Jaster makes Scholastic Junior All-America Team

   Two-time Haverford School All-Delco Scott Jaster, a senior, has been named an HP Scholastic Junior All-American.
The honor was announced last week by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), which has recognized 12 boys and girls who demonstrate the ability to excel both on the golf course and the classroom since 1988.
   To be eligible to apply for the HP Scholastic Junior All-America Team, boys must have placed in the top 10 of an AJGA open regional championship or invitational. The selections were based on grade-point average, class rank, standardized test scores, community service and writing ability. Candidates were required to submit an essay no longer than 500 words on an original topic relating to golf.
   The HP Scholastic Junior All-America Team will be honored at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet Nov. 18 at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The awards banquet will coincide with Polo Golf Junior Classic, which will be held at PGA National’s Champion and Fazio courses Nov. 17 to 23.
   Jaster has led The Haverford School to two straight Inter-Ac League titles. The first came at the end of his sophomore season, the last season the Inter-Ac competed in the spring. A few months later, at the beginning of his junior year, Jaster again helped the Fords claim the Inter-Ac title, this time in the circuit’s first fall campaign.
   Jaster finished in a tie for fifth in the Inter-Ac Tournament as a sophomore and in a tie for sixth last fall as a junior.
Jaster and the Fords appear well on their way to a third straight title with dominant performances in the first two mini-tournaments that determine the league champion.
   Jaster finished third in the 2012 Deutsche Bank Partners for Charity Junior Shoot Out, giving him three top-five performances in AJGA events. He scored 2,240 on the SAT and has achieved a weighted grade-point average of 4.7 in his first three years at The Haverford School.
   He is a memer of the varsity debate team and is president of the school’s Community Awareness Program.

Dupre at his best at Merion East

   As a member at Rolling Green G.C., Episcopal Academy senior Alex Dupre knows a thing or two about fast greens.
That knowledge undoubtedly came in handy when the Churchmen battled Catholic League powerhouse La Salle Wednesday at Merion G.C.’s historic East Course, site of the 2013 U.S. Open, and home to some pretty tricky green complexes.
   Dupre fired a 3-over 38 to lead the Churchmen to a 251-257 victory over the Explorers. Also scoring for Episcopal were senior standout Sean Fahey (41), Joe Chambers (42), Andrew Janetta (42), Trey Croney (44) and Cole Testaiuti (44).
  By the way, the countdown to the opening round of the 2013 U.S. Open teeing off in Delaware County stands at 257 days on this Ryder Cup Sunday.

Calamaro helps Illini take third

   Redshirt sophomore Jackie Calamaro, the 2009 PIAA champion at Radnor, got into the top 25 to help Illinois move up into a tie for third place in the team chase at the Wolverine Invitational that concluded last Sunday.
   A young group of Illinois players had struggled the first two times they teed it up this fall, but the Illini showed a lot more consistency and their final-round team total of 304 Sunday was the low team round of the tournament.
   Host Michigan and Florida International shared the team title at 930. Illinois ended up in a three-way tie for third with Xavier and Eastern Michigan, three shots back of the co-winners at 933.
   The Illini were led by junior Ember Schuldt and sophomore Michelle Mayer, who were among six players who finished in a tie for sixth at 232. Schuldt fired a final-round 72 and Mayer ended up with a 74, her best collegiate round.
   Samantha Postillion, like Calamaro a redshirt sophomore, had a final-round 77 to finish another shot back at 233 and alone in 12th place.
   Calamaro started off strong with a 76 and added an 80 and an 82 to finish in a tie for 23rd at 238 and sophomore Pimploy Thirati finished alone in 40th at 245.
   A couple of other local players teed it up at the Wolverine. Bucknell junior Lauren Bernard, a Notre Dame product and the 2011 Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur champion, finished alone in 61st place with rounds of 86, 81 and 86 for a 253 total.
   Delaware sophomore Amanda Terzian, an Episcopal Academy product, was another shot back of Bernard in a tie for 62nd at 254 after rounds of 79, 93 and 82.
   Bernard’s Bison were last in the field of 14 with a 1,004 total while Terzian’s Blue Hens finished 12th at 991.

Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour

   The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour is still getting in some events in between a busy scholastic schedule and St. Joseph’s Prep senior Jim Callahan, a Springfield resident, fired a 75 to finish second in the 16-to-18 division in a stop at the short — just 4,494 yards —  par-66 Willow Valley G.C. near Lancaster Sept. 22.
   In the girls 13-to-15 division Gabriella Kim of Wayne carded an 83 to share the top spot with Phoebe Brinker of Wilmington, Del. Caprian Kan of Boothwyn finished fourth with a 92, Kaitlyn Lees of Bryn Mawr was fifth with a 95 and Yana Ilieva of Newtown Square was sixth with a 109.
   In the girls 16-to-18 division, Rada Ilieva of Newtown Square finished second with a 102.

