Gallagher captures individual title, leads Haverford School to share of team crown in PAISAA Championship at Radley Run

 

   BIRMINGHAM TOWNSHIP -- Haverford School senior Quinn Gallagher learned how to play the game at McCall Golf Club, the old PECO course in Upper Darby.

   It is a relatively short course, but demands precision off the tee. It’s why Gallagher didn’t hesitate to leave the driver in the bag off several of the tees during Monday’s Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship at Radley Run Country Club.

   Gallagher, who finished up strong in the Inter-Ac League’s regular season, kept that momentum going by carding a sparkling 2-under-par 70 to capture the individual title and help the Fords gain a share of the team crown with two of their Inter-Ac rivals, Malvern Prep and Germantown Academy.

   “I just wanted to play smart,” Gallagher said after taming a 6,403-yard, par-72 Radley Run that was playing pretty tough on a gorgeous late October day in Chester County. “I just wanted to play for pars and if you can make birdies, make birdies.”

   He made four of them, but, after starting off the sixth tee, Gallagher jump-started his round with an eagle at the 489-yard, par-5 seventh hole. His approach for the round was evident there.

   “I hit 5-wood off the tee, just to make sure I got it in the fairway,” Gallagher said. “I had 240 to the green and I hit the 3-wood to 15 feet and made the putt.”

   Gallagher added a birdie at the ninth hole and then another at 11 after turning to the back nine and suddenly found himself 4-under through the first five holes of his round.

   “You get some weird looks off the tee here, just like at McCall,” said Gallagher, who will join the program at Lafayette in the Patriot League next summer. “I made a birdie at three with a 5-wood off the tee and a birdie at 18 with a 5-wood off the tee.”

   There was a double bogey at the second hole and a couple of other bogeys sprinkled on his scorecard, but Gallagher was able to parlay his fast start into a two-shot victory over surprising Episcopal Academy sophomore George Hampel and Hill School senior Brooks Bernabei, each of whom matched par with a 72.

   The Haverford School ended up finishing second to Episcopal Academy in a typically tight race for the Inter-Ac title, which wrapped up with the last of the league’s six invitationals, hosted by Malvern Prep at Waynesborough Country Club.

   Gallagher had been the medalist for the day two days earlier with a 2-under 34 at Merion Golf Club’s West Course in the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitationals to help the Fords move into a tie with EA heading into the season finale at Waynesborough.

   Gallagher signed for a sparkling 2-under 33 at Waynesborough, but Haverford School finished in third place in the team standings to end up as the Inter-Ac runnerup for the season.

   “I’ve been playing well coming into this,” Gallagher said.

   Gallagher credits his first instructor at McCall, Donie Steyn – “I think I started with him when I was like 4-years old,” Gallagher said – as well as Dom DiJulia, one of the area’s most respected teachers, for his success on the golf course.

   Due to a scheduling quirk, the PAISAA preceded the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual championship for the first time. The Bert Linton will be played Thursday at the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve and Gallagher will certainly be carrying some momentum into the battle for the Inter-Ac’s individual title.

   Junior Brayden Vargas led the effort for Germantown Academy as he finished alone in fourth place, a shot behind EA’s Hempel and Hill’s Bernabei with a 1-over 73.

   Defending PAISAA individual champion Colby Komancheck, a senior at Malvern Prep, finished among a quartet of players tied for fifth place that included his fellow Friar Charlie Blok, a sophomore, Episcopal Academy senior Freddy Hartmann and Germantown Academy sophomore Charlie Kelly, each ending up with a 2-over 74.

   Komancheck figures to be one of the top contenders in the Bert Linton Thursday at RiverCrest, his home course.

   Komancheck, who will join the program at Saint Joseph’s next summer, was the top points-getter during the Inter-Ac’s six invitationals, evidence of his consistency. His scoring average of 35.2 for the six invitationals was an Inter-Ac record since the league adopted the format when golf switched from the spring to the fall in 2011.

