Carissa Dargenio's 6-over par 41 helps Massapequa girls golf roll past Syosset
Carissa Dargenio of Massapequa watches her drive sail down the green during a Nassau girls golf match against Syosset on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Bethpage State Park. Credit: Dawn McCormick
According to Carissa Dargenio, the Massapequa girls golf team is “in a groove.”
The junior shot a match-best 6-over par 41 to help Massapequa defeat Syosset, 9-0, in a Nassau II match on Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s our second day in a row playing here at Bethpage Yellow and this is where I’ve been playing my best,” Dargenio said. “I think we’re all gaining more confidence in our games the more we play here.”
Dargenio, whose average over nine holes was 47 last season, said this season’s improvement came in her putting, thanks to help from her teammate Athena Hadoulis.
“Athena was how I shot my best round last week,” Dargenio said. “Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
“Even if I’m not with her or I’m doing something else, I’ll always stop and walk over to her to read her putts,” said Hadoulis, who shot a 50. “We’re always helping and motivating each other out there because even though this is an individual sport, it’s really not. Your team is there to help you for a reason.”
Syosset’s Helena Zhang finished with a 10-over par 45. Maggie O’Brien, Emma Sforza and Alex Castro each shot rounds of 53 for Massapequa (5-1).
Massapequa defeated Syosset (2-3) by five strokes on Bethpage Blue in the final match of the season to secure last year’s conference title.
“We may be looked at as rivals, but we are all friends and can’t wait to play against each other every year,” Dargenio said. “If any of us hit a bad shot, we’re always going to say every shot is a new shot to help each other. We just want to have fun.”
Both teams lost three seniors to graduation last year, most notably Massapequa’s Natalie Moody, who was a three-time state qualifier and broke Massapequa's 18-hole record with a 79 at the county championship last season.
“I took a lot of my game from Natalie,” Dargenio said. “She was a big inspiration to me. Anything she did, I did, too. She made me a much more comfortable golfer and made me want to lead the team with confidence as a captain this year.”
Despite the loss of upperclassmen, Massapequa is looking to dance their way to another conference title.
“We have a very competitive conference this year and the girls are excited for it,” said coach Mike Viola, who secured his 100th career win. “It’s always competitive for us, but at the same time these girls all love the game and making friends.”
