Spring-Ford's Gravinese, Conestoga's Burks the respective, boys, girls District One champions at Turtle Creek

 

   LIMERICK -- Spring-Ford senior Michael Gravinese sensed he was in contention for the District One Class AAA individual title when he arrived at the 17^th hole on a sun-splashed Tuesday at Turtle Creek Golf Course at 2-under-par for his round and 1-over for the championship.

   Gravinese’s approach at the 412-yard, par-4 17^th hole left him just short of the green to a front pin. And when his chip found the bottom of the cup for a birdie, it proved to be the decisive shot in a district crown for Gravinese, the first for a Spring-Ford player since Ben Pochet won the second of his back-to-back titles in 2017.

   The chip-in birdie highlighted a 3-under 69 for Gravinese over the 6,375-yard, par-72 Turtle Creek layout that is the home course for Gravinese and the Rams. The Pioneer Athletic Conference Championship is also played at Turtle.

   “Yeah, I’ve played here a lot,” Gravinese said after finishing with an even-par 143 total. “And I’ve played Raven’s Claw a lot, Perkiomen Valley plays there. Here, you want to avoid three-putting, no doubles and take advantage of the par-5s, especially two and 13.”

   The District One boys tournament opened Monday at Raven’s Claw Golf Club, up Ridge Pike a few miles from the Turtle. Gravinese had opened with a 3-over 74 at Raven’s Claw.

   Conestoga senior Jill Burks ran away with the District One Class AAA title for the girls as she carded a second consecutive even-par 72 at Turtle Creek, which measured 5,827 yards for the girls, for an even-par 144 total that gave her a whopping nine-shot victory. The girls played two rounds at Turtle Creek.

   Gravinese had been a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a sophomore two years ago, but failed to survive the cut following the first round of districts a year ago.

   “My goal at the start of the day was just to make sure I got back to states,” said Gravinese, who plays out of the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve.

   He made birdies at the second and sixth holes and then got it to 3-under for his round with a birdie at the short, par-4 10^th.

   “After the birdie at 10, I was starting to think winning might be a possibility,” said Gravinese, who consults with Brian Moose, RiverCrest’s director of instruction, on his game.

   Gravinese’s opening-round 74 at Raven’s Claw had left him three shots behind co-leaders Ben Revness, a freshman at Pennsbury, and Charlie Isler, a senior at West Chester Henderson.

   Playing in the group behind Gravinese, Revness made a birdie at the first hole and then rattled off 10 straight pars.

   I caught up with Revness’ group at the 10^th hole and watched him fail to convert really good birdie looks from six feet at 10 and from five feet at 11. Still, the gritty freshman was 1-under for his round and 1-under for the championship.

   But it was the beginning of a cold stretch with the putter for Revness. He couldn’t get it up and down after missing the green at the 12^th hole, took three-putts at the par-5 13^th and again was unable to get it up and down after missing the green at the par-4 14^th as he made three straight bogeys.

   Up ahead, Gravinese had made a bogey at the 14^th as well, the only blemish on his scorecard, as he fell back to 1-over.

   Revness, however, wasn’t going anywhere. He drained an eight-footer for birdie at the par-3 15^th hole to join Gravinese at 1-over, but gave a shot back when he missed the green at the par-4 16^th.

   Moments after Gravinese chipped in at the 17^th hole for birdie to get it to even-par for the tournament, Revness nearly holed his approach at the same 17^th, settling for a tap-in birdie that drew him within a shot at Gravinese.

   Revness needed to chip in for birdie at the par-5 finishing hole at Turtle Creek, but his chip ran by the hole. He buried his six-footer for par to complete a 1-over 73 that left him a shot behind Gravinese in second place with a 1-over 144 total.

   “I had a good start to the summer, I won (a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour event) here,” Gravinese said. “I trailed off a little after that, but I hit the first 10 greens in regulation today. I was really hitting it good.”

