Poindexter Maryland Team (L-R): Malaya Johnson, Caitlyn Navaleza, Claire Son, Elisha Yim, Bani Banwait, Madeline Navaleza
Swanton, Md. – The 28th Poindexter Cup, an annual competition between junior girls from Maryland and Virginia, was held at Thousand Acres Golf Club in Swanton, Md., June 13-14. Each team was represented by six players competing in match-play formats across both days. The Maryland team was comprised of the following girls:
- Caitlyn Navaleza (Haysfield Country Club / Youth on Course Maryland)
- Madeline Navaleza (Haysfield Country Club / Youth on Course Maryland)
- Elisha Yim (Youth on Course Maryland)
- Bani Banwait (Argyle Country Club / Youth on Course Maryland)
- Claire Son (Youth on Course Maryland / MSGA eClub)
- Malaya Johnson (Youth on Course Maryland)
Day 1 – Four-Ball Matches
The weekend began with four-ball matches on Saturday, June 13, where several closely contested matches left Maryland within striking distance heading into Sunday’s singles competition.
Claire Son and Caitlyn Navaleza were able to keep things close in their match against Virginia’s Alison Oh and Katherine Yu. The Maryland duo were 1-up after the 5th and maintained the lead until the 9th, when Oh and Yu tied the match for Virginia. The Virginia duo carried that momentum into the back nine, taking the 12th, 13th, and 15th. Son and C. Navaleza carved out a win on the 16th, cutting into Virginia’s lead, but after Oh and Yu won the 17th, the Virginia duo secured a 3&1 victory and the match point.
Bani Banwait and Madeline Navaleza went against Virginia’s Isabel Vizgaitis and Karoline Sweet in the second match. The Maryland duo claimed an early lead, winning the 1st and 4th holes. However, Vizgaitis and Sweet won the 8th and 9th to bring the match to all-square at the turn. Banwait and M. Navaleza started the back nine with a win on the 10th to go 1-up, but they couldn’t hold off Virginia’s late rally, ultimately losing by one as Oh and Yu secured the match point for Virginia.
In the third four-ball match, Elisha Yim and Malaya Johnson were matched up against Virginia’s Ellison Howell and Kaylee Bell. It was a back-and-forth affair on the front nine, with Yim and Johnson taking an early 2-up lead after the first four holes. Howell and Bell answered by taking three of the next four holes to take the lead at 1-up. The Maryland pair responded by winning the 9th to square the match heading into the back nine. Neither side was able to gain an advantage over the final nine holes, resulting in a halved match and a half-point for each team.
Day 2 – Individual Matches
Trailing 2.5-0.5 after the opening day, Maryland entered Sunday’s singles matches needing a strong performance to mount a comeback.
Maryland’s Caitlyn Navaleza and Virginia’s Alison Oh kicked off day two, trading holes early. Oh held the advantage at 1-up at the turn after claiming three holes to C. Navaleza’s two. C. Navaleza opened the back nine with consecutive victories to regain the lead, but Oh responded with her own pair of victories. After C. Navaleza tied the match on the 14th, Oh answered with consecutive victories on the 15th and 16th to secure a 2&1 win and a point for Virginia.
Maryland’s Malaya Johnson matched up with Virginia’s Katherine Yu in the second match. The match followed a similar pattern to the opening singles contest as the two competitors traded holes from the 3rd to 6th before Yu claimed the advantage on the 8th to take a 1-up lead into the second nine of the match. Johnson tied the match on the 11th, but Yu quickly regained the lead on the 12th. Yu maintained her lead until the 16th, when Johnson tied the match again. That was where the match stood at the conclusion of the round, with the two sides halving the match and claiming a half point each.
The third match of the day featured Maryland’s Madeline Navaleza and Virginia’s Kaylee Bell in what was one of the more one-sided matches of the day, this time in favor of Maryland. M. Navaleza jumped out to an early 2-up lead after winning the first two holes. Bell cut into the lead on the 5th, but M. Navaleza immediately responded on the 6th. She added another win on the 9th to take a 3-up lead at the turn. M. Navaleza carried the momentum into the back nine, with a win on the 10th. She ultimately secured a 5&4 victory after taking the 14th, claiming a point for Maryland.
In the fourth match of the day, Maryland’s Elisha Yim and Virginia’s Karoline Sweet remained even through the first three holes. Sweet struck first on the 4th, but Yim came back with three wins of her own over the next four holes. Carrying a 2-up lead in the back nine, Yim added to her lead on the 12th and 13th. Sweet cut into the lead on the 14th, but ultimately, Yim secured a 3&2 victory to add another point to Maryland’s total.
Maryland’s Claire Son and Virginia’s Isabel Vizgaitis squared off in one of the day’s most tightly contested matches. Son took an early 1-up advantage after winning the 2nd and 5th. Vizgaitis took the 9th to even the match at the turn. The pair traded holes on the 10th and 11th to open the second nine. Son won the 13th, but Vizgaitis responded by winning the next three holes to go 2-up with two holes to play. Son cut into the lead on the 17th, but after the pair halved the 18th, Vizgaitis secured a point for Virginia with a 1-up victory.
The final matchup of the day featured Maryland’s Bani Banwait against Virginia’s Ellison Howell. After winning the opening hole, Banwait briefly fell behind when Howell captured three consecutive holes. Undeterred, Banwait answered on the 5th and caught fire beginning on the 7th, winning seven of the next eight holes. Her dominant stretch secured a convincing 6&4 victory and provided Maryland with a critical point in its comeback effort.
Maryland mounted a strong charge during Sunday’s singles matches, collecting 3.5 of the six available points behind victories from Madeline Navaleza, Elisha Yim, and Bani Banwait, along with a halved match from Malaya Johnson. After entering the day trailing by two points, Maryland narrowed the deficit and put the pressure on, but Virginia ultimately held on for a 5-4 victory to retain the Poindexter Cup.
Despite coming up just short, Maryland showcased its resilience throughout the weekend, highlighted by three singles victories and a determined final-day rally. The experience provided another valuable opportunity for some of the state’s top junior players to represent Maryland in one of the region’s premier junior team competitions.
The MSGA would like to thank the staff and members of Thousand Acres Golf Club for their support and for hosting the 28th Poindexter Cup.
MSGA Mission
To serve, grow, and advance the game of golf in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
