Casi hits for distance

The East Palestine graduate repeated as the long-drive contest winner.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- Alex Casi, the first competitor in Tuesday's Amateur Long Drive Contest, stepped up to the tee, took a few practice swings and ripped her first drive 220 yards.
Contest over.
Not officially, of course -- Casi still had three more drives and three more competitors. But considering no one else came within 15 yards of that drive, it was all she needed.
"It was nice to drive the first one right down the fairway," Casi said. "It took some pressure off."
Casi, 18, also won the event last year at Squaw Creek Country Club. After graduating from East Palestine High School last spring, she went to the University of Maryland on a golf scholarship. She left after three weeks.
She transferred to YSU this winter and ran track, but she plans to transfer again.
"I want to play golf," she said. "I'll have to sit out a year because of the transfer rule, but I want to find a coach who can really help me improve my game. I don't want to go somewhere where I'm not going to get better."
Ironically, she wants to work on driving the ball better.
"I'm a little inconsistent with the driver," she said.
Battle for first
She showed signs of that at Tuesday's contest. After hitting the first drive, she missed the fairway on her next attempt, drove 224 yards on her third attempt and missed the fairway on her fourth attempt.
"It feels pretty good to repeat," she said. "It's a good experience and it gives me a chance to be around the pros. My ultimate goal is to play here someday."
Katie Dick, a student at Cardinal Mooney, finished second with a drive of 205 yards. Kristen DeGaetano placed third (193 yards) and Sue Parker was fourth (183 yards).
Before the contest, Casi was fitted with some new golf shoes.
Did they work?
"They worked good," she said with a laugh. "It must be the shoes."
Professional contest
Annette DeLuca won the professional contest with a drive of 259 yards, beating finalists Caroline Blaylock (256 yards) and Wendy Doolan (248 yards).
Jean Bartholomew took fourth, Candie Kung was fifth and Sheri Turner was sixth.
"It's a great start to the week," DeLuca said. "I really enjoy coming to Youngstown every year and it's nice to come and win this."
DeLuca won $2,000 (and one of those cool oversized checks) -- the third time she's won the event. She also won in 1998 and 1999.
Because of the heavy rain that hit the area over the past month, the course was wet, which kept the drives shorter than usual. She had the shortest winning drive in the history of the competition.
"You just have to hit it hard and hope you hit the fairway," DeLuca said.