   Unionville senior Matt McGinnity, the Ches-Mont League champion, was the only other player in red figures at Turtle Creek Tuesday as his 1-under 71, combined with a 3-over 74 at Raven’s Claw, left him a shot behind Revness in third place with a 2-over 145 total.

   Radnor sophomore Gavin Reger matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 4-over 75 at Raven’s Claw as he finished two shots behind McGinnity in fourth place with a 4-over 147 total.

   Souderton senior Wyatt Underwood was in the final group along with Revness and Henderson’s Isler and Underwood was right there, just a shot behind Revness at 3-over after dropping birdie putts at the 10^th and 12^th holes.

   Bogeys at the 16^th and 17^th holes gave Underwood, who had opened with a 1-over 72 at Raven’s Claw, a 4-over 76 at the Turtle, leaving him in a tie for fifth place at 5-over 148 with Downingtown East senior Chase Riley and Avon Grove’s Ben Nowland.

   Riley added a 2-over 74 at Turtle Creek to his opening round of 3-over 74 at Raven’s Claw. Nowland matched par with a 72 at Turtle Creek after opening with a 5-over 76 at Raven’s Claw.

   Isler had surged into contention with three straight birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth holes, but cooled off on the incoming nine, including a pair of double bogeys at 14 and 16.

   But Isler dropped a 15-footer for birdie at the 18^th hole to salvage a 7-over 79 that left him in a tie for eighth place with another Radnor sophomore, Sebastian Leone, and Harriton freshman Thomas Airoldi at 7-over 150.

   Leone added a 3-over 75 at Turtle Creek to his opening round of 4-over 75 at Raven’s Claw. Airoldi will cap his rookie season with a trip to the PIAA Class AAA Championship at Penn State after adding a 4-over 76 in the second round at Turtle Creek to his opening round of 3-over 74 at Raven’s Claw.

   Two more Souderton players, senior Chase Andrews and sophomore Danny Ross, joined Underwood in making plans for the PIAA Class AAA Championship, which tees off Oct. 19 at Penn State, as they were part of group of six players tied for 11^th place at 8-over 151.

   Andrews added 3-over 75 at Turtle Creek to his opening round of 5-over 76 at Raven’s Claw. Ross had opened with a 3-over 74 at Raven’s Claw and added a 5-over 77 at Turtle Creek.

   Andrews and Ross were also counters for Souderton as the Big Red captured the District One Class AAA team crown by a shot over Upper Dublin. More on that in a little bit.

   Garnet Valley junior Frank Kunze gave the Central League a fourth state qualifier as he matched Andrews’ splits, adding a 3-over 75 at Turtle Creek to his opening round of 5-over 76 at Raven’s Claw to join the group at 8-over.

   Rounding the sixsome tied for 11^th place were Central Bucks West senior Jackson Valmore, North Penn senior Kellen Toussaint and West Chester East freshman Ben Lear.

   Valmore added a 3-over 75 at Turtle Creek to his opening round of 5-over 76 at Raven’s Claw.

   Toussaint and Lear had identical splits, each opening with a 3-over 74 Monday at Raven’s Claw and punching their tickets to the state tournament with a 5-over 77 at Turtle Creek.

   Only one more berth to the PIAA Class AAA Championship was available and Downingtown West senior Ian Larsen got it as he beat Pope John Paul II senior Ryan Kelly on the second hole of a playoff after the pair finished in a tie for 17^th place at 9-over 152.

   Larsen had been a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a sophomore two years ago and he’ll be back at Penn State this fall after adding a 4-over 76 at Turtle Creek to his opening round of 5-over 76 at Raven’s Claw.

   Souderton got key contributions from two of its players who were not involved in the individual chase, junior Declan Henry and senior Landon Stern, in capturing the team title with a 10-over 298 total in the five-score-four format.

   Henry matched par with a 72 and Stern posted a solid 2-over 74. The final two counters were the 3-over 75 tallied by Andrews and the 5-over 77 recorded by Ross. Senior Cole Henning rounded out the lineup with a 78.

