COLLEGE PARK — COLLEGE PARK -- Gary Carpenter fired a 2-under-par 69 over the University of Maryland Golf Course to open a five-stroke advantage on the field and pace Arundel High to the team lead after the first Golf
round of the annual Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association championships yesterday.
April Hardesty of Easton High School was almost as dominant in the girls' field, as her 80 was good for a four-stroke margin.
Hardesty, second last year on 180, had nines of 37-43 in building her cushion on defending champion Kristin Dollenberg of Dulaney and Kelly Doyle of Whitman, each at 84. They were the only ones to break 90 among the 13 girls in the field.
Among the Baltimore County boys entered, Eddie Lipski of Dulaney was low with 80, trailed by his teammates Jon Steckler and Tim Moores, and Jason Brewster of Lansdowne, all at 82.
This marked the fourth successive state appearance for Carpenter, 17, and the 69 was his best score on the course and within one of Colyn Keller's year-old one-day record low score. The Arundel senior, fourth last year at 152, is the highest returning finisher.
In the team chase, defending champion Arundel, a two-shot winner over Damascus last year, put up a four-man total of 311 for a runaway lead on Quince Orchard, 323, at the halfway mark of the 36-hole program. Bowie is third, 326, followed by Dulaney, 327.
The other Baltimore area entries in the 16-team field are Broadneck and Severna Park, tied for eighth at 342.