Ingraham captures Philly Section title

   Stu Ingraham is 52, but he’s not getting older, he’s getting better.
   The teaching pro at the M Golf Range in Newtown Square drained a 25-foot birdie putt on the third hole of sudden death at White Manor Country Club Friday to claim the Philadelphia Section PGA championship for the second time in his career.
   Ingraham had bogeyed the final hole of regulation to finish in a tie for first place with another of the Section’s super seniors, 60-year-old Greg Farrow, the head pro at Deerwood C.C. at 4-under 138.
   The tournament was originally scheduled to be a 54-hole event with players alternating between White Manor and St. Davids G.C. the first two days. But Tuesday’s drenching rains left St. Davids unplayable. So half the players got in their first round Wednesday, then waited while the other half of the field played Thursday. The field was then cut and the tournament concluded Friday.
   And it was Ingraham who got the job done, winning the title and all the perks that go with it, especially the $7,500 top prize. Ingraham followed up his opening-round 70 with a 3-under 68 Friday to earn his place in the playoff with Farrow.
Ingraham will also lead 12 players from the section to the PGA Professional National Championship — the National Club Pro as it is commonly referred to — which will be held June 23 to 26 at the Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater and Meadows course in Oregon.
   The top 20 finishers in that event, which carries a hefty $550,000 purse, will earn at spot in the PGA Championship, the last major of the year. The PGA will be held Aug. 8-11 at Oak Hill C.C. in Rochester, N.Y. Ingraham has followed that path to the PGA Championship six times in his career, most recently in 2010 when he earned a trip to Whistling Straits.
   Overbrook G.C. pro Eric Kennedy closed strong Friday with a 4-under 67 for a 3-under 139 total that left him in a tie for third. John Bierkan, the head of instruction at Aronimink G.C., was another two shots back at 1-under 141 in a tie for seventh. He had a 2-under 69 Friday.
   That means Kennedy and Bierkan will also be headed for the National Club Pro. Merion G.C. head of instruction Mark Sheftic finished at 3-over 145 and was just outside the top 12 who qualified for the National Club Pro, although he is one of the three alternates.
   Radnor Valley C.C. head pro George Forster Jr. finished at 5-over 147.
   Delco’s own Ed Dougherty is a past champion of the National Club Pro, representing the Philadelphia Section when he won.
   The other qualifiers for the National Club Pro included Rich Steinmetz, the Spring-Ford C.C. head pro who was going for three straight Philly Section titles, but came up a shot short of the playoff, Jake Gerney, Barry Dear, Travis Deibert, Terry Hatch, Brian Kelly, Dave McNabb and Rich Hughart.

Jaster powers Haverford School

   Senior Scott Jaster, Haverford School’s two-time All-Delco, took medalist honors for the day with a sparkling even-par 35 at Merion Golf Club’s West Course as the Fords again cruised to team honors in an Inter-Ac League mini-tournament hosted by Episcopal Academy Wednesday.
   Haverford School’s depth was on display again as junior Cole Berman, another returning All-Delco, struggled — if you can call it that — with a 4-over 39. Still his score counted, along with a pair of 36s registered by Timmy Brooks and Otis Baker, a 39 by Max Siegfried and a 41 by Jake Van Arkel.
   Brooks, a senior, and Baker, a sophomore, shared second place individually.
   That gave the Fords a 226 total, 10 shots better than Malvern Prep, which finished second at 236. Brendan Bacskai led the way for the Friars with a 37. He shared fourth individually with Penn Charter’s J.B. Bradbeer.
   Episcopal finished third at 242 with senior Sean Fahey and junior Andrew Janetta leading the way with 38s. Rounding out the scorers for the Churchmen were Alex Dupre with a 40, Austin Helms with a 43 and Trey Croney with a 44.

