Conaway leads Malvern Prep to sweep at Sunnybrook and into tie with Haverford School in Inter-Ac race

 

   With sophomore Davis Conaway taking individual medalist honors, Malvern Prep swept to a 5-0 day, edging The Haverford School by a shot in the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitational at Sunnybrook Golf Club Tuesday and moving into a tie for the top spot in the Inter-Ac League standings with the Fords.

   Conaway, the reigning Bert Linton Inter-Ac individual champion, made birdies on the third and seventh holes on his way to a 2-under-par 34 at the tough Sunnybrook layout, leading the Friars to a 186 team score, just a shot better than the 187 total put up by Haverford School.

   There hasn’t been much to separate the top three teams in the race and, with the sweep at Sunnybrook, the defending Inter-Ac champion Friars moved into a share of the top spot with Haverford School, each sitting at 12-2-1 halfway through the regular season’s six invitationals.

   Episcopal Academy, which finished six shots behind Haverford School in third place at Sunnybrook with a 193 total, is in third place with an 11-4 mark. The Churchmen were coming off a sweep of last week’s Malvern Prep Invitational at Waynesborough Country Club.

   Backing up Conaway for Malvern Prep was fellow sophomore Thomas Ploszsy, who recorded a solid 1-over 37. Juniors Michael Henry and Brody Bell each posted a 2-over 38 and freshman Colby Komancheck was the final counter for the Friars with a 3-over 39.

   Haverford School was led by junior J.P. Hoban, who finished in red figures with a 1-under 35. Sophomore Nicky Nemo backed up Hoban for the Fords as he matched par with a 36.

   Junior Harrison Brown added a 2-over 38 and three Fords landed on 3-over 39 to account for Haverford School’s final two counters, including senior Alex Nemo, junior Gregor Weissenberger and sophomore Sean Curran.

   Episcopal Academy was led by senior Hunter Stetson, who signed for a 1-under 35 and remained Conaway’s closest pursuer in the Inter-Ac’s individual regular-season points race.

   Stetson is coming off a strong summer highlighted by a run to the round of 16 in the U.S. Junior Amateur at the Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek Course in Charleston, S.C.

   Conaway has piled up 274 points to lead the individual points race with Stetson in second place with 265 points. The race rewards consistency and a shaky round by any of the leaders can shift the standings one way or the other very quickly.

   Stetson captured the title in the Bert Linton Inter-Ac individual championship as a sophomore two years ago at Bluestone Country Club. He finished in third place behind Conaway and Germantown Academy’s Ajeet Bagga in the Bert Linton last fall at Llanerch Country Club.

   Stetson was the runnerup to Bagga in the regular-season individual points race a year ago.

   Germantown Academy finished three shots behind Episcopal Academy in fourth place at Sunnybrook with a 196 total, Penn Charter was fifth with a 201 total and host Springside Chestnut Hill ended up in sixth with a 211 total.