Junior Jack Gioffre tamed the Centennial nine at Huntingdon Valley Country Club with a sizzling 3-under-par 32 as Episcopal Academy opened defense of its Inter-Ac League crown Thursday with an impressive sweep of the Penn Charter Invitational field.
Gioffre claimed medalist honors for the day as the Churchmen put together a 2-over 177 team total that was 11 shots better than their perennial rivals for Inter-Ac supremacy, Malvern Prep and The Haverford School.
Gioffre also put together a solid 37 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club that helped Episcopal Academy edge perennial Catholic League power La Salle, 231-235, in a nonleague meeting of two of the region’s heavyweight programs a day earlier.
Malvern Prep shared second place in the Penn Charter Invitational with the Fords with a 188 total, but was awarded runnerup honors in a tiebreaker involving each team’s sixth scorer.
Gioffre was backed up by senior Freddy Hartmann, who also finished in red figures for the day with a sparkling 1-under 34. Hartmann finished atop the Inter-Ac’s regular-season points race a year ago in leading the Churchmen to their first league title since 2016.
Senior Liam Crowley, winner of the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual title last fall at The 1912 Club, backed up Episcopal Academy’s top two with a solid 1-over 36. Hartmann and Crowley are two of the Churchmen’s three tri-captains.
Two more seniors on this veteran Episcopal Academy team, Connor Smolenski, and Carson Jakuc, rounded out the scoring for the Churchmen with Smolenski tallying a 2-over 37 and Jakuc adding a 3-over 38.
Sophomore Charlie Blok led the way for Malvern Prep, the runnerup to Episcopal Academy in a tight battle for the Inter-Ac title a year ago, as he matched par with a 35.
Senior co-captain Ayden Gallen added a 2-over 37 for the Friars and Colby Komancheck, Malvern Prep’s other senior co-captain, and classmate Timmy Burns each chipped in with a 3-over 38.
Komancheck captured the individual title in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship at Radley Run Country Club last fall, helping the Friars earn a share of the team title with Episcopal Academy.
Komancheck finished in a tie for third place in the Bert Linton at The 1912 Club, his third straight finish inside the top five in the battle for the Inter-Ac’s individual crown.
Senior Michael DiDomenico and junior Mason Matlack each added a 3-over 39, both important counters for the Friars. A final counter of 39 gave Malvern Prep a 188 total that left it tied with Haverford School for second place and the other 39 gave the Friars the tiebreaker edge that gave them second place and a 4-1 mark for the day.
Haverford School, which had a streak of three straight Inter-Ac titles halted by Episcopal Academy a year ago, was led by freshman Eric Cunningham, who matched par with a 34 at Huntingdon Valley’s Centennial nine.
Sophomore William Thorkelson added a 2-over 37 and senior Quinn Gallahger, coming off a solid summer, chipped in with a 3-over 38.
Rounding out the Haverford School lineup were seniors Harry Neilly and Jack Luterman, both of whom recorded a 4-over 39.
Germantown Academy finished three shots behind Malvern Prep and Haverford School in fourth place with a 191 total.
The Patriots were led by talented junior Onyu Park and sophomore Dominic Kelly, both of whom registered a 1-over 36.
The William Penn Charter School, the host, took fifth place with a 199 total. Sophomore Henry Kessler led the way for the Quakers with a solid 1-over 36.
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy rounded out the field in the Penn Charter Invitational by finishing in sixth place with a 211 total.
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