Here is a look at the 2024 boys and girls golf teams and their respective players in Hunterdon County:
BOYS TEAMS
DELAWARE VALLEY
Head Coach: David Kirschenmann, 24th season.
Nickname: Terriers
Last year: 8-9
Top players: Matthew Roman (Sr.), Cole Kramer (Jr.), Jon Nalesnik (Jr.), Griffin Engelhardt (Jr.).
Top newcomer(s): Finn Tribus (So.).
Outlook: Kirschenmann has a ton of unknowns this season as he graduated many multi-year players last year. Roman has the vast majority of Delaware Valley’s returning dual match experience, so will have to see who will step up to make the lineup when play begins.
HUNTERDON CENTRAL
Head Coach: Chris Gacos, 8th season (54-19).
Nickname: Red Devils
Last year: 12-1
Top players: Zachary Fisher (Sr.), Alex Yong (Sr.), Trent Fischer (Sr.), Tom Bill (Sr.), Tom Brunetti (Sr.).
Top newcomers: David Berger (So.), Anthony Mondelli (So.).
Outlook: Gacos returns two players from last year’s NJ.com top-ranked team and Team of the Year and could even be better as it defends yet again their Red Devils Tournament, Hunterdon County, Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex and Skyland Conference titles along with a Group 4 state championship. All five seniors are going on to continue their careers in college.
NORTH HUNTERDON
Head Coach: Kirk Hissner, 16th season.
Nickname: Lions
Last year: 9-4.
Top players: Archer Cassetty (Sr.), Tucker Hoffman (Sr.), Andrew Liu (Jr.), Logan Priesler (Sr.), Rohan Scully (Sr.), Holden Schipper (So.).
Outlook: Experience headlines the Lions squad with four seniors and one junior leading the way. With a year under his belt and a solid season to boot last year as a freshman, Schipper looks to add even more to the talent base.
VOORHEES
Head Coach: Kevin Schafer, 2nd season.
Nickname: Vikings
Last year: 5-10
Top players: Alex Atchley (Jr.), John Serritella (So.), Doug Wilhelms (Jr.).
Top newcomer(s): Liam Byrnes (So.), Aedan Dorwart, Jack Dorr, Holden Ackerman.
Outlook: With no seniors on the squad, Voorhees looks to take another step in their development and gain experience towards more consistent rounds as their 2024 campaign begins at Belvidere, Thursday, March 21 at 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS TEAMS
HUNTERDON CENTRAL
Head Coach: Frances Gacos, 13th season.
Nickname: Red Devils
Last year: 3-4
Top players: Emily Blumenberg (Sr.), Ella Grinbaum (Sr.), Julia Hunt (Sr.), Olivia Hunt (Sr.), Isabella Duran.
Outlook: After a 1-7 campaign in 2022, Hunterdon Central saw improvement last season after finishing 3-4 and sixth in the Skyland Conference Tournament. Grinbaum led her team with a 19th-place finish (93) while Olivia Hunt came in 34th (105). With a bevy of seniors, the Red Devils should continue their climb in 2024.
NORTH HUNTERDON
Head Coach: Jake Ruscher, 6th season.
Nickname: Lions
Last year: 8-4
Top players: Esther Choi (Jr.), Eesha Mahendran (Sr.), Ellery Cassetty (So.), Vicky Du (Sr.), Kendall Varty (Sr.).
Outlook: North Hunterdon should remain a solid team after coming off an 8-4 season and a seventh-place finish in the Skyland Conference Tournament (405). Choi returns after leading her squad with a 16th-place finish in the Skyland Conference Tournament (87). She also finished in the top five in 11 of her team’s 12 regular season matches and captured the top spot twice. Mahendran tied for 25th in the Skyland Conference Tournament (99).
VOORHEES
Head coach: Carmen Cook, 3rd season.
Top players: Cameron Coates (Jr.), Phoebe Malatesta (Sr.), Darla Rudnicki (Jr.), Camryn Valenta (Jr.).
Outlook: It will be a new era for Voorhees after losing two-time girls Hunterdon County Democrat Girls’ Golfer of the Year Kavya Ajjarapu and All-Hunterdon County Team selection Samantha Bryan to graduation. The Vikings should continue their strong positioning in 2024 though following an 8-2 campaign and ninth-place finish in the Central Jersey sectional championship (383).
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Lou Monaco can be reached at lmonaco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @loumonaco.