Malvern Prep separating itself from the pack in the Inter-Ac

   We managed to sneak some highlights from Round 2 of the Inter-Ac League’s regular-season mini-tournaments into the high school roundup in Wednesday’s Daily Times.

   Springside Chestnut Hill Academy hosted the rest of the league at Sunnybrook Golf Club. And Malvern Prep established itself as the team to beat by sweeping the field for the second straight time to run its record to 10-0.

   Defending champion Haverford School settled for a share of second place with Episcopal Academy and sits at 7-2-1.

   Senior Marty McGuckin led the way for the Friars as he fired a 1-under 35, but it is the play of Malvern Prep’s freshmen that might be enabling it to separate itself from the pack in the Inter-Ac this fall. John Updike of Wayne and Aronimink Golf Club had the second-best score for Malvern Prep with a 37 and another freshman, Matt Civitella, chipped in with a 39. Civitella might be an Aronimink member, too, but I’m still working on getting my Civitellas straight.

   Sophomore Matthew Davis, a Newtown Square resident and also an Aronimink member and probably Malvern Prep’s best player, Jimmy Miller of Springfield and Mike Miller all had 41s. It added up to 234, which was 11 shots better than Haverford School and Episcopal, who tied for second at 245.

   The Fords were led by senior All-Delco Max Siegfried, who fired a 37.

   The rapidly improving Churchmen were led by sophomore Jon Perry, who had an even-par 36. Senior co-captains Cole Testaiuti and Scott McConnell checked in at 40 and 41. Cole Kemmerer had a 42 and eighth-grader Case Hummer, a Glen Mills resident and an Aronimink member, and freshman Michael Zeng, of Downingtown and Applecross Country Club, both had 43s.

   I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, there are some really talented youngsters -- we’re talking eighth- and ninth-graders -- coming through the pipeline right now in this county.

   Speaking of talented ninth-graders, Radnor’s Jake Calamaro, a member at Rolling Green Golf Club, finished two shots out of first place with a 3-over 75 in his first shot at the Central League Tournament Wednesday at Turtle Creek Golf Club. And he had four three-putts when he went through 18 with three holes to play.

   I managed to sneak up to the Turtle long enough Wednesday to talk to Radnor junior Michael Sydnes and Springfield senior Josh Luchon, both of whom shot 1-over 73s. That story should show up on PaPrepLIve, our new scholastic website. What I still don’t know is if they had a playoff to determine a Central League champion or if they were declared co-champions. Regardless, they played the tricky Turtle Creek layout perfectly.

   Did not get a chance to talk to Haverford senior Frankie McVeigh, a Llanerch Country Club member, who fired a 2-over 74 to finish alone in third. McVeigh has been Haverford’s best player for four years and it’s nice to see his hard work pay off with a good number at just the right time.

   Did get to see Brynn Walker chip in for a nice finishing eagle to cap a ho-hum 4-under 68. You know, just two birdies and an eagle and no bogeys. Walker told me how disappointed she was this summer with near-misses in qualifying for the U.S. Girls Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur, but she seems to have her game in order with the scholastic postseason getting under way.

   And Walker did have some success on the USGA front in 2015 with her run to the semifinals of the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship with Council Rock North’s Madelein Herr in May and a third-place finish with Team Pennsylvania along with former Chichester great Aurora Kan and two-time Pennsylvania Amateur champion Ellen Ceresko at last month’s U.S. Women’s State Team Championship.

   I’ll try to whip up something of a preview for the District One Tournament, which opens Monday with the girls at Gilbertsville Golf Club and the boys at the Turtle. The girls who survive the Day 1 cut play at the Turtle on Day 2.

   But an interesting part of the story is going to be Day 2 at the Turtle when the District One team championship is decided. Radnor had seven boys and three girls qualify individually for districts. Radnor coach Andy Achenbach will have to decide which five to take for the team. Obviously, Walker and Sydnes will be two of the five.

   Junior Gabby Kim was busy all summer playing as much tournament golf as she could and it really paid off Wednesday as she fired a 73. It was overshadowed by Walker’s 68, but it was a really fine round. Achenbach can’t help but consider her among the five for the district team tournament. We shall see.