Elizabeth Forward's Morgan holds off P-W's Gooneratne to claim title in PIAA Class AAA Championship at Penn State

 

   A year ago, Plymouth-Whitemarsh senior Rhianna Gooneratne went low in the opening round and couldn’t be caught on her way to the title in the PIAA Class AAA Championship.

   One of the players chasing Gooneratne a year ago, Elizabeth Forward junior Mya Morgan, turned the tables on the defending champion, using the exact same formula that Gooneratne did to capture the crown in the PIAA Class AAA Championship by a shot on an unusually warm October Tuesday at Penn State’s White Course.

   Morgan had grabbed a two-shot lead over Gooneratne with a sparkling 4-under-par 68 in Monday’s opening round and a 3-over 75 was just good enough to give Morgan a one-shot victory over Gooneratne with a 1-under 143 total.

   Morgan struggled a little after getting an early birdie at the third hole. She made a double bogey at the fourth hole before bouncing back with a birdie at six. After making bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes, Morgan made a birdie at nine.

   After making a bogey at the 11^th hole, Morgan made a critical birdie at 15 that got her to 3-under for the championship. Morgan had just enough of a cushion that she could withstand bogeys at the 17^th and 18th holes to get it in at 1-under.

   Morgan is the first Class AAA state champion not from District One since North Allegheny’s Caroline Wrigley rolled to the title in 2018.

   It was a solid showing for Gooneratne, who will join the program at Delaware next summer. She made a couple of early bogeys at the second and seventh holes. She made a birdie at the 10^th hole and kept the pressure on Morgan by rattling off seven straight pars before a closing bogey at 18.

   It gave Gooneratne, who had opened with a 2-under 70 Monday, a 2-over 74 and an even-par 144 total that was one shot behind Morgan.

   It was another high finish at the state tournament for Phoenixville junior Kayley Roberts as she added a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening round of even-par 72 as she was part of a foursome tied for third place at 2-over 146, two shots behind Gooneratne.

   A triple bogey at the second hole probably cost Roberts a chance to make a run at Morgan. But in three appearances at the PIAA Class AAA Championship, Roberts has finished second, fourth and now tied for third.

   It was an impressive debut in the state tournament for Cardinal O’Hara freshman Alaina Carson as she matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 2-over 74 to join the group at 2-over.

   After making a double bogey at the first hole, Carson made a birdie at six and a bogey at eight. She proceeded to go 3-under the rest of the way with birdies at the ninth, 11^th and 13^th holes and seven pars, including five straight pars to close out her round.

   I’m pretty sure that’s the highest finish for a Catholic League girl in the PIAA Class AAA Championship and she might get three more cracks at it.

   Joining Roberts and Carson at 2-over were Jersey Shore senior Cailyn Scholl and York Suburban sophomore Vivienne Powers.

   Scholl carded a second straight 2-over 73 while Powers added a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening round of 1-under 71.

   Manheim Township junior Piper Smith, the District Three champion, added a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 73 as she headed a trio of players tied for seventh place at 4-over 148 that also included Chambersburg senior Emily Rensch and Peters Township junior Ellie Benson.

   Rensch closed with a 1-over 73 Tuesday after opening with a 75 while Benson, who had matched par with a 72 in Monday’s opening round, finished up with a 4-over 76.

   A couple of freshmen, Harriton’s Megan Choi and Ephrata’s Kenna Heckman, rounded out the top 10 as they finished in a tie for 10^th place in their debuts at the state tournament at 5-over 149.

   Choi matched par with a 72 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 5-over 77. After opening with a 79, Heckman had the best individual round of the day Tuesday with a 2-under 70.

   Souderton senior Alli Engart finished out her outstanding scholastic career as she added a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second to her opening-round 76 to finish in a tie for 12^th place with a 151.

   It was a bit of a disappointing day for the rest of the Central League contingent as Radnor junior Elayna Fanelli finished in a tie for 15^th place with a 153 total and Conestoga sophomore Jill Burks finished alone in 20^th place with a 155 total.

   Fanelli closed with a 6-over 78 after opening with a 75 while Burks, the medalist in the Central League Championship, struggled to an 80 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with 3-over 75.

   Maddie Koshko, a junior at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg, just down the road from Penn State, was an impressive winner of the PIAA Class AA Championship at the Blue Course.

   Koshko blitzed the Blue Course with an efficient five-birdie, no-bogey 5-under 67 in Tuesday’s final round to claim a two-shot victory. Koshko made birdies at the second, ninth and 11^th holes before finishing with a flourish with back-to-back birdies at 17 and 18 with nary a bogey on her scorecard.

   Koshko had grabbed the lead with an opening round of 1-over 73 and her spectacular second round left her with a 4-under 140 total.

   West Midddlesex junior Kate Sowers added a sparkling 4-under 68 to her opening round of 2-over 74 as she earned runnerup honors with a 2-under 142 total. Sowers had captured the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Junior Girls’ Championship in the summer at Lebanon Country Club.

   Alyssa Zhang, a precocious freshman from Shady Side Academy, matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 3-over 75 as she finished five shots behind Sowers in third place with a 3-over 147 total.

   York Catholic senior Olivia Kury was another shot behind Zhang in fourth place as she also matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 4-over 76 to finish with a 4-over 148 total.

   Fairview junior Cora Hirz added a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 75 as she ended up in fifth place, a shot behind Kury with a 5-over 149 total.

