When Jenna Masnyk hears people talk about the wide range of benefits that sports have to offer, she knows exactly what they’re talking about. Golf has provided her with all sorts of neat opportunities over the last several years, including a chance to meet some of the greatest golfers in the world and even a chance to test her journalism skills.

A student at the Button Hole Short Course & Teaching Center, on the Providence/Johnston line, the Lincoln High senior-to-be has enjoyed great success on the links. She has earned All-State honors in each of her first three high school seasons, including a second selection to the first team after finishing third behind Samantha Morrell and Juliet Vongphoumy at this year’s Rhode Island Interscholastic League Girls State Tournament at Point Judith Country Club

But her involvement with golf goes beyond learning how to keep the ball in the fairway, she says.

“That’s what’s so great about Button Hole,” Masnyk said. “It not only teaches you about golf. As cliché as it might sound, it teaches you life lessons –– how to act, how to be proper, how to have etiquette.”

And the perks haven’t stopped there. As a student at Button Hole, Masnyk has served as a standard-bearer during the CVS Caremark Charity Classic at Rhode Island Country Club for the last six years. She’s been able to rub elbows with some of the best ever to play the game, including the legendary Arnold Palmer.

“You’re actually there and you meet them and talk to them and shake their hands and they have a casual conversation with you,” she said. “You see that they’re normal people, too, and it’s nice to be up close and personal with them.”

Masnyk even putted for LPGA star Natalie Gulbis at last year’s Pepsi Pro-Am.

“I was the standard-bearer for her, and we were just having a normal conversation because it was laid-back because it was just the pro-am, and I was telling her how much I love golf,” Masnyk recalled. “So she said, ‘Why don’t you hit a couple of drives for me?’ And I was like shaking and I said, ‘No, that’s OK.’ And she said, ‘That’s all right, you can putt for me on the next hole.’ So on the 11th hole, everyone’s watching and the cameras are on and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ But I actually made the putt. It was exciting. It was like 10 feet, nothing extravagant. But it was still nerve-wracking.”

This year, Masnyk received yet another great opportunity, when she and five other local teens were chosen to be “junior reporters” at the Charity Classic. Joining her inside the ropes were Lauren DeLeo, 16, of Seekonk; Jahari Ford, 13, of West Warwick; Faith Moses, 13, of Barrington and Marcel and McKinley Odom, both 14 and from Providence.

Read what they wrote at http://www.cvscharityclassic.com/tournament/junior_reporters.asp

Vasconcelos finds new home

Her world turned upside down when she was given the news just a few months ago that field hockey was among the sports being dropped at the University of Rhode Island, Brittany Vasconcelos continues her search for a college where she will be able to continue her athletic career. Things are looking up, though she says, as she has opted to attend The Taft School as a post-graduate this fall. The two-time All-Stater and 2007 Penn Monto/NFHCA High School All-Region selection from Tiverton has received nearly a full scholarship to attend the co-ed boarding school in Watertown, Conn.

“At the beginning I was kind of bummed out and disappointed, but now as I’ve gone through the process and know what’s happening, I think it’s for the best,” she said. “I think I made the right decision.”

Planning to study American History or Political Science in college, Vasconcelos says she will be able to receive college credit for some of the courses she takes at Taft. She also met with field hockey coach Rachael Ryan and is looking forward to playing for the team, which competes in the Founders League and last season posted a 10-4-1 record.

“It’s beautiful,” she said of the 220-acre campus. “They built a new turf field just for the field hockey team to play on. It’s unbelievable the stuff they can offer.”

Tournament on the Cape

Speaking of Vasconcelos, she and several other Rhode Islanders are going up against some of the top field hockey talent in the region at this weekend’s Cape Cod Classic Tournament at Dennis-Yarmouth High School.

Cate Colucci, Steph Martineau, Katy Hall, Katie Martin, Amanda DiPaola and Erin Ferry, all of Bay View, are playing in the tourney, as are Stacey Scott, Tori Dolce, Nancy Haidt and Cassie Stuart from North Kingstown. Vasconcelos’ former Tiverton teammate Lauren Tavares is also there, along with Lincoln High’s Brittany Allen and Wheeler teammates Victoria Studley and Emily Holding.

Clippers scouting talent

The Cumberland High girls tennis team will be hosting a series of free clinics over the next three weeks for all girls interested in trying out for the team. They will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, as well as on July 31 and Aug. 7

Players will receive instruction and be introduced to the rules necessary to compete at the high school level.

Demo racquets will be provided if needed. Players should bring their own water and towels. Interested players should contact Cumberland head coach John Jasionowski by phone at (401) 965-3462 or via e-mail at j.jasionowski@att.net or assistant coach Linda Deacon at (401) 658-2335.

cthorn@projo.com