By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The Southeast Pirates’ girls golf team has had an outstanding start to their season.

The defending champions of the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference have already won the Ohio Girls Golf Foundation tournament at Avon, bested Columbiana in their first match and golfed their way to sixth place in the annual Rough Rider Invitational hosted by the Kent Roosevelt girls golf team that features all Division-I teams (Southeast is a Division-II team).

The unique tournament welcomed only four golfers from each of the 13 teams competing at the Fairways at Twin Lakes.

The student-athletes each played 18 holes on their way to individual and team honors.

The Pirates were led by Sammy Morgan, who was named to the All-Tournament team and fired a 75 on her way to the fourth-individual spot in the standings.

Morgan was on fire, carding five birdies during her 18-hole round. Morgan was only four strokes off the leader, the 1-over-par round 71 carded by Ellie Hutzler of Hoover.

Southeast’s team included Emily Morrison (95), Jennifer Mix (92) and Lily Hayes (107).

Cindy Fesemyer, coach of the Pirates, said she was proud of her team.

The host Riders took home eighth place and the Aurora girls placed ninth among the 13 teams.

Leaders on the two additional Portage County teams were Kent’s Brooke Beatty, a junior, firing an 85 and Aurora’s Kelly MacSurak, also a junior, shooting a 93.

The annual tournament has been a must-compete event for many of the Division-I teams in Northeast Ohio to start the season. The tough Fairways at Twin Lakes provides an ultimate test for the golfers.

Bryan Harvey, coach of the Riders and go-course manager at the Fairways at Twin Lakes, provides a tough but fair setup for all golfers.

LADY RIDERS INVITATIONAL

(At The Fairways at Twin Lakes, Kent — Par 70)

TEAM STANDINGS

Hoover 320, Revere 329, Uniontown Lake 331, Walsh Jesuit 344, Hathaway Brown 365, Southeast 369, North Royalton 376, Kent Roosevelt 382, Aurora 391, Solon 403, Uniontown Green 414, Nordonia 415, Stow-Munroe Falls 424.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Ellie Hutzler, Hoover 71; Vivian Eich, Walsh Jesuit 73; Charlie Brophy, Lake 73; Sammy Morgan, Southeast 75; Yumi Koshara, Walsh Jesuit 77.

LOCAL TEAM SCOREBOARD

SOUTHEAST (369): Samantha Morgan 75, Emily Morrison 95, Jennifer Mix 92, Lily Hayes 109.

KENT ROOSEVELT (382): Brooke Beatty 89, Coco Golden 90, Mia Turner 94, Colbie Kruger 109.

AURORA (391): Kelly MacSurak 93, Mia Custer 103, Alyssa Rodenhauser 99, Alyza Kour 96.