Golf team takes Lighthouse crown for third straight year
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
The Nantucket golf team repeated as Lighthouse Conference champions by turning back Cape Cod Academy last Tuesday, 32-22. The win propelled the Whalers to a 6-1 league record, one win better than Cape Cod Academy.

The steady play of captain Amanda Levy is one reason the Whalers have repeated as Lighthouse Conference champs.

Nantucket and Cape Cod Academy sported identical 5-1 conference records entering the match that was deliberately scheduled to break the tie. Nantucket's only conference loss of the season came at home against the school from the Cape.

"They beat us here on Nantucket and we beat them in Hyannis," coach Michael Horton noted. "They did not want to be co-champions so the challenged us to a tie-breaker third match at a neutral site," Quashnet Valley Country Club.

Nantucket's victory gave the team its third consecutive Lighthouse Conference crown. The Whalers are alone atop the conference for the second straight year, after being co-champs with Cape Cod Academy three years ago.

After Riley Wynn, Henry Toole and Bram Daly took part in last Friday's 50th annual Cape Cod and the Islands Individual High School Golf Championship, played at Bayberry Hills in West Yarmouth, the Whalers now look forward to Oct. 23 and the state tournament. The team's top six golfers - with Wynn, Toole and Daly, Amanda Levy, Allison Levy and Taylor Thayer - will return to Bayberry Hills for tournament play.

Horton said the high school invitational "was a great experience for next Tuesday's south sectional tournament. There are usually 9 to 12 teams in this round, and the top three move on to the state finals."

Besides the loss to Cape Cod Academy, the team's other two losses came at the hands of Division 2 Martha's Vineyard. "They are just at a higher level than us this year," Horton noted. "We'll get them in the future." Nantucket finished the regular season with an overall record of 9-3.

The solid play of team captain Amanda Levy, who was medalist in three matches this season, will also help the Whalers' cause in the post season.

"Amanda is leading by example," Horton said. "Riley had a slow start but is becoming our strongest, most consistent golfer. Bram has a lot of natural talent, and just needs more match experience."

Overall, Horton likes his team's makeup and the contributions every player is bringing to the team. He pointed to the strong showing of Daly and Allison Levy in the Cape Cod Academy title match, whose play was instrumental in winning the championship.

"The team has steadily improved over the year," he said. "The biggest difference this year is our depth. We don't have any superstars who consistently shoot in the 30s, but we have 6 golfers who score from 40 - 49.

"Our freshmen are starting to play well and carry the team," he continued. "They are just simply better than most five and six golfers on the teams that we play.

"However, to compete with the Vineyard we need all six of our players to be shooting 36-45. Hopefully, that will come next year, as we aren't losing

a single varsity golfer to graduation." I