By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
The Vikings remain undefeated taking the championship crown at the third annual Valley View Golf Invitational last Monday by holding off Strasburg by 21 strokes and a dozen other teams last Monday in Moorefield.
Moorefield Golf hosted the invitational which was spearheaded by coach Kevin Reed and featured plaques, games and food for all the teams.
“It has become a great event. All of the teams want to come back next year. That’s a sign we are doing something right. Special thanks to all who helped make it a success,” Moorefield Golf coach Kevin Reed stated.
Petersburg won the title with a team score of 297, followed by runner-up Strasburg (VA) 318, Hampshire 321, Keyser 341, Elkins 344, Martinsburg 353, Jefferson 364, Frankfort 370, Berkeley Springs 373, Moorefield 376, Central Woodstock (VA) 379, Philip Barbour 390, East Hardy 421 and Tucker County +66.
The Yellow Jackets Golf team finished in tenth place overall.
Moorefield’s low-medalist was Drake Kimble with a card of 81, followed by Kail Greenwalt with an 86, Trevor Baldwin with a 97, Marcus Cremann at 112 and rounding out the Yellow Jackets invitational competition was Veronica Carr at 113.
Kimble kept an eye on his drive off the 10th hole tee and willed it with body language to land where he expected.
Carr took time to carefully line up shots on the greens, kneeling down to make sure the ball was in the right spot.
Baldwin landed in the sand bunker next to the Oakland Hall green, then launched out of it and nailed a long distance putt.
Cremann got more sand than bargained for having to hit twice to escape that same trap.
The Yellow Jackets showed precision off the tees landing in the fairways throughout the course.
East Hardy Cougars took 13th place in the Valley View Golf Invitational.
The Cougars were led by Shayne Sisler with a card of 96, followed by Eli Combs with a 101, Patrick Mills and Marshall Walker tied with 112 strokes and Albert Lermineaux finished with 123.
Combs was in one of the sand lots by Oakland Hall and took a bunch of sand with the club when sending the ball out of danger to the green and took a couple putts to the hole.
Sisler took a wide angle next to the golf cart barn back across the fairway, then redirected towards the green on the fifth hole.
Mills had a similar fate near the barn hitting to the fairway,
The Valley View Golf Invitational All-Tournament Team included the top seven individual golfers led by overall low-medalist Lucas Riggleman of Petersburg along with brother Matt Riggleman and fellow Vikings teammates Ayden Gossard and Maverick Wratchford, a pair of Strasburg Rams and Hampshire golfer Peyton Vanmeter.
This invitational has become a favorite of regional teams and looks to continue its success for years to come.
