Suiting up and traveling for the Trans-Valley League Mid-Year Tournament, Escalon’s Lady Cougar golfers hit the course for that tourney on Monday, Sept. 25.

The tournament was an 18-hole event, hosted at Manteca Park Golf Course.

“We placed fifth out of six teams,” said head coach Chris Casazza.

Taking first was Ripon with a score of 400, followed by Hilmar, 423; Hughson and Riverbank each with a team score of 433; Escalon at 457 and Livingston at 461.

Individual scores for the Escalon team were posted by Genevieve Casazza, 104; Rose Percey and Elizabeth Allan, 111; Cortney Ball, 131.

Playing but not in the top four were Samantha Bruns, 140 and Taylor Bruns, 141.

Casazza was seventh overall in the tournament, Percey and Allan tied for 15th.

“It was a beautiful day for golf on a beautiful 18-hole course,” explained Casazza. “It was quite the long day because this tournament was not a shotgun start. All teams started at Hole 1 and played all 18. The first group teed off at 12 p.m. with the final group teeing off at 1:15 p.m.”

The coach noted that the last group finished well past 6 p.m., and the girls were grouped by their TVL rankings in foursomes.

“Each foursome had girls from four different schools,” he pointed out. “Our Escalon girls all had a great time and enjoyed meeting and playing with girls from other schools.”

For Casazza, that opportunity is special.

“That is one of the things I love about high school golf: unlike other sports, in golf, the competitors spend quite an extended amount of time walking the course together; the whole time conversing and really getting to know each other. Friendships are made,” he said.

On Thursday, Escalon hosted Riverbank in TVL play at the Escalon Golf Course.

“We were defeated by four strokes. Riverbank 165, Escalon 169,” noted Casazza. “It was a very close match, which seems to be a theme for us this season. We were tied with Riverbank after the first two foursomes came in with their scores.”

It wasn’t until the third and final group that Riverbank was able to secure the win, the coach said, adding that it didn’t take away from the play of his squad.

“It was one of our best team efforts, and despite taking the loss, our girls were smiling,” Casazza said. “Our girls absolutely love playing Riverbank. The girls from both teams get along so well together. It’s so great to see.”

Individual Escalon scores were: Casazza 40; Allan, 41; Taylor Bruns, 42; Percey, 46, for the scoring four; with Ball carding a 48 and Isabelle Titsworth coming in at 53.

The girls were to host Hilmar on Tuesday, Oct. 3 and travel to Hughson for an Oct. 4 match.