   Fox Chapel sophomore Carson Kittsley stormed past the rest of the field with four birdies in his last six holes, that stunning burst at Penn State’s White Course giving him the PIAA Class AAA boys crown by two shots.

   Kittsley had opened with a solid 4-under 68 Monday that left him two shots behind Cedar Crest junior Dylan Ramsey, the 2022 state champion as a freshman.

   Kittsley started slow in Tuesday’s second round as he made a bogey at the second hole, birdies at six and 11 and a bogey at 12 that left him at even-par for the round and 4-under for the championship.

   That’s when he pushed the button to the on position as he made birdies at the 13^th, 15^th, 17^th and 18^th holes. That closing flurry gave him another 4-under 68 and an 8-under 136 total that left him two shots clear of a trio that included Ramsey, Daniel Boone junior Chase Yenser and Fleetwood junior Cameron Peffel.

   Ramsey had set the pace with a sizzling 6-under 66 in Monday’s opening round, but could only match par with a 72 in Tuesday’s second round for a 6-under 138 total.

   Yenser added a sparkling 4-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 70 to earn a share of second place at 6-under. Peffel had trailed Ramsey by just a shot with his opening round of 5-under 67. He added a solid 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round to round out the trio at 6-under.

   Governor Mifflin senior Nate Radwanski gave Berks County three players in the top five as he headed a group of four players tied for fifth place at 5-under 139. Radwanski had moved into contention on the strength of an opening round of 4-under 68 before adding a 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Joining Radwanski in the quartet tied for fifth place were North Allegheny junior Ravi Desai, South Western senior Ryan Hilyard and Peters Township senior Colton Lusk.

   Desai added a 4-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 71. Hilyard had opened with a 2-under 70 and put together another solid round with a 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round. Lusk had trailed Ramsey by just a shot with his opening round of 5-under 67, but could only manage to match par with a 72 in Tuesday’s second round as he joined the group at 5-under.

   Conestoga’s Will Johnson capped a bustout freshman postseason as he carded a second straight steady round of 2-under 70 to finish among a trio of players tied for ninth place at 4-under 140.

   Johnson had claimed medalist honors in the Central League Championship and was the runnerup in last week’s District One Class AAA Championship at Turtle Creek Golf Course. His top-10 finish at states was the best among a talented contingent from District One.

   District 12 was represented in the top 10 as La Salle senior Chris Vahey recorded a sparkling 5-under 67 in Tuesday’s second after opening with a 1-over 73 as he surged into the group tied at 4-under.

   Rounding out the group tied for ninth place was Cumberland Valley senior Trent Samelko as he added a 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 71.

   Spring-Ford sophomore Michael Gravinese and Unionville junior Nicolas Gaughan were the only other District One players to record a top-20 finish in Class AAA as they were among a trio of players that finished in a tie for 19^th place at 1-under 143.

   Gravinese bounced back from an opening round of 2-over 74 with a solid 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round. Gaughan matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 1-under 71.

   Downingtown West sophomore Ian Larsen and Lower Merion junior Seiji Sako finished in the group tied for 22^nd place at even-par 144.

   Larsen and Sako had identical splits as each added a 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round to an opening round of 1-over 73.

   Gaughan’s Unionville teammate, junior Charlie Barrickman, finished among the group tied for 28^th place as he struggled to a 4-over 76 in Tuesday’s second round after a solid opening round of 2-under 70 for a 2-over 146 total.

   Hatboro-Horsham senior Brent Glah, who captured the District One Class AAA crown last week at the Turtle, and Perkiomen Valley junior Alex Hall, the grandson of World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player, finished in a tie for 34^th place at 4-over 148 total.

   Glah added a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 73. After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Hall registered a 4-over 76 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Another District 12 representative, St. Joseph’s Prep junior John Diamond, finished among the trio of players tied for 36^th place at 5-over 149 total. Diamond added a 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 76.

   In his second straight appearance in the PIAA Class AAA Championship, Coatesville junior Carson Holmes carded a second straight 3-over 75 to finish in a tie for 39^th place with a 6-over 150 total.

   There was no denying Wyoming Seminary senior Nick Werner a second straight PIAA Class AA crown as Werner added a sparkling 4-under 68 to his opening-round 70 to take the title by two shots with a 6-under 138 total.

   Playing the Blue Course, which will be one of his home courses when he joins head coach Mark Leon’s Penn State program next summer, Werner took control of the championship when he opened his round with birdies at the fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth holes.

   Werner made a bogey at the 10^th hole, a birdie at 12 and a bogey at 17 before finishing strong with a birdie at the last, his sixth of the round as he joined a list of repeat state champions that includes the likes of Arnold Palmer and Jay Sigel.

   Devon Prep senior John Curran did Werner one better in Tuesday’s second round with a 5-under 67 as he earned a share of runnerup honors with a 4-under 140 total. Curran, who helped the Tide capture the second PIAA Class AA team crown in the program’s history a year ago, had opened with a 1-over 73.

   Joining Curran in a tie for second place at 4-under were Lake Lehman senior Charlie Weidner and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School junior Jonah Schollaert.

   Weidner added a 3-under 69 to his opening-round 71 and Schollaert had the opposite splits, opening with a 3-under 69 before closing with a 71.

   Archbishop Carroll senior Jason DiRita capped his scholastic career by earning a top-10 finish as he tallied a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round after matching par with a 72 in the opening round to get a share of ninth place with a 2-over 146 total. Pretty sure that’s the first top-10 finish at states for a Patriot golfer in the history of the program.