   It is a testament to the depth Souderton brought to the table that Underwood wasn’t even part of the Big Red’s District One championship lineup.

   Upper Dublin finished a shot behind Souderton in second place with an 11-over 299 total.

   Defending District One and PIAA Class AAA champion Unionville finished three shots behind Upper Dublin in third place with a 302 and Radnor, which had finished a shot behind the Longhorns in a tie for second place in the state team tournament a year ago, took fourth with a 303.

   Central League champion Conestoga and Avon Grove finished in a tie for fifth place in the District One Class AAA team standings, each landing on 307. Only nine shots separated the top six finishers.

   Jenkintown sophomore Joey Chachkin captured the District One Class AA individual title as he added an 81 at Turtle Creek to the 6-over 77 he carded in Monday’s opening round at Raven’s Claw for a 15-over 158 total and a four-shot victory.

   Chachkin had 10 pars on his scorecard to offset seven bogeys and a double bogey.

   New Hope Solebury sophomore Corvin Bridge earned runnerup honors as he had a share of the lead with Chachkin after opening with a 6-over 77 at Raven’s Claw before adding an 85 at Turtle Creek for a 162 total.

   Plumstead Christian freshman James Gannon grabbed the final ticket to the state tournament in Class AA as he finished a shot behind Bridge in third place with a 163 total. Gannon added an 82 Tuesday at Turtle Creek to his opening-round 81 at Raven’s Claw.

   Bridge and senior Liam Forstrom led New Hope Solebury to the District One Class AA team crown with matching 85s. New Hope Solebury finished with a 60-over 348 total.

   Senior J.T. Bach added an 87 and junior Anthony Whelan’s 91 was the final counter for New Hope Solebury. Rounding out the lineup for New Hope Solebury was junior Nate Plebani, who tallied a 92.

   Plumstead Christian finished 12 shots behind New Hope Solebury in second place with a 72-over 360 total.

   Conestoga’s Burks had been the runnerup to Phoenixville standout Kayley Roberts by nine shots in the District One Class AAA Championship a year ago. So, was this her year?

   “I was hoping so,” Burks said after running away with the district crown by the same nine-shot margin that Roberts had beaten Burks by a year ago. “I’ve been a little better every year here. I was just trying to take it a shot at a time.”

   Burks, who plays out of White Manor Country Club and is coached by John Dunigan, who won the Philadelphia Section PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year award for a fifth time in 2025, was in familiar surroundings at Turtle Creek, where the Central League Championship is also staged.

   It was a typically efficient loop at Turtle Creek for Burks. She made a couple of early bogeys at the first and third holes, but got on track with a birdie at five.

   After a bogey at the eighth hole, Burks was flawless the rest of the way with birdies at the 12^th and 15^th holes and eight pars.

   “I missed a couple of short putts, but later I made a couple of nice mid-range putts, so it worked out,” Burks said.

   Burks also secured a fourth straight trip to the PIAA Class AAA Championship as an individual. And, a day after leading Conestoga to a second straight District One Class AAA team crown, Burks and the Pioneers will head to State College in search of a second straight state team crown. Fairly spectacular four years of work at Conestoga for Burks.

   Perkiomen Valley senior Saloni Patel earned a second straight trip to the PIAA Class AAA Championship as she earned runnerup honors in District One with a 9-over 153 total that left her nine shots behind Burks.

   Patel added a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s second round to the opening-round 76 she posted at the Turtle Monday.

   Burks’ Central League rival Megan Choi, a junior at Harriton, will be making her third straight trip to the state tournament as she finished two shots behind Patel in third place with a 155 total. Choi added a 7-over 79 Tuesday to her opening-round 76.

   Avon Grove junior Kiera Post recorded a second straight 6-over 78 at Turtle Creek as she finished a shot behind Choi in fourth place with a 156 total.

