance with a second-place finish, eight shots behind Lenape, with a score of 340, at the Group IV Central and South sectional at the Lindwood Country Club on My 13. Because the top two teams qualify for the Tournament of Champions, the Pirates will be heading to the Beacon Hill Country Club in Atlantic Highlands on Monday, May 19.
In addition to his Mercer County accolade, Aloi also took the sectional title in the event, shooting a 76 at the par-70 course. Along with Aloi, Kim, McGrain, and Quinton were also standouts at the sectional meet. Kim shot an 86, while McGrain and Quinton shot 88 and 90, respectively.
Aloi has now seen success in three of the four tournaments comprising what Wray refers to as the high school version of the “majors” — the Cherry Valley Invitational, the Mercer County Tournament, the sectionals, and the Tournament of Champions. “So far, Anthony has won the first three events, and is looking forward to playing at the Tournament of Champions,” he said.
Wray says he had high expectations for the team coming into the season because the team had a “pretty good core foundations of players.” The team has really improved its consistency this year, he says.
“Anthony’s become more consistent, and Dan and Greg have really come around,” Wray said. He also said that the three have remained dedicated, even “when it’s close to graduation and prom and all these things coming into the mix. But they stayed dedicated and working hard on their games.”
Like the Pirates, the Knights, who are lead by last year’s Mercer County Tournament champion and sophomore Dan Trink, who shot a 38-43-81 at the tournament, also have a wealth of talent to spread around. Golfers like Simran Charan, Matt Kelly, Joe Pierro, Robb Dunne, and Andrew Chismar all have stepped up numerous times this year.