Kan, Purdue off to strong start

   Aurora Kan, the 2010 PIAA champion at Chichester and the 2010 Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion, finished 24th to help the Purdue women’s golf team open its season with a seven-shot victory at the Mary Fossum Invitational, which concluded Sunday.
   Kan, a sophomore on a very talented Purdue team that is ranked No. 22 in the Golf World/NGCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, had rounds of 78, 74 and 76 for a total of 12-over 228 at the 6,236-yard, par-72 Forest Akers West Golf Course. The tournament was hosted by Michigan State.
   Kan helped Purdue post an 11-over 875 total that matched the 54-hole record for the Mary Fossum. The Boilermakers opened with a 288 and a 290 in Saturday’s first two rounds and finished up with a 297 total in Sunday’s final round.
Senior Paula Reto and freshman Margaux Vanmoi finished in a tie for fourth at 3-over 219 to lead the way for Purdue. Reto and senior Kishi Sinh were tied for first after two rounds with Reto firing rounds of 69 and 73 and Sinh posting a pair of 71s.
   Reto fell back with a 77 to share fourth with Vanmoi, the freshman from Belgium who was the 2011 British Junior Girls Amateur champion. Vanmoi had a final-round 73 after opening up with rounds of 74 and 72.
   Senior Laura Gonzalez-Escallon finished in a tie for sixth at 220 (74-75-71) and Sinh fell back to eighth at 221 with a final-round 79. Kan’s 24th-place finish gave Purdue five players in the top 25.
Freshman Brooke Beegle competed as an individual and had three straight 84s to tie for 88th at 252.
   The host Spartans took runnerup honors with an 882 (297-289-296) total. Notre Dame was another five shots in third place at 887 (298-290-299) in the 17-team field.

Pennsylvania settles for fourth

   Three players who finished in the top seven when the Pennsylvania Amateur was held at Rolling Green G.C. this summer represented the state at the USGA State Team Championship, which concluded Friday at Galloway National G.C., just outside Atlantic City, N.J.
   Andrew Mason, the former Temple standout who won his second straight state amateur title at Rolling Green, teamed with Nathan Smith, who recently won his fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur title, and Oakmont C.C. veteran Sean Knapp to finish fourth, eight shots back of team champion New York.
   The two lowest scores of the three-man teams count each day of the 54-hole event.
   Pennsylvania stood in third place, just three shots behind New York, heading into the final round following outstanding second-round scores of 71 by Smith and 73 by Knapp over the 6,963-yard, par-71 Galloway National layout.
   Knapp came in with a final-round 72, but Smith, who had to be running out of gas after successfully defending his U.S. Mid-Am title less than two weeks earlier, had a 76 and Mason couldn’t pick the team up as he posted a 78.
   New York was led by 20-year-old Mike Miller, who fired a final-round 68 to lead the Empire State to a 428 total. Miller is a former Penn State player, but left the program making him eligible for this competition.
   Iowa finished second at 434, followed by Tennessee in third at 435 and then Pennsylvania in fourth, another shot back at 436.
   Smith, whose fourth U.S. Mid-Am title earlier this month was accomplished at Conway Farms G.C. in Lake Forest, Ill., is a truly remarkable story. The 34-year-old seemed something of an odd choice by George “Buddy” Marucci as the U.S. team’s “veteran” pick to fill out a roster filled with college standouts for the Walker Cup Match contested at Merion G.C.’s East Course in September of 2009.
   The Pittsburgh native did have a U.S. Mid-Am title to his name then, but he has certainly validated Buddy’s pick. First, he more than held his own in helping the U.S. retain the Walker Cup that week at Merion.
   Then a few weeks later, he added his second Mid-Am title and hasn’t looked back, taking two more Mid-Ams and again being picked to represent in the U.S. in the Walker Cup Match in 2011. His match-play record in eight U.S. Mid-Am appearances is 32-4.
   Oh yeah, and he did lead Pennsylvania to the State Team Championship title in 2009.
   Smith has to be mentioned among the great amateur golfers this state has produced, including two-time U.S. Amateur champion and nine-time U.S. Walker Cupper Jay Sigel and Carol Semple Thompson, owner of seven USGA titles and 12 times a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team.