   Central Bucks North sophomore Noor Mehta, who came up just short of a trip to states a year ago, added a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 80 to earn a spot in the PIAA Class AAA Championship by finishing in fifth place with a 157 total.

   Burks’ Conestoga teammate, senior Corinne McReynolds, and Bishop Shanahan senior Emma Bergey finished in a tie for sixth place, each landing on 160. They had identical splits, adding a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s second round to an opening-round 83.

   It will be the second straight trip to State College for McReynolds, who was also in the lineup for the Pioneers’ state championship team victory a year ago.

   Methacton senior Lauren Springman added an 80 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 85 as she booked her trip to State College in two weeks by finishing in eighth place with a 165 total.

   Springfield junior Delaney Kearney gave the Central League a fourth representative in the PIAA Class AAA field as she nabbed the final berth to states by finishing in ninth place with a 168 total. Kearney shaved six shots off her opening-round 87 with an 81 in Tuesday’s second round.

 

 

 

 

 

Burks grabs individual lead while leading Conestoga to team crown as District One Championship tees off

 

   Conestoga senior Jill Burks has carved out a nice little scholastic career for herself.

   Overshadowed a little in District One by Phoenixville’s Roberts sisters, Kate and Kayley, and Plymouth-Whitemarsh’s Rhianna Gooneratne, Burks still arrived at a windy Turtle Creek Golf Course for Monday’s opening round of the District Class AAA Championship bidding for a fourth straight trip to the state tournament.

   There aren’t a lot of them out there, the four-time state qualifiers. It takes consistency and focus and desire.

   Burks has all of those and Tuesday, back at Turtle, she’ll take a four-shot lead over the field going into the final round of the Class AAA district championship after she battled Monday’s winds better than anybody while matching par at the Turtle with a 72.

   But individual accolades are just part of the Jill Burks story at Conestoga.

   Her even-par 72 at Turtle Creek Monday also led the Pioneers to a second straight District One Class AAA team crown.

   After securing the district team crown a year ago, Burks led Conestoga to the PIAA Class AAA team title and, if its 13-shot victory over Mount St. Joseph Academy Monday is any indication, the Pioneers will be a contender for a second straight state crown at Penn State in two weeks.

   District One flipped the script a little for the championship this year. In recent years, the girls had played their opening round up Ridge Pike a few miles at Raven’s Claw Golf Club and, following a cut, the top individuals would head over to Turtle for Round 2.

   This year, the girls played their opening round at Turtle Creek and they’ll be back at Turtle Tuesday for the second round with berths to the PIAA Class AAA Championship at stake.

   The boys played Raven’s Claw in the opening round Monday with the top individuals there joining the girls for Round 2 Tuesday at Turtle Creek.

   The wind was certainly blowing where I was caddying at Stonewall, not all that far from Turtle Creek, Monday and I’m sure it was blowing pretty good at Turtle.

   Starting off the second tee, Burks, who plays out of White Manor Country Club, made a birdie at the sixth hole, a bogey at seven and another birdie at the tough par-3 ninth.

   Burks stumbled a little with a bogey at the par-3 11^th hole and a double bogey at the short, par-4 12^th.

   She quickly righted the ship with a birdie at the par-5 13^th hole, but gave a shot back at 14 to fall back to 2-over for the round. Burks, however, made clutch back-to-back birdies at the 16^th and 17^th holes to finish at even-par for her round.

   Burks’ closest pursuers were her Central League rival, Megan Choi, a junior at Harriton, and Perkiomen Valley senior Saloni Patel, both of whom posted a 4-over 76 that left them four shots behind Burks.

   Choi has reached the PIAA Class AAA Championship in each of the last two falls. She’s in good position to make it to the state tournament for a third straight time. Patel is also hoping to book a return engagement to Penn State for the state tournament.

   Avon Grove junior Kiera Post was another two shots behind Choi and Patel in fifth place following an opening round of 6-over 78 and Council Rock North sophomore Noor Mehta was another two shots behind Post in fifth after tallying an 80.