   Hill School senior captain Quin Zuegner and Germantown Academy junior Sean Taylor finished in a tie for ninth place, each recording a 3-over 75.

   Zuegner was playing in a group with Komancheck and Episcopal Academy senior Liam Crowley, who will be defending his Bert Linton title Thursday at RiverCrest, and I caught their last five holes.

   Zuegner finished strong with back-to-back birdies at the 16^th and 17^th holes. He had a good look at birdie at the par-4 finishing hole, but got a little too aggressive with his birdie putt and ended up with a three-putt bogey.

   Zuegner, a New Hope native, has been a mainstay in the lineup at The Hill throughout his time in Pottstown and the Blues still have a spring schedule to play.

   A foursome of players finished in a tie for 11^th place at 4-over 76 and included a pair of Malvern Prep seniors, Timmy Burns and Ayden Gallen, Malvern Prep junior Mason Matlack and Haverford School freshman Eric Cunningham.

   Five players finished in a tie for 15^th place at 5-over 77, a group that included Haverford School’s Harry Neilly, a senior, and Christos Bottos, a freshman, Malvern Prep junior Michael DiDomenico, Episcopal Academy junior Tucker Dempsey, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy eighth-grader Parker Grieve and Penn Charter senior Jack Sheward.

   Germantown Academy sophomore Oliver Hubbert finished alone in 21^st place with a 78.

   Episcopal Academy senior Connor Smolenski, George School junior Rayan Shah and Jeremy Reed, a post-graduate student at Kiski Prep, shared 22^nd place as each registered a 79.

   In a testament to the competitive balance in the Inter-Ac League, it was Haverford School, Malvern Prep and Germantown Academy, which finished second, third and tied for fourth, respectively, behind Inter-Ac champion Episcopal Academy during the six invitationals that comprise the regular season, ended up in a tie for first place in the PAISAA team chase, each landing on 12-over 300.

   EA, which wrapped up its second straight Inter-Ac crown last week, finished two shots behind the top three in fourth place at 302.

   The PAISAA was a five-score-four format and, obviously, played over 18 holes as opposed to the Inter-Ac matches, which are nine holes and score five players.

   Haverford School was led, of course, by Gallagher and his 2-under 70 that earned him medalist honors.

   Backing Gallagher up was Cunningham, the freshman, with his 4-over 76. Gallagher’s fellow senior Neilly and Bottos, another freshman, rounded out the counters as each carded a 5-over 77.

   Malvern Prep, which had shared the team title with Episcopal Academy a year ago at Radley Run, got a piece of the team crown for a second straight fall.

   Komancheck and the sophomore Blok led the way for the Friars as each posted a 2-over 74. Komancheck’s fellow seniors Burns and Gallen and junior Mason Matlack each tallied a 76 with only two of those three scores needed to round out the four counters for Malvern Prep.

   Really nice effort by Germantown Academy as Vargas, a junior, Kelly, a sophomore, and Taylor, a junior, went 73, 74 and 75, respectively, to lead the way for the Patriots.

   Hubbert, a sophomore, was the final counter for GA with a solid 6-over 78.

   The Hill School, behind Bernabei and Zuegner, rounded out the top five in the team scoring as the Blues finished 15 shots behind Episcopal Academy in fifth place with a 317 total.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gioffre leads the way as Episcopal Academy secures a second straight Inter-Ac crown at Waynesborough

 

   Ran into Episcopal Academy head golf coach Doug Borgerson at the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club in August and he was very high on this group of Churchmen.

   Episcopal Academy wrapped up its second straight Inter-Ac League championship Thursday as the Churchmen shared the top spot in the Malvern Prep Invitational at Waynesborough Country Club with the host Friars and earned the sweep of the field on a tiebreaker.

