As is often the case, there wasn’t a whole lot to separate
the top three teams in the Inter-Ac League race this fall.
The Haverford School, Malvern Prep and Episcopal Academy
arrived at the last of the Inter-Ac’s six regular-season invitationals last
week in a tie and the Fords proceeded to edge the Friars by two shots and the
Churchmen by six shots in that final invitational to give The Haverford School
its third straight league title.
The Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association
Championship is a chance to pick up a nice consolation prize. Make no mistake
about it, the Inter-Ac crown is the big prize to all three schools, but a team
title in the PAISAA tournament can ease the pain for a near miss in the
Inter-Ac race.
Episcopal Academy captured the PAISAA Championship team
title on another gorgeous fall day Monday at Brookside Country Club,
adjacent to The Hill School in Pottstown. It was the first PAISAA crown for
Episcopal Academy, which has been in contention several times since the
tournament was first played in 2011. And guess what, it was close.
The Churchmen’s 235 total edged Malvern Prep by a shot. The
Hill School, playing on its home course, was a shot behind the Friars in third
place with a 237 total and Inter-Ac champion Haverford School was another shot
behind The Hill in fourth place at 238.
Mercersburg Academy came in from central Pennsylvania to
finish in fifth place at 240, just two shots behind Haverford School and only
five shots behind the winner, Episcopal Academy. Penn Charter finished in fifth
place at 252, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and Kiski School from the
Pittsburgh area landed in a tie for seventh place at 255 and Germantown Academy
rounded out the nine-team field with a 258 total.
Episcopal Academy was led by its senior stalwart Jacob Zeng,
who carded a 3-over-par 75 over the 6,800-yard, par-72 Brookside layout. Junior
Shane Lawler added a 78 and eighth-grader Jack Yearley’s 82 was the crucial
final counter.
Unlike the Inter-Ac invitationals in which the top four
scores are counted, PAISAA entries bring four players with the top three
scoring. Giles Elliott, a junior, contributed a solid 83 to the cause for
Episcopal Academy, although the Churchmen had the luxury of tossing his score.
Malvern Prep was led by sophomore Keller Mulhern, who carded
a 4-over 76 that left him alone in fourth place in the individual standings.
Senior Ryan Kennedy added a 78, Henry Fish posted an 81 and the Friars were
able to toss the 83 carded by Jack Fialko, who was coming off a solid
fourth-place finish in the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual championship
Friday at Gulph Mills Golf Club.
The Hill School was led by PAISAA individual champion Billy
Gussler, who matched par on his home course with a 72. Echo Wu backed up
Gussler with a 78 and Thomas Beaudoin was the third counter for The Hill with
an 87. Will Lesko rounded out The Hill lineup with a 92.
With the championship in its backyard, The Hill had several
players who competed as individuals and Lucas Steinmetz and Sam Mitchell headed
that group as each carded a solid 80. The Hill plays both a fall and a spring
schedule.
The Haverford School was led by junior Jake Maddaloni, who
finished second in the individual standings behind The Hill’s Gussler with a
2-over 74. Senior Charlie Baker wrapped up an outstanding career at The
Haverford School with a 79. Baker, a key contributor to the Fords’ three
straight Inter-Ac championship teams, was coming off a solid third-place finish
in the Bert Linton at Gulph Mills, his home course.
Michael Bozzi was the final counter for the Fords with an 85
and Alec Stern rounded out The Haverford School lineup with a 91.
Sharing third place in the individual standings with
Episcopal Academy’s Zeng with a 3-over 75 was Penn Charter junior Patrick
Isztwan. Zeng and Isztwan are the last two winners of the Inter-Ac’s
regular-season points race, Zeng taking that title in 2018 and Isztwan claiming
the top spot this fall.
Mercersburg Academy’s Luke Thompson was a shot behind
Malvern Prep’s Mulhern in sixth place with a 77 and Episcopal Academy’s Lawler
and The Hill’s Wu shared seventh place with their matching 78s.
Rounding out the top 10 were two players, Malvern Prep’s
Kennedy and Haverford School’s Baker, who finished in a tie for ninth place,
each with a 79.
Germantown Academy was led by senior Eric Lafond, who carded
an 83.
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