   Post is the daughter of Patty Post, the director of golf programs at Delaware, and Brendon Post, who coaches the men’s team at Delaware. Kiera Post was the medalist in last week’s Ches-Mont League Championship at Wyncote Golf Club.

   Burks’ Conestoga teammate Corinne McReynolds, also a senior, and Bishop Shanahan senior Emma Bergey each signed for an 83 and were tied for sixth place.

   McReynolds bested Burks and Choi to claim medalist honors in the Central League Championship last week with a solid 2-over 74. McReynolds, who plays out of Whitford Country Club, was a counter for Conestoga in its PIAA Class AAA team championship a year ago and backed up Burks Monday as the Pioneers repeated as the District One team champion.

   Downingtown East sophomore Rebecca Santosa was in eighth place after recording an 85 and the Mount St. Joseph pair of Annie Corrigan, a junior, and Gemma Holt, a sophomore, North Penn junior Gigi Gratz and Methacton senior Lauren Springman rounded out the top 10 following the opening round of the district tournament as they finished in a tie for ninth, each registering an 85.

   Conestoga junior Kat Shrum was the final counter for the Pioneers with an 89, which gave them a 28-over 244 total in the five-score-three format.

   Rounding out the Conestoga lineup were junior Journey Holt with a 92 and junior Lanna Chanthakad with a 96.

   Mount St. Joe’s, a perennial District One power, earned runnerup honors in the team standings with a 257 total. Pretty sure the Mount is still in line for a spot in the field in the state team tournament as the District One runnerup.

   Downingtown East was two shots behind Mount St. Joseph in third place with a 259 total. Methacton took fourth place with a 292 total, Great Valley was fifth with a 293 total and Spring-Ford rounded out the field in the District One team chase in sixth at 299.

   Over at Raven’s Claw, West Chester Henderson senior Charlie Isner and Pennsbury freshman Ben Revness each matched par with a 71 as they shared the lead following the opening round of the District One Class AAA Championship.

   It is going to be a wild shootout for district honors and for the berths to the PIAA Class AAA Championship that will be up for grabs as the boys tee it up Tuesday at Turtle Creek. Only three shots separate the top 12 players following Monday’s opening round at Raven’s Claw.

   Starting off the seventh tee at Raven’s Claw, Isler made a bogey. Birdies at the 10^th and 13^th holes got Isler into red figures at 1-under. Isler made a bogey at the 14^th hole, a birdie at 15 and a bogey at 17 that left him at 1-over for his round.

   A birdie at the fourth hole enabled Isler to get back to even-par and into a share of the lead with Revness.

   Starting off the ninth tee, Revness made a bogey at the 10^th hole, but quickly responded with back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12.

   After a bogey at the 14^th hole dropped Revness back to even-par for his round, he quickly got it to 2-under with an eagle at Raven’s Claw gettable par-5 first.

   Back-to-back bogeys at the third and fourth holes dropped Revness back to even-par for his round. A birdie at the fifth hole got him back to 1-under, but he dropped a shot with a bogey at seven to fall into a tie with Isler.

   Methacton senior Sebastian Park and Souderton senior Wyatt Underwood were a shot behind the co-leaders in a tie for third place as each carded a 1-over 72.

   The only Central League player in the top 10 was Harriton freshman Thomas Airoldi, who landed in an eight-man logjam tied for fifth place at 3-over 74.

   Unionville senior Matt McGinnity, the medalist in last week’s Ches-Mont League Championship at Wyncote, was also in the group at 3-over.

   Rounding out that gang of eight tied at 3-over were North Penn senior Kevin Toussaint, West Chester East freshman Ben Lear, Spring-Ford senior Michael Gravinese, Downingtown East senior Chase Riley, Pope John Paul II senior Ryan Kelly, and Souderton sophomore Danny Ross.

   In the District One Class AA chase, a couple of sophomores, Joey Chachkin of Jenkintown and Corvin Bridge of New Hope Solebury shared the lead after each opened with a 6-over 77.