   It was a busy week for this blogger trying to round up all the results from the PIAA Championships. I’m usually able to break down each individual invitational, but I just couldn’t get to Tuesday’s Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitational, which was played at Merion’s West Course.

   I’ll wrap up both the final two invitationals in this post, but The Haverford School set the stage for a dramatic winner-take-all final invitational at Waynesborough by sweeping the field at the West.

   Episcopal Academy and Malvern Prep finished in a tie for second place at Merion West, each ending up with a 186 total, four shots behind Haverford School’s 182 total. But, as was the case in the final invitational at Waynesborough, EA had the tiebreaker edge on Malvern Prep and got second place.

   The 4-1 day for the Churchmen enabled them to forge a tie with the Fords, each taking a 21-4 mark into the final showdown at Waynesborough. It’s become fairly typical for Episcopal Academy, The Haverford School and Malvern Prep to battle it out right to the finish these few falls.

   Junior Jack Gioffre was the leading man for Episcopal at Waynesborough with a sparkling 2-under-par 33, leading the Churchmen to a 1-over 176 team total.

   Episcopal got strong showings from its senior tri-captains when it mattered most as Freddy Hartmann added a 1-under 34, Arthur Hampel matched par with a 35 and Liam Crowley chipped in with a 37. Junior Tucker Dempsey matched Crowley’s 37 for the final counter for the Churchmen.

   Crowley will defend his title in the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual title Thursday at the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve. Crowley defeated his teammate Hampel in a playoff to capture the Bert Linton title a year ago at The 1912 Club.

   Malvern Prep, led by the day’s individual medalist, senior Timmy Burns, who birdied his last three holes for a sizzling 3-under 32, matched Episcopal’s 1-over 276, but settled for second place for the day via the tiebreaker.

   Haverford School was just three shots behind EA and Malvern Prep in third place with a 179 total.

   Episcopal’s 5-0 day gave it a final record of 26-4 and its second straight Inter-Ac crown with Haverford School a close second with a 24-6 mark. Malvern Prep was right there with its two rivals in third place with a 22-8 ledger in the six Inter-Ac invitationals.

   I’ll have to ask around a little at next week’s Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship Monday at Radley Run Country Club and the Bert Linton Thursday at RiverCrest to see if anybody at EA can remember the last time the Churchmen won back-to-back Inter-Ac team crowns.

   Backing up Burns for Malvern Prep was a trio that included senior captain Colby Komancheck and juniors Danny DiDomenico, all of whom recorded a 1-over 36. Sophomore Charlie Blok was the final counter for the Friars with a 2-over 37.

   Komancheck nailed down the regular-season individual points title compiled during the Inter-Ac’s six invitationals.

   Komancheck, who will join the program at Saint Joseph’s next summer, finished with a 242-26-14 record against the rest of the league while piling up 498 points. His 35.2 scoring average was the lowest for a player since the Inter-Ac made golf a fall sport and adopted its format of six league invitationals.

   Episcopal’s Gioffre closed with a rush to earn runnerup honors in the points race with a 235-30-17 record and 487 points. Haverford School senior Quinn Gallagher took third place with a 234-35-13 record and 481 points.

   Komancheck will defend his individual title in the PAISAA Championship Monday at Radley Run, where he carded a solid 3-under 69 a year ago.

   Komancheck would be an obvious favorite in the Bert Linton Thursday as he has finished among the top five in each of his first three seasons at Malvern Prep.

   But he became an even bigger favorite when it was decided to hold the Bert Linton at RiverCrest, where Komancheck’s parents, PGA professionals Jamie and Kelly, are the husband-and-wife team that mans the pro shop and where Colby Komancheck grew up playing the game.

   Playing on your home course doesn’t guarantee a victory, but it certainly doesn’t hurt Komancheck’s chances.

   Like EA’s Gioffre, Haverford School’s Gallagher finished strong in his senior regular season with the Fords.

