Severna Park Golf Thriving To Start Season

The Severna Park golf team is off to a strong start in its quest to repeat as county champions, and the Falcons have their sights set even higher this fall with a deep team capable of making noise at the district and state level.

The Falcons moved to 3-0 in A Division play on August 30 by totaling 163 to defeat South River (174), Broadneck (185) and Chesapeake (201) at Crofton Country Club. Addison Wells shot a nine-hole 37 to post the day’s top score, while teammate Pete Regala was right behind with a 38, and Andrew DeLaere (44) and Tommy Coleman (44) combined for Severna Park’s total.

Kieran Walshe led Broadneck with a 41, while Samantha Lynchard shot 45, Colin Bright shot 48 and Nick Remoll shot 51. Jake Pullin led Chesapeake with a 42, and South River’s Eddie Sarach (40) and Mason Jones (40) had solid rounds.

Carter King shot a 46 for Severna Park, and Jake Hilliard shot 50.

Wells has posted a score in the 30’s in all three of his A Division rounds this season. His 33 in the season opener at Bay Hills on August 17 was his lowest round ever in county competition, and he followed with scores of 35 and 37 at Crofton on August 29 and 30. A senior at Severna Park, Wells finished second in the county last season to Chesapeake’s Jack Snyder before going on to take fifth in the district and 21st at states.

He believes he can challenge for the county this season while also helping to lead a deep Severna Park squad.

“Individually I’d like to be in the top three in the county and hopefully top 10 in the state,” said Wells, who estimated he played upward of 20 tournament rounds this summer, including a second-place finish at the Dewey Ricketts tournament as part of the Washington Metropolitan Golf Association. “This season we’d like to repeat as county champions. We’re on a good pace. Our team has worked really hard. We’ve practice a lot, and coach [Pete] Buck has helped with our course management, getting our big numbers down.”

Regala is also in the mix as a county contender.

“I play with Addison a lot in the summer, and he’s a really good player, and that’s my goal is to be with him in the counties and districts and some of the other really good players and challenge them when it comes to that time of year.”

The team will also have competition within as Severna Park kept 16 golfers this season. Connor Garmey tied for fifth on August 29 with a score of 47. Freshman Liam Mahoney shot a 39 at Bay Hills on August 17 to help Severna Park to a score of 155. Coleman and Connor McCoy, who shot a 50 at Bay Hills, figure to be challenge for a spot in the Falcons’ top four. Fifth-year senior Matt Snowdon played an exhibition round with the Falcons on August 29 and tied Wells for the day’s low round with a 35.

“We have a deep team,” said Buck. “We did lose three starters [Snowdon, Matt Verdi and Grace Appel] from last year, but I know we have capable people who are coming up as freshmen, sophomores and juniors, and it’s their chance to step up and show me their game. We kept 16 golfers, and competition within our team is a good thing. Competition will bring out the best in them.”

On the girls side, a new season promises a wide-open race. Severna Park got solid rounds from Emily Screws (53), Ingrid Wells (54), Katrina Schultz (55), Campbell Haney (56) and Evan Bathras (63) on August 28 in the county’s all-girl match at Crofton; Screws placed fourth and Wells was fifth as Arundel’s Angelina Hwang had the low score with a 41 in front of North County’s Karlie Zamora (43) and Old Mill’s Sydney Heuvel (51). Lynchard tied for fifth with a 47 playing with the boys on August 29.

With reigning county champion Manca Teran of South River and runner-up Appel of Severna Park both departed, there will be a first-time champ on the girls side.

“We’ve got some young ladies who can make their mark over the next four years, and obviously our returning juniors have their chance to win counties,” said Buck. “It’s an open field.”