It was just about this time last year when Sean Curran, then a junior at The Haverford School, got on a heater that resulted in a first-place finish in the Inter-Ac League’s individual points standings for the regular season, a victory in the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual championship at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club and a win in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship at Radley Run Country Club.
Thursday in The Haverford School Invitational, played in chilly temperatures and a cruel October wind, Curran was at it again, carding a sparkling 1-under-par 34 over the front nine at Gulph Mills Golf Club, the testy Donald Ross design nestled among the convergence of highways in Upper Merion Township, to claim medalist honors for the day and surge to the top of the individual points standings.
It was the second time in the first five Inter-Ac invitationals that Curran, who will join the program at Penn in the Ivy League at the end of next summer, earned medalist honors.
Curran led the Fords to a sweep of their home invitational, although Haverford School would still appear to be a long shot to capture its third straight Inter-Ac crown.
Curran’s solid round helped Haverford School earn its first 5-0 sweep of the season with a 2-over 182 total.
Malvern Prep surrendered first place in the Inter-Ac standings as Germantown Academy, behind a 1-over 36 from standout sophomore Onyu Park, caught the Friars to get a share of third place, each with a 195 total.
Episcopal Academy took over the top spot in the standings as the Churchmen finished in second place at Gulph Mills with a 189 total that left them seven shots behind Haverford School.
Episcopal Academy owns a 19-3-3 mark with Malvern Prep right on its heels with an 18-3-4 record. The 5-0 day for Haverford School left the Fords in third place with an 18-5-2 mark.
Pretty sure Episcopal Academy or Malvern Prep would claim the title with a sweep of Tuesday’s Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitational at Sunnybrook Golf Club, the last of the six invitationals that make up the Inter-Ac's regular season. A sweep for Haverford School might not be enough to capture the Inter-Ac title unless both Episcopal Academy and Malvern Prep slip to a third-place or worse finish.
The ties complicate matters and who’s to say there won’t be another tie at Sunnybrook? Episcopal Academy, Malvern Prep and Haverford School all landed on 184 when the Friars hosted the Malvern Prep Invitational at Waynesborough Country Club last week, a fairly remarkable three-way tie.
The Inter-Ac season began with Episcopal Academy and Malvern Prep sharing first place in the Penn Charter Invitational at Huntingdon Valley Country Club with Haverford School just a shot behind them. It’s been that kind of fall in the Inter-Ac.
Backing up Curran for Haverford School at Gulph Mills was senior Liam McFadden, who matched par in the tough conditions with a 35.
Junior Quinn Gallagher and senior William Forman each tallied a 2-over 37 for the Fords. Haverford School could take its pick for its final counter as senior Nicky Nemo and junior Jack Luterman each recorded a 4-over 39.
Junior Liam Crowley led the way for Episcopal Academy with a solid 1-over 36 and junior Freddy Hartmann backed up Crowley with a 2-over 37.
Senior co-captain Jimmy Warmkessel contributed a 3-over 38 and senior co-captain Will Krietsch and junior Connor Smolenski accounted for EA’s final two counters as each signed for a 4-over 39.
Malvern Prep was led by one of its three senior captains as Pat Duda carded a 3-over 38. The Friars’ two other senior captains, Davis Conaway and Thomas Ploszay, as well as senior Noah Brand, backed up Duda, as each registered a 4-over 40.
Malvern Prep’s final counter was the 5-over 40 posted by junior Ayden Gallen.
It was a tough day for Malvern Prep junior Colby Komancheck as he carded a 42. Komancheck had been leading the Inter-Ac’s individual points race, but fell back to third place.
Curran took over the lead in the points race with 437 points followed by Malvern Prep’s Conaway in second place with 413 points and Komancheck in third with 398 points.
Malvern Prep would be tied for first place with EA in the standings had the Friars not been caught by Germantown Academy, the Patriots earning a tie for third place.
Sophomore Brayden Vargas backed up Park with a 4-over 39 and senior captain Lucas Albert, senior Cole Davis and freshman Charlie Kelly each recorded a 40 to round out the counters for the Patriots.
The tie for third place enabled GA to improve to 8-16-1 for the season, leaving the Patriots in fourth place.
Penn Charter, which finished in fifth place at Gulph Mills with a 214 total, holds down fifth in the Inter-Ac standings with a 6-19 ledger and Springside Chestnut Hill, which finished just two shots behind the Quakers in sixth at Gulph Mills with a 216 total, was sixth in the standings with a 1-24 mark.
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