   Gallagher was the individual medalist in the Springside Chestnut Hill Invitational Tuesday at Merion West with a sparkling 1-under 34 that led Haverford School to a first-place finish and gave the Fords a real shot at the title going into the final invitational at Waynesborough.

   And Gallagher gave it his best shot at Waynesborough, tallying a sparkling 2-under 33 to lead the way for the Fords, who came up just short with their 4-over total leaving them just three shots behind EA and Malvern Prep.

   Senior Harry Neilly backed up Gallagher by matching par at Waynesborough with a 35. Freshman Eric Cunningham added a 1-over 36 for the Fords and another freshman, Christos Bottos, and senior Jack Luterman were Haverford School’s final counters as each registered a 38.

   Germantown Academy finished in fourth place at Waynesborough with a 194 total. The Patriots were led by junior Brayden Vargas, who posted a 2-over 37, and freshman Charles Egginton, who added a 3-over 38.

   Penn Charter finished in fifth place, two shots behind GA with a 196 total. The Quakers were led by Cole Brown, who recorded a 1-over 36 and Jack Sheward, who added a 3-over 38.

   Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place, two shots behind Penn Charter with a 298 total. The Blue Devils were led by Parker Grieve and Brandon Varga, each of whom carded a 3-over 38.

   Germantown Academy and Penn Charter shared fourth place in the final league standings, each ending up with an 8-22 mark. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place with a 2-28 ledger.

   In the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitational at Merion West Tuesday, Neilly and Bottos backed up Gallagher, the individual medalist with his 1-under 34, as they each matched par with a 35.

   Luterman added a 3-over 38 and sophomores William Thorkelson and Jesse Shurman each tallied a 40, one of which was the final counter for the Fords.

   Gioffre led the way for Episcopal at Merion West with a 1-over 36.

   Seniors Crowley and Carson Jakuc backed him up, each posting a 2-over 37 and senior Connor Smolenski and junior Max Leung were the final counters, each carding a 3-over 38.

   Pretty sure a 39 by Dempsey provided the tiebreaker edge for Episcopal that gave the Churchmen a crucial runnerup finish over Malvern Prep after the two teams finished in a tie for second place with identical 186 totals.

   Komancheck, Burns and Matlack led the way for Malvern Prep at Merion West as each signed for a 1-over 36. Sophomore Charlie Blok backed up that trio with 2-over 37.

   Senior Ayden Gallen and sophomore Owen Ciesielka each tallied a 41, one of which was the final counter for the Friars.

   Penn Charter took fourth place at Merion West with a 203 total behind Brown and Jonah Flaisher, each of whom recorded a 39.

   Germantown Academy took fifth place with a 209 total. Junior Onyu Park and sophomore Dominic Kelly led the way for the Patriots as each registered a 40.

   Host Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place with a 211 total.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Salle, Devon Prep make it a Catholic League sweep by claiming state team titles at Penn State

 

   It was a sweep for the Catholic League and District 12 in the PIAA team competition Wednesday at Penn State as La Salle prevailed in a playoff over State College to claim the Class AAA crown at the White Course and Devon Prep rolled to the Class AA title at the Blue Course.

   La Salle has been knocking on the door in Class AAA for a few years, but the Explorers knocked that door down by pulling out the championship on the second hole of a playoff in an epic battle with the hometown Little Lions.

   Senior A.J. Cifra, who had won the Catholic League’s individual title at Jeffersonville Golf Club, but failed to qualify for the state tournament individually, and senior Liam Littleton, who had finished fifth in the PIAA Class AAA Championship, which wrapped up a day earlier, each carded a 3-under-par 69 to lead the way for the Explorers.

   La Salle, however, needed every shot in the five-score-format as it finished with a sparkling 8-under 280, only to see State College, led by a sizzling 7-under 65 by senior standout Luke McGraw, match that total.

   Not sure how the playoff played out, whether all five players for each team went out or only the four counters, but La Salle got the job done.

