DiLeo, Chance, Markowitz top District golf team
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Across the board, the 2008 golf season was extraordinary in the Freehold Regional District history.

The District was never so deep as displayed at the Monmouth County and Shore Conference (SC) tournaments. Marlboro, Howell andManalapan finished two-three-four at the county tournament with Colts Neck seventh.At the SC, it was Marlboro, Howell and Colts Neck going two-three-four with Manalapan seventh.

Howell and Marlboro went to the final match of the season before settling the Shore Conference A North Division title. The Rebels prevailed in the match played at Battleground Country Club, the Mustangs' home course. Two days before, Tim Hogan's Rebels had won their first Freehold Regional District title, finishing 17 strokes ahead of Marlboro.

The Rebels were 12-2 in A North matches and 17-3 overall. They finished third at the state sectional.

Stan Bryck's Mustangs did have their moments finishing second at the county and conference tournaments.

As their high finishes at the county and conference showed, Colts Neck and Manalapan had very strong teams as well. Both in the thick of the A North chase most of the year. It was Manalapan's Pat DiLeo who won the Freehold District title.

DiLeo heads the News Transcript's 2008 All-Freehold Regional District Boys Golf Team. Howell's Corey Carrick and TomMartino,Marlboro's KeithMarkowitz and Dan Nitiutomo, Manalapan's Rob Perrone and Colts Neck's Andrew Schonholtz.

DiLeo has been playing outstanding golf since he was a freshman, and this spring he put together his finest season. Now, a seasoned junior, he scored his first scholastic win at the District, shooting a fine even-par 71 on the Eagle Oaks Country Club course in Howell. The Brave played his best golf of the year when it mattered most. He was the only area golfer to qualify for the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions after he finished third at the South Jersey/Central Jersey Group IV tourney at the Linwood Country Club. He carded a 77, losing second place on a match of cards. He was just one stroke behind the sectional winner, Anthony Aloi of WestWindsor-Plainsboro South (76). Earlier in the season, he was 11th at the county tournament.

Carrick is only a sophomore and getting better seemingly with each round. He was Howell's steadiest player throughout its drive to theANorth title. He was a fine tournament player as well with a string of high finishes to back it up. He was fourth at the Shore Conference (74) and District tournaments and 10th at the state sectional and Monmouth County.

Martino was Howell's No. 2 scorer behind Carrick. He tied for 16th at the county championships and 17th at the state sectional and was third at the Freehold District tourney. Martino is a junior. With four of their top five back, Howell looms as the team to beat next spring as well.

Markowitz was Marlboro's No. 1 player throughout the season. The junior was solid in dual meets and tournament play. He carded a 73 at Eagle Oaks and was runnerup to DiLeo for the District title.Markowitz was also second at the Shore Conference Tournament played at Charleston Springs. His 73was just one stroke behind champion RyanMcCormick ofMater Dei (74). He was fourth at the county championship losing a match of cards to Perrone after each had come in with a 74. At the state sectional, he tied for 13th (84). He went 3-0 representing Monmouth County at the Shore Challenge.

Nitiutomo provided the steady hand of senior leadership for the Mustangs. He took fourth at the county tournament (75) and tied for 21st in the conference. He helped the 'Stangs go 13-3 in dual meets.

Perrone and DiLeo were probably the best one-two at the top of the lineup of any team in the District.Asenior, Perrone won the District title in '07 and passed the torch to his teammate this year. Perrone was the top local finisher at the county championships, carding a 74 for third place at Hominy Hill. He tied for 27th at the conference.

As good as this year was, next year could be even better when you consider the youth of this year's top players. Schonholtz fits into that category as a junior. He was solid in dual meets, and in tournament play tied for 19th in the county, was 21st in the conference, tied for 17th in the state sectional and seventh at the District. The Cougars went 17-6 in dual meets with a team of underclassmen.

Those earning HonorableMention are: RickyMorgan, Freehold Borough; Pete Inglese and Nick Polvino, Colts Neck; Trevor Rockhill, Kyle Barrett and Chance Carrick, Howell; Nick Lisciandro,Manalapan; and MaxWeiss, Mark Goldberg and Brett Markowitz, Marlboro.

Kim and Kelly top girls team

Marlboro's Catherine Kim and Howell's Meghan Kelly lead the All-District Girls Team. Both are seniors.

Joining them are Colts Neck's Arianna Hatchett, Marlboro's Heather Evankow and Freehold Township's Amy Palmer.

Kim won the Freehold Regional title in a playoff with Pats' Palmer. She was also the team's best player during the dualmatch season and she was the low scorer among District golfers at the Shore Conference Championships, taking eighth and tied for 16th at the country championship.

Kelly won the first two District girl's titles and had to settle for a fourth-place tie this year. She was 22nd at the SC and tied for 19th at Monmouth County.

Hatchett finished in a 19th-place tie with Kelly at the county championships and was third at the District tournament.

Evankow and Kim gave Marlboro a steady one-two in dual meets. Besides tying for fourth with Kelly at the District, she tied for 19th in the county.

Palmer, a junior, came through.

Those who earned Honorable Mention are: Nicole Danzi, Deanna DeChirico and Pauline Spinelli of Colts Neck, and Alexa Messenger and Grace Lee of Marlboro.