Golf Association of Philadelphia

   A couple of notable accomplishments from GAP events last week as its 2012 schedule winds down.
   First, Mike Vassil of The Country Club of Scranton claimed the GAP’s Senior Amateur title when he made a birdie on the first hole of sudden death to beat two-time British Senior Amateur champion Chip Lutz.
   Again, Tuesday’s rains wreaked havoc with this event, shortening it to 18 holes at Wilmington C.C.’s South Course. Vassil fired a 1-under 70 to get in the playoff opposite Lutz, who has already secured the GAP Senior Player of the Year award. The 57-year-old Reading resident is very simply one of the top senior amateur players in the world.
   Frank McFadden matched par with a 71 to finish third and claim low-Overbrook honors, no easy feat with all the talented seniors who populate that membership.
   Overbrook’s Ray Thompson shared fourth place with Michael Quinn of Edgmont C.C. at 1-over 72. Rich Thon of The Springhaven Club finished in a tie for 11th with a 76 and Overbrook’s Chris Lange was another shot back in a tie for 16th at 76.
   Among those in that tie for 16th was Robert P. Billings of Rolling Green G.C.
   Billings got a bigger thrill a couple of days earlier when he teamed with his son, Robert A. Billings, to capture the Father & Son (Older) title at Whitford C.C. for the elder Billings’ first GAP victory.
   The older Billings, a 62-year-old Newtown Square resident, and his son, a 42-year-old Cherry Hill, N.J. resident, posted a 77 to match the total put up earlier in the day by Matthew Finger and Jon Finger.
   Dad picked up son when the younger Billings left him a challenging eight-footer for par to win it on the third playoff hole. But dad drained it to earn the Billingses the victory.
   Team Klagholz, Martin of Rolling Green and Marty of Aronimink, finished in a tie for fourth with an 82.
   The Super-Senior title went to Llanerch C.C.’s Neil McDermott, patriarch of Delco’s top golfing family and a past GAP president, and son Kevin.
   Neil, 65, of Newtown Square and Kevin, 35, of Conshohocken, posted a 3-over 75 to claim Super-Senior honors.

A centennial celebration at Merion

   Sunday dawns with 271 days to go until the 2013 U.S. Open tees off at Merion Golf Club’s East Course in the Ardmore section of Haverford Township.    

   Speaking of Merion, the Grand Dame of the Main Line officially turned 100 Friday. The occasion was the subject of a very nice piece in Golf World penned by Jeff Silverman, who says in the article he was commissioned by Merion to write its new club history.
   Silverman focuses a lot on the timelessness of Hugh Wilson’s architecture. Wilson was technically an amateur when he designed Merion. Sort of like the 14-year-old kid who teed it up in the first big event at Merion, the 1914 U.S. Amateur — that would be Bobby Jones — was technically an amateur golfer.
   Silverman also touches on the hysteria that has so often greeted the announcement that the East Course is going to be the site of the U.S. Open.
   The 2013 Open will be Merion’s fifth, but its first since 1981.
   I can clearly recall the run-up to the 1971 Open, when I was a 16-year-old looper at the club. One of the Philly papers, pretty sure it was The Bulletin, picked up a column by the great Jim Murray, who is on the short list of greatest sportswriters to ever pound a typewriter and/or keyboard.
   But Murray got this one wrong. The Cliff’s Notes version of the column was that Merion East was too short. A pitch-and-putt course, he sniffed. The modern pros would have their way with the old girl.
   Didn’t happen. A couple of guys you may have heard of, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino, ended up in an 18-hole playoff after finishing tied at even-par 280.
   Personally, I thought they overdid it with the rough in ’71, but the USGA liked its rough back in those days.
   Still, a 21-year-old Wake Forest senior out of Butler, Pa., the late Jim Simons, held the lead as an amateur after three rounds. He was “the kid,” as in, “how’s the kid doing?” that U.S. Open week. His college teammate, Lanny Wadkins, described Simons as the ultimate technician, the best at managing his game that he ever saw.
   And that’s what it takes to play well at Wilson’s creation. Hit every fairway and hit every green, as David Graham did in one of the most underrated final rounds in U.S. Open history, and you can score at Merion.
   It was Graham’s 7-under 273 total in 1981 that scared the USGA away from one of its favorite golf courses.
  But a few extra yards were found — ironically a lot of those yards were added at the par-4 fifth and the par-4 18th holes, which were already two the East’s toughest  — Haverford College graciously worked out a deal to allow some of its property to be utilized for those all-important corporate suites and the Open was back.
   Silverman reported that the big centennial observation at Merion will come in two weeks, around the Sept. 29 date that may be the most historical of all at Merion. That, of course, was the date in 1930 when Jones, 16 years older than when he first made national headlines as a 14-year-old at Merion, completed the Grand Slam by wining the U.S. Amateur.
   He then promptly retired from competitive golf and went and built that golf course in Georgia where they have that other big tournament every April.
   Walk the fairways of the East Course a 1,000 times or so — as I did as a looper there from 1969 until the second round of the 1981 U.S. Open — and the history becomes a part of you, as if by osmosis.
   Silverman’s piece makes it clear that people who know about these things are confident that even with the advances in both golf clubs and balls, Merion will hold its own at the 2013 Open, just as it always has.
   Silverman digs up a quote by the legendary architect Pete Dye concerning the East Course in which Dye says: “Merion is not great because history was made there. History was made there because Merion is great.”
   He’s definitely onto something there.