   Senior Ben Robbins and junior Lucas Nye each added a 1-under 71 to round out the scoring in regulation for La Salle as all four of its counters bettered par. Robbins had finished in a tie for sixth place and Nye ended up in a tie for 25^th in Class AAA individual standings.

   Rounding out the La Salle lineup was senior Ethan Starkey and the Explorers had the luxury of tossing his 2-over 74. Starkey finished in a tie for 44^th place in the Class AAA individual championship.

   St. Joseph’s Prep had been the first Catholic League and District 12 representative to capture a state team title in Class AAA in 2014. Now the Prep has some company on that list from its long-time Catholic League rival.

   It was a frustrating finish for State College, which had finished in a tie for second place, just a shot behind state champion Unionville, a year ago. Only a couple of shots here or there have separated State College from winning back-to-back PIAA Class AAA crowns.

   Senior Charlie Ladrido backed up McGraw with a solid 3-under 69. Senior Jacky Sun was also in red figures with a 1-under 71 and Charlie Ladrido’s twin brother Luke Ladrido rounded out the counters for the Little Lions with a 3-over 75.

   Alex Hoskins rounded out the State College lineup as his 4-over 76 was tossed.

   Fox Chapel, behind two-time PIAA Class AAA champion Carson Kittsley’s scintillating 8-under 64, finished six shots behind the top two in third place with a 2-under 286 total.

   Kittsley had been gunning for a third straight PIAA Class AAA crown in the individual competition, but ended up with a third-place finish.

   Nico Ward, who captured the Class AAA individual crown on the strength of a spectacular final round of 9-under 63 Tuesday, tallied a 3-under 69 to lead the way for West Allegheny as it finished two shots behind Fox Chapel in fourth place with an even-par 288 total.

   District One champion Souderton was another nine shots behind West Allegheny in fifth place with a 9-over 297 total.

   Senior Chase Andrews and sophomore Danny Ross each matched par with a 72 to lead the way for the Big Red.

   Andrews had the best finish among the District One contingent in the Class AAA individual chase as he ended up in a tie for 10^th place. Ross finished in a tie for 25^th place in the individual standings.

   Landon Stern backed up Andrews and Ross with a 4-over 76 and senior Wyatt Underwood was Souderton’s final counter with a 77.

   Junior Declan Henry rounded out the Souderton lineup as he posted an 80 that the Big Red was able to throw out.

   Cumberland Valley finished five shots behind Souderton in sixth place with a 14-over 302 total and Abington Heights finished seventh with an 18-over 306 total.

   The other District One representative, Upper Dublin, was last of the elite eight-team field with a 25-over 313 total.

   Michael Bonczak, Aditiya Rege and Luke Wilmoth led the way for the Cardinals as each recorded a 6-over 78 and Jack Wentzel was their final counter with a 79. John Lee rounded out the Upper Dublin lineup with an 83.

   Not sure why Devon Prep’s standout sophomore Logan Turner was not involved in the PIAA Class AA individual competition. Could be any one of a number of reasons.

   But Turner, winner of the Jock MacKenzie Memorial, one of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s major championships for juniors, at Sandy Run Country Club in July, was there when the Tide needed him in Wednesday’s team chase.

   Turner, who plays out of White Manor Country Club, led the way for Devon Prep with a 4-under 68 at the Blue Course as the Tide denied Scranton Prep a third straight PIAA Class AA team title with a sparkling 8-under 280 total.

   It was the third state Class AA team title for Devon Prep in the last six years as the Tide won championships in 2021 and 2023 during the Nick Ciocca era.

   Junior Scott Cunningham, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Class AA individual chase Tuesday, backed up Turner with a solid 3-under 69.

   Junior Tommy Dineen gave Devon Prep a third player in red figures with a 2-under 70 and sophomore Gray Biborosch rounded out the counters for the Tide with a 1-over 73.

