Agnes Irwin's Lees, Norristown's Ryan are winners in Helen Sigel Wilson Invitational

   Agnes Irwin senior Kaitlyn Lees, playing on her home course at Philadelphia Country Club, captured the girls 16-to-18 division in the Helen Sigel Wilson Invitational Saturday.

   Lees, a two-time Pennsylvania Junior Girls’ and two-time Inter-Ac League champion, carded a 3-over-par 77 to cruise to an eight-shot victory over Whitemarsh Valley Country Club’s Casey Oppenheimer, the reigning Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Girls’ champion who posted an 85.

   Lees’ final scholastic season will be in the spring. The American Junior Golf Association recently revealed that Lees will continue her academic and golf pursuits in the Ivy League at Dartmouth.

   The event is named for legendary amateur Helen Sigel Wilson, a Philadelphia Country Club member who, in addition to compiling a remarkable career on the golf course, was a successful restaurateur.

   Liv Juliana finished third with an 88 followed by a couple more Whitemarsh Valley golfers, Olivia Wirsching in fourth with an 89 and Clare Gimpel in fifth with a 91. Christina Carroll finished sixth with a 93, Savanna Haas of Spring-Ford Country Club took seventh with a 98 and Morgan Frampton of Whitemarsh Valley was eighth with a 117.

   Jade Gu of Yardley Country Club earned top honors in the girls 12-to-14 division with a 5-over 79. Llanerch Country Club’s Riley Quarterman, a Haverford High freshman, was the runnerup with an 88.

   Natasha Kiel of Jericho National Golf Club finished third with an 89, Victoria Kim of Penn Oaks Golf Club was fourth with a 91 and Niosha Parvizi of Philadelphia Country Club and Harriton was fifth with a 95.

   On the boys side, Norristown High junior Caleb Ryan of LuLu Country Club won the 15-to-18 division with a sparkling even-par 71 over the challenging Philadelphia Country Club layout. Ryan is gearing up for the scholastic postseason after making a trip to the PIAA Championship as a sophomore a year ago.

   A couple of DuPont Country Club players, Nikita Romanov and Danny Dougherty, finished tied for second, each carding a 3-over 74.

   Spring-Ford senior Ben Pochet, who will defend his District One Class AAA title next week at Turtle Creek Golf Club, headed a group of three players tied for fourth at 5-over 76. Representing Spring-Ford Country Club, Pochet captured the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Christman Cup at Stonewall’s North Course and earned a trip to the U.S. Junior Amateur at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Andover, Kan. this summer.

   Joining Pochet at 5-over 76 were a couple of Kennett Square Golf & Country Club players, Richard Kline and Christopher Skean. Penn Charter freshman Patrick Isztwan, playing out of Huntingdon Valley Country Club, finished alone in seventh with a 77. Buddy Hansen of Blue Bell Country Club took eighth place with a 78.

   Three players – Hayden Moffatt of LuLu, Jack  Sullivan of Wildwood Golf & Country Club, and Tyler Zimmer of Philadelphia Country Club – finished tied for ninth, each posting a 79.

   Central Bucks East junior Patrick Sheehan, playing out of Talamore Country Club, finished alone in 12th place with an 80. Austin Barbin of Chesapeake Bay Country Club and Alec Ryden of Laurel Creek Country Club shared 13^th place at 81. Jack Cooley of Bidermann Golf Club finished alone in 15^th with an 82.

   Davis Flannery of Overbrook Golf Club and Radnor High, Matt LaFond of Whitemarsh Valley and Dylan Topaz of Philadelphia Cricket Club finished tied for 16^th, each carding an 83. Spring-Ford Country Club’s Drew Steinmetz, a member of the golf team at The Hill School, finished 19^th with an 84 and Will Keane of Philadelphia Country Club rounded out the top 20 with an 85.

   Ryan McCabe of the Springhaven Club and John Bradbeer of Merion Golf Club shared top honors in the 12-to-14 division, each carding a solid 4-over 75. Evan Barbin of Chesapeake Bay and Logan Paczewski of Irem Country Club shared third place, a shot behind McCabe and Bradbeer at 5-over 76.

   Win Thomas, who has had a breakout year on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour, was alone in fifth with an 81. Jake Maddaloni of Aronimink Golf Club, Ray Anderson of Kennett Square and Auggie Reilly of Merion finished tied for sixth at 82. Peter Ryan of Overbrook rounded out the top 10 with an 84.