   Chachkin offset five bogeys and a double bogey with a birdie at the first hole. Bridge made birdies at the fifth and eighth holes and had eight bogeys on his scorecard.

   A couple of Plumstead Christian freshmen, James Gannon and Kody McKeon, were in third and fourth place, respectively, as Gannon was four shots behind the co-leaders with an 81 and McKeon signed for an 85.

   The Class AAA team crown will also be decided Tuesday.

 

Hartmann, Crowley give Episcopal the edge over Malvern Prep in Germantown Academy Invitational

 

   With senior stalwarts Freddy Hartmann and Liam Crowley each carding a sparkling 2-under-par 34, Episcopal Academy maintained its hold on the top spot in the Inter-Ac League race by edging Malvern Prep by a shot in the Germantown Academy Invitational Tuesday at Bluestone Country Club in Whitpain Township.

   Hartmann also maintained his spot at the top of the individual standings, although Malvern Prep senior captain Colby Komancheck was the medalist for the day with a sizzling 4-under 32 that included five birdies.

   Hartmann and Crowley helped the defending champion Churchmen put together a 1-under 179 at Bluestone, finishing a shot ahead of the Friars, who settled for second place, despite a solid even-par 180 effort.

   Episcopal Academy’s depth was on display as four players – the Churchmen only needed three other counters – each signed for a 1-over 37.

   That foursome included seniors Connor Smolenski and Arthur Hampel and juniors Jack Gioffre and Tucker Dempsey.

   Hartmann, Crowley and Hampel are the captains for Episcopal. Crowley defeated Hampel in a playoff to capture the title in the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual championship last fall at The 1912 Club.

   The 5-0 day for the Churchmen at Bluestone gave them a 14-1 record at the halfway mark of the six invitationals that comprise the Inter-Ac’s regular season.

   Malvern Prep’s 4-1 day enabled the Friars to join The Haverford School in a tie for second place in the team chase, each owning an 11-4 mark.

   Haverford School, coming off a three-shot victory over the Churchmen in the Episcopal Academy Invitational at Merion Golf Club’s West Course, finished in third place at Bluestone with a 195 total.

   Backing up Komancheck, winner of the individual title in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship last fall, was fellow senior Ayden Gallen, who had two birdies while matching par with a 36.

   Junior Danny DiDomenico and sophomore Charlie Blok each added a 1-over 37 and three Friars – they only needed one more counter – tallied a 2-over 38, including senior Timmy Burns, junior Mason Matlack and sophomore Max Davis.

   Hartmann, the winner of the individual points race a year ago, improved his record to 126-8-8 and has piled up 260 points. Komancheck is right on Hartmann’s heels and a second straight first-place finish left Komancheck with 125-11-5 record and 255 points. Komancheck was the medalist in the EA Invitational with a 3-under 32 at Merion’s West Course.

   Haverford School was led by freshman Christo Bottos, who recorded a solid 1-over 37. Sophomore William Thorkelson and senior Jack Luterman backed up Bottos as each registered a 2-over 38.

   Rounding out the counters for the Fords were senior Quinn Gallagher and Stephen Comly, another freshman, each of whom toured the Bluestone layout in 4-over 40.

   Penn Charter and Germantown Academy both landed on 201 and the Inter-Ac is breaking ties this year by going to each team’s sixth player. Looks like that tiebreaker went Penn Charter’s way and the Quakers took fourth place and the Patriots finished fifth.

   Senior Andrew Sumner led the way for Penn Charter with a 3-over 39.

   Freshman Charles Egginton and junior Onyu Park paced Germantown Academy as each posted a 3-over 39.

   Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place with a 221. The Blue Devils were led by senior Zach Greenblatt’s 42.

   Penn Charter’s fourth-place finish moved the Quakers to fourth place in the team standings with a 5-10 mark. Germantown Academy was in fifth place with a 4-11 mark and Springside Chestnut Hill remained winless in sixth with an 0-15 slate.