   Senior Andrew Carroccio, a member of Devon Prep’s state championship team as a freshman in 2023, rounded out the lineup with a 78 that the Tide was able to throw out.

   Two-time defending Class AA champion Scranton Prep settled for a runnerup finish, the Cavaliers ending up 15 shots behind Devon Prep with a 7-over 295 total.

   Scranton Prep was led by senior Brendan Bell, who recorded a 2-under 70, and junior Cole Powell, who signed for a 1-under 71.

   Powell captured his second straight PIAA Class AA individual crown in a playoff Tuesday.

   Erie Cathedral Prep took third place with a 12-over 300 total, Pittsburgh’s North Catholic was fourth at 303, Shady Side Academy was fifth at 310, Bishop Guilfoyle was sixth at 312, Berks County’s Oley Valley was seventh at 322 and Towanda rounded out the eighth-team field, ending up eighth with a 324 total.

   On the girls side, Peters Township turned the tables on District One Class AAA champion Conestoga to capture the PIAA Class AAA crown with a 12-over 228 total at the White Course.

   A year ago, Conestoga finished four shots ahead of Peters Township to claim the state title in Class AAA. This time, the Pioneers finished five shots behind Peters Township in second place with a 17-over 233 total.

   The Indians were led by freshman Annie Higgins, who carded a 1-under 71. Junior Betty Glyptis added a 3-over 75 and another freshman, Josie Jeglinski, was Peters Township’s final counter in the five-score-three format with an 81.

   Sophomore Autumn Merck posted an 86 and senior Olivia Ondrejko signed for a 93 to round out the Peters Township lineup.

   Jill Burks closed out her outstanding scholastic career with a 1-under 71 to lead the way for Conestoga.

   Burks, who, like Devon Prep’s Turner, plays out of White Manor, had finished in a tie for fourth place in her fourth and final appearance in the PIAA Class AAA individual competition Tuesday.

   Senior Corinne McReynolds backed up Burks with an 81. McReynolds earned a top-10 finish in the Class AAA individual chase as she finished in 10^th place.

   Junior Kat Shrum matched McReynolds’ 81 and was the final counter for the Pioneers.

   Rounding out the Conestoga lineup were junior Journey Holt with a 93 and junior Lanna Chanthakad with a 101 and the Pioneers were able to toss those scores.

   It was 15 shots back to Abington Heights in third place with a 248 total. South Fayette finished three shots behind Abington Heights in fourth place with a 251 total.

   Perennial District One power Mount St. Joseph finished another two shots behind South Fayette in fourth place with a 253 total.

   Leading the way for the Mount was sophomore Gemma Holt with an 81. Senior Katie Collins added an 84 and senior Madeline McLean was the final counter for Mount St. Joseph with an 88.

   Rounding out the lineup for the Mount were junior Annie Corrigan with an 89 and sophomore Emily Catalfano with a 91.

   Manheim Township finished a shot behind Mount St. Joseph in sixth place with a 264 total, Cumberland Valley was seventh with a 265 total and State College rounded out the eight-team field, ending up eighth with a 287 total.

   Pittsburgh’s Oakland Catholic claimed its first state team title in Class AA with a 24-over 240 total at the Blue Course.

   The Eagles were led by Jade Epondulan’s 6-over 78 and a 79 by Riley Levers. Nancy Freyvogel was the final counter for Oakland Catholic with an 83.

   Rounding out the Oakland Catholic lineup were Sydney Marrara with an 85 and Lily Freyvogel with an 87.

   West Middlesex finished nine shots behind Oakland Catholic in second place with a 249 total.

   Tunkhannock took third place with a 255 total, Fort LeBoeuf was fourth at 257, Westmont Hilltop was fifth at 259, North Catholic was sixth at 267, Trinity was seventh at 287 and Athens rounded out the eight-team field, ending up a shot behind Trinity in eighth with a 288 total.