O'Hara's Carson the runnerup to Dallastown's Krosse in PIAA Class AAA Championship at Penn State

 

   Cardinal O’Hara junior Alaina Carson had the best finish ever recorded by a Catholic League girl in the PIAA Class AAA Championship when she ended up in a tie for third place as a freshman two years ago.

   Carson, the Catholic League and District 12 champion, did that one better Tuesday as she matched par on Penn State’s White Course with a 72 to finish in second place, two shots behind Dallastown freshman Bryn Krosse, Carson ending up with a 1-over-par 145 total as the state tournament wrapped up.

   Carson, who plays out of Rolling Green Golