For over a month now, the George Mason High School varsity golf team has yet to cede a dual match to the opposition. Since August 23, the Mustangs have hit their stride, winning all 16 matches in which they have taken part. However, last Tuesday’s match against Madison County might have been the sweetest of their string of victories.
At Greene Hills Country Club, the site of Mason’s last loss, the Madison County squad — minus reigning district player of the year Joe Canosa — was no match for the stellar play of the Mustangs, who posted a season low total of 166 to best the Mountaineers' mark of 181.
The Mustangs were led by an outstanding performance by senior Mike Straub, the number one golfer on the roster, who posted a match-low score of 39 on the afternoon. The three sophomores on the roster rounded out the top four for Mason, as Evans Mandes (41), Michael Duning (42) and Michael Wolfe (44) led the way for the district leading Mustangs.
With the current standings, the Mustangs sit atop the Bull Run District with a perfect record of 8-0, with a two-match lead over Clarke County and Madison. Mason can clinch a second-straight regular season district title with a win of their own or with a loss by one of the two second place teams.
On August 30, the Mustangs improved on their unblemished record with a nine-hole tri-match at Strasburg’s home course with the Strasburg Rams and Region B member Luray High School. Only Strasburg is in the Bull Run with Mason, but the squad managed to come out on top with wins versus both teams, led by Wolfe.
Wolfe, who shot a 43, tied for a match-low, teamed up with Straub and juniors Drew Davies and Chris An, all of whom shot 44 on the day, to round out the top four scorers for the Mustangs, adding up to a team total of 175.
Strasburg was led by Daniel Davis who tied with Wolfe for the match-low of 43, as they finished just 10 strokes behind the Mustangs for the loss. Luray’s fate was the same, falling 210-175.
The team will face a local squad for a change, as AAA Yorktown High School comes to town in a non-district match this Thursday, Sept. 6 at 4:45 p.m. at Fairfax National G.C. Following that, the Mustangs will take on second-place Clarke County on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. at Fairfax National.
