SB Invitational expanding

Star Beacon

August 07, 2008 12:42 am

— The 2008-09 high school sports season will tee off on Monday... literally.
The annual Star Beacon Invitational will be held once again at Maple Ridge Golf Course, the first event of the fall sports season.
Eleven of the 12 area boys teams — plus Fairport — will be competing in what has become an annual event. Grand Valley received, but declined, an invitation to participate.
Lakeside, Conneaut, Edgewood, Geneva, Harvey, Jefferson, Lakeside, Madison, Pymatuning Valley, Riverside and SS. John and Paul will join Fairport in the boys competition.
Lakeside is the defending champion, though coach Jim Hood’s Dragons will not have T.J. Bowler, the 2007 medalist, in the lineup as he graduated last June. Madison placed second in the event in 2007.
The Invitational has been expanded this year as, for the first time, a girls event will also be contested.
Six area girls teams — Conneaut, Edgewood, Geneva, Jefferson, Pymatuning Valley and SS. John and Paul will take part in the inaugural girls competition. As was the case with the boys teams, every girls team in the area received an invitation to participate.
“We at the Star Beacon are very pleased to be able to expand the Invitational to include girls teams for the first time,” Star Beacon Sports Editor Don McCormack said. “Girls golf is still at the ground floor in terms of years of competition for several of the area schools, but it is our pleasure to try and do our part to help with the growth of the sport.”
The 12-team boys competition will tee off at 8 a.m. on Monday. At the turn of the 18-hole event, competitors will be served hot dogs and liquid refreshments. After the round is completed, they will be served pizza and pop.
The six-team girls competition will tee off at 1 p.m. and the girls will be playing the back nine at Maple Ridge. After the rounds are concluded, they will be served pizza and pop.
First- and second-place trophies will be awarded to the two top boys and girls teams as well as trophies for both the boys and girls medalists.