Pellegrini, Calamaro tee off

   A couple of All-Delco performers in their scholastic days, Garnet Valley’s Erica Pellegrini and Radnor’s Jackie Calamaro, got their collegiate seasons started last weekend.
   Pellegrini, a junior at The Citadel, led the way for the Bulldogs as they placed 12th at the Terrier Intercollegiate held at Spartanburg C.C. in Spartanburg, S.C.
   Pellegrini, a two-time All-Delco and two-time state qualifier when she was with the Jaguars, fired a second-round 77 to go with her opening-round 82 for a 15-over 159 total that earned her a tie for 40th in the individual chase.
   The Citadel’s two-day team total was 651. UNC-Pembroke captured the team title with a 595 total. UNC-Pembroke was two shots clear of Gardner-Webb (597), which was led by individual winner Mark K. Donovan, who posted a sparkling 1-under 143 total.
   Calamaro, a redshirt sophomore at Illinois, flashed the kind of talent that made her the 2009 PIAA champion and 2009-10 Daily Times Player of the Year with a 1-under 71 in the middle round of Colonel Wollenberg’s Ram Classic, held at the 6,302-yard, par-72 Ptarmigan Course in Fort Collins, Colo.
   Calamaro’s inexperience — she is part of a very young Illinois group — was evident in the other two rounds as she flanked that 71 with an opening-round 81 and a final-round 86. Her 248 total left her in a tie for 69th with, among others, teammate Pimploy Thirati, a sophomore. The Illini were led by redshirt sophomore Samantha Postillion, a transfer from Texas who had rounds of 76, 77 and 76 for a 229 total that left her in a tie for 52nd.
   Illinois’ final-round 320 total left them in 16th place with a score of 935.
   Texas Tech was the runaway winner in the team chase, finishing 27 shots better than runnerup Baylor. New Mexico’s Manon DeRoey was the individual winner with rounds of 69, 68 and 70 for a 9-under 207 total.

Hammond earns Bill Strausbaugh Award

   Maybe the PGA of America thought it would wait until he slowed down a little before it decided to give its Bill Strausbaugh Award to PGA Master Professional Harry Hammond.
   Apparently, the guys at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., threw up their hands and realized slowing down is not on the agenda for a guy who has been serving the game of golf in Chester County and influencing it throughout the Philadelphia area for 49 years.
   It was recently announced that Hammond, 73 years young, was named the recipient of the 2012 Bill Strausbaugh Award, established in 1979 in tribute to the late Middle Atlantic PGA Master Professional who excelled in both leadership and service to a PGA Section and to the PGA of America. Strausbaugh died in 1999.
   “To be recognized for your work is wonderful, but that is not why you do the work,” Hammond said on the PGA of America website. “The purpose of your efforts is to grow the game and that has been my effort since I started in golf. I met Bill Strausbaugh and, like so many others that knew him, found him an exceptional person.”
   Exceptional is a pretty fair description of Hammond. He “retired” after being director of golf at Whitford C.C. for 38 years. 

   Of course, if the current Whitford director of golf needs some advice, he can always call his father-in-law, Harry Hammond, as Michael Ladden is married to Hammond’s daughter Laura, a PIAA champion at Unionville and one of the top amateur players in the Philadelphia area.
   Hammond is the director of golf at Penn Oaks Golf Club, of which he is also part-owner.
   In his spare time, Hammond is in his fourth season as the head coach at West Chester University. Last spring, his Rams qualified as a team for the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament for the first time since 2004.
West Chester grabbed the team title at last weekend’s Hal Hansen Invitational, hosted by Clarion University at Clarion Oaks G.C.
   Hammond has begun junior golf programs at numerous clubs and courses around Chester County. In 1999, he was named PGA of America Junior Golf Leader and is president of the Greater Philadelphia PGA Junior Golf Foundation.
   Hammond is just the third Philadelphia Section pro to win the Strausbaugh Award, following John Poole of West Chester in 1993 and Doug Ritter of Lancaster. Hammond will be honored during the PGA of America Awards ceremony Jan. 24 during the 60th PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center’s Chapin Theater in Orlando, Fla.

Haverford School tops tourney field

   The Inter-Ac League apparently is sticking to its mini-tournament format for the regular season, at least partially.
Chestnut Hill hosted a tournament Wednesday at Sunnybrook G.C. and two-time defending champion Haverford School dominated the proceedings.
   All-Delco Cole Berman and teammate Otis Baker shared medalist honors, each carding a 36. Two-time Haverford School All-Delco Scott Jaster was among four players who tied for third at 37. That group included a pair of Episcopal Academy players, senior Sean Fahey and freshman Austin Helms.
   In addition to the showings by their top three, the Fords’ depth was on display. Max Siegfried, Ryan Tetrault and Jay Losty had 40s and Timmy Brooks and Jake Van Arkel had 41s.
   The 41s weren’t even needed in the Fords’ winning team total of 229, but obviously there wasn’t much of a dropoff in the Haverford School lineup.
   Episcopal finished second in the team standings at 242. In addition to Fahey and Helms, the Churchmen got a 40 from Alex Dupre, a 41 from Matt Robinson and a 42 from Joe Chambers.
   Paris Sterrett, who helps with the Episcopal program, reports that Fahey and Dupre led a contingent of Churchmen who teed it up at Kiawah Island in South Carolina in August, which means they were there either right before or right after the PGA Championship was played there.
   Playing the same Ocean Course that Rory McIlroy won his second major championship on, Fahey had a 77 on a course measuring nearly 8,000 yards from the tips. Fahey, whom Sterrett reports is headed for Dartmouth next year, was even-par through nine. Dupre, Fahey’s fellow senior co-captain, had an 85. Fahey is a member at Overbrook G.C. and Dupre plays out of Rolling Green G.C.

More scholastic updates

   We received some results from two teams that I was unable to dig up anything on for the season preview that ran on the blog last week.
   Chichester fell to Glen Mills, 267-282, Wednesday at Rock Manor G.C.
   Cassan Fields and Joe Cantu were the low men for the Eagles with 50s. Other scores that counted for Chichester were recorded by Steven Perez (53), Quran McLendon (56) and Chad Lee (58).
   The Sacred Heart girls teed it up against Catholic Academies foe Villa Maria Tuesday at Paxon Hollow C.C. and dropped a 232-268 decision to the Hurricanes.
   The Lions were led by Shannon Mann and Katie Honebrink, both of who had 52s. Mimi Warniki added a 53, McKenna Schneider had a 54 and Colleene Gentile had a 57.

Shattuck off to fast start at Delaware

   Braden Shattuck, the 2011-12 Daily Times Player of the Year at Sun Valley, did not skip a beat in his first two starts with the University of Delaware.
   This weekend Shattuck had a pair of even-par 71s over the 6,528-yard, par-71 Naval Academy course in Annapolis Md. for a 142 total that left him a tie for third place at the Navy Fall Classic.
   North Dakota State accounted for the top two spots in the individual chase with Nathan Anderson taking medalist honors with a 4-under 138 (68-70) total and Bill Carlson the runnerup at 1-under 141 (69-72). They led North Dakota State to the team title with a 565 total.
   Temple, led by a tie for eighth from sophomore Paul Carbone, a former Archbishop Wood standout, finished third at 584, four shots back of runnerup Saint Bonaventure. Carbone had rounds of 74 and 70 for a 2-over 144 total.
   With Shattuck leading the way, Delaware finished seventh at 589, a shot back of host Navy.
   Fifth place went to Brown at 586. One of Brown’s top scorers was former Haverford School standout Nelson Hargrove, who finished in a tie for 20th with rounds of 72 and 75 for a 5-over 147 total.
   In a tournament that concluded Labor Day, Shattuck saved his best for last, shooting the best round of the day by a Blue Hen to finish in a tie for 35th in the season-opening Turning Stone Tiger Invitational with a 228 total.
   Shattuck opened with a 75 at the 7,105-yard, par-72 Kaluhyat Golf Club layout at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, N.Y. He then added a 79 before finishing up with a 2-over 74 that left him in a tie for 35th.
   Delaware finished in a tie for 11th in the team standings with rounds of 315, 303 and 305 for a 923 total. Tournament host Missouri won the team title with an 842 total. The Tigers were followed by runnerup Louisville at 861.
   The Blue Hens were led by senior Ben Conroy, who had rounds of 75, 72 and 75 for a 222 total that earned him a tie for 22nd.

Speaking of Sun Valley …

   Shattuck’s alma mater will, as you would expect, struggle with the departure of the Daily Times Player of the Year who was a top-20 player in the state.
  Shattuck’s coach, Rick Barry checked in with some preview information just after last week’s scholastic preview appeared on the blog.
   Sun Valley’s top returnees are Josh Dambman and Leo Whitten as the Vanguards continue to compete in the tough Ches-Mont League. Hannah Turner is also on the roster and hopes to improve enough to make a run at earning a spot in the District One Tournament on the girls side.

Philadelphia Junior Tour

   Cardinal O’Hara freshman Alec Kerr, who led the Lions to a one-shot victory over Bonner-Prendie in a match Sunday, tuned up for that performance with a tie for second in the 13-to-15 age group in a  Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour stop Saturday at Foxchase G.C. near Lancaster.
   Kerr carded an 80 and was four shots back of medalist R.J. Wrenn, who had a 76. Jacob Liberman of Radnor finished 11th with a 93.
   In the 16-to-18 division, Garnet Valley sophomore Michael Stanilka finished fifth with an 81.
   In the girls 13-to-15 division, Caprian Kan, younger sister of 2010 PIAA champion Aurora Kan, finished second with a 90. Gabriella Kim of Wayne finished third with a 93 and Yana Ilieva of Newtown Square finished fifth with a 112.

Radnor boys, girls can set sights high

      With the countdown until the 2013 U.S. Open tees off at Merion Gol f Club's East Course at 282 days, here's a rundown of most of the high school golf teams in Delco. A more detailed look at the county's two Inter-Ac League boys programs, The Haverford School and Episcopal Academy, appeared in Tuesday's Daily Times.

   With returning All-Delco Carey Bina as a senior captain, Andy Achenbach returns a loaded lineup at Radnor and the Radnor girls have their sights set on a second straight District One team crown. More on the girls later.
   Bina and older brother Kavian, who has graduated, were both state qualifiers a year ago for the Central League champion Red Raiders. Carey Bina finished in a tie for 16th at the PIAA Tournament at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort and has had top finishes at several big junior events this summer.
   The Bina brothers, though, were just the tip of the iceberg for a deep Radnor squad a year ago and, with the exception of Kavian Bina, all of those players are back as the Red Raiders bid for a second straight Central League crown.
   Carey Bina heads a group of five returning District One Tournament qualifiers. Bina’s fellow seniors Ben Kleiman, Joe Meyer and Mitchell Nachman and junior Austin Dunlap all teed it up in the opening round of districts at Turtle Creek Golf Club.
   This season’s lineup also includes senior Stephen Faye, juniors Connor Burns, Jack Fischer, James Lofton, David Macomber and Danny Willner, sophomores Paul Yun, Jack Staples and Jack Owens and freshmen Andrew Austen and Justin Ziegler.
   Yun and Macomber have had their scores count as Radnor got off to a fast start in the opening week of action last week.
 Penncrest has a couple of returning district qualifiers in senior Jim Mulholland and junior Ethan Heller. The Lions, coached by Dave Matthews, have some talent throughout the lineup, including senior Andrew McGroarty, sophomores Griffin Colvin, Mike Chang and Nick Whalen and juniors Matt Woznicki and John Kaminsky. Colvin has been a regular on Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour leaderboards all summer. Penncrest also has a returning district qualifier on the girls side in junior Jamie Jablonski.
 Garnet Valley is led by juniors John Concannon and Jack Highfill and sophomore Michael Stanilka. Doug Grande’s Jaguars also have a trio of seniors in Caelean Butler, Ryan Claypole and Brian Nugent and juniors Jake Hudock and Cameron Shah and sophomore Colby Schreiber. Garnet Valley’s low round in Thursday’s loss to perennial league powerhouse Conestoga was sophomore Annika Vandayar, a district qualifier on the girls side a year ago. Vandayar also picked up some experience this summer, including a tie for fourth at the Pennsylvania Junior Girls Championship.
 Senior Jared Brown, a district qualifier as a sophomore, leads the way at Strath Haven. Brown has had some strong showings on the Philly PGA Junior Tour this summer. Also expected to contribute for Kevin Kochersperger’s Panthers are sophomore Jeff Painter, senior Taylor Richardson and juniors Nolan Dirienzi and Bryan Leonard.
 Upper Darby is led by senior Colleen Carroll, a two-time qualifier for the District One girls tournament who is hoping to make it a third time this fall. Carroll may have company at the district tourney from sophomore Alex Turchi, a relative newcomer whom coach Jon McGarry said is showing rapid improvement.
   The Royals have a trio of returning seniors in Brian Mann, John Mulholland and William Miceli. Junior Ranier Gran is another player who took his game up a level over the summer. The Walsh brothers, juniors Dan and Zac, and freshman Sean are also expected to contribute.
 Springfield has two talented players at the top of the lineup in senior Kyle Hakun, a district qualifier two years ago, and junior Brian Todaro. Senior co-captain Brandon Wynne gives coach Jim Heller a third experienced player he can count on.
Springfield is also hoping for contributions from Chris Strawley, Andrew Peranteau and Tim Houtmann.
   On the girls side, Samantha Miller is hoping to keep improving enough to earn a trip to the district tournament.
 Sam Soeth, a two-time district qualifier and All-Delco as a freshman, returns for his junior season at Marple Newtown and gives the Tigers a strong presence at the top spot. Soeth had a busy summer, playing very well in some Golf Association of Philadelphia junior events.
   Dave Locher has several other solid players behind Soeth in Brian Zinman, Jake Deacon, Bob Thompson, Seamus Foley and Matt Yount.
 Ridley has some experience in a quintet of seniors that includes River Yockey, Patrick O’Brien, Tim McCrea, Joe Driscoll and Ray Wenner. Also expected to contribute for Jeff Lubas’ Green Raiders are junior James Geiger and freshman Greg Myers.
 Haverford was led by Alex Barr when the Fords battled Radnor last week at Radnor Valley Country Cloub. Also scoring for the Fords were Matt Morella, Keenan Eichman, Pete Santori and Francesco Campese.

Catholic League

   Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast is off to a fast start with sophomore Quinn Dolan, who made All-Catholic a year ago as a freshman, leading the way.
   Jack Glacken’s Friars have some depth to back up Dolan, including senior captain Tim Ellis, who adds talent and leadership. Other top returnees are: Senior Greg DiDominico, junior Mike Grosso and sophomores Rich Tecco and Dan Goggin.
   Others working to crack the lineup include seniors Jonathan Ardary and Quinn Garvey, sophomores Alex Brady, Mike Ransone, Billy Forsythe, Bryan Andrusko and Jack Egan and freshman Brian Kilroy.
   Junior Anna Haley, who has already become the first girl to have a score count in a Bonner-Prendie match, will get a shot to compete against the girls in the postseason.
 Cardinal O’Hara has been getting some excellent golf out of freshman Alec Kerr in the early going. The Lions also have some strong young players in juniors Kevin George, Steve McAlee, Nick Monaghan, Nick Familetti and Chris Manning and sophomore Shane Dougherty. Seniors Eric Poynton and Chris Duffin and junior Ryan Garrity are also expected to contribute.
 Archbishop Carroll is led by senior captain Sean Henry, juniors Sean Monahan and Steve Trulli and sophomore Mike McCarthy. Kevin McCarthy’s Patriots are also hoping to get contributions from seniors Adam Baer, Ryan Burkitt, and Sam Marino and sophomores Ryan Peabody and Matt Burns.

Del Val League

   Glen Mills returns junior Cassan Fields and senior Quran McLendon to the lineup. Seniors Chad Lee and Joseph Cantu bring a little golf experience to Steve Natalie’s team.
 Interboro returns three-year starters Austin McCray and Nate Rosati and newcomer Tyler Boland should contribute for Lew Garrison’s Bucs.

Bicentennial League

   Seniors Connor Barbee, Max Dubyk, Luke Parry, Kendal Ryle and Emma Schaafsma give Delco Christian some experience in its lineup.
   Junior PJ Schaefer and sophomores Barret Simmons and Adam Whery are also expected to count for the Knights. Junior Joel Favino will also add some depth.
   Schaafsma has two other girls joining her in the lineup that will be hoping to make the District One field, junior Lauren    Coury and Schaafsma younger sister Hannah, a sophomore.

Girls

   While several Delco girls appear capable of making a deep run individually in the postseason — most notably Upper Darby’s Carroll and Garnet Valley’s Vandayar — Radnor boasts several outstanding individual players as well as one of the strongest teams in Pennsylvania.
   Led by individual state qualifier Jamie Susanin a year ago, the Radnor girls finally got over the hump against Mount St. Joseph at the District One Tournament to claim the program’s first district title. The Red Raiders then added an East Region crown and were the runnersup to Shady Side Academy at the PIAA Tournament.
   Radnor didn’t really threaten Shady Side at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort last fall, but the Red Raiders are stronger than ever and already own an 11-shot victory in a dual match with their district nemesis, Mount St. Joe.
   Susanin, who won the Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Girls crown this summer, again leads the way, along with fellow senior co-captain Allie Ziegler.
   The Red Raiders have some seriously talented younger players in junior Juliann Horgan, sophomore Julia Curley and freshman Brynn Walker. Walker finished second at the Pennsylvania State Women’s Golf Association’s Junior Championship while Curley was the qualifying medalist at the WGAP Junior Girls and finished sixth at the state junior tournament.
   Radnor has depth with seniors Hannah Hoseyni and Abby Sydnes, juniors Michelle Gorson and Kaleigh Link, sophomores Paige Cooke and Stephanie Seo and freshman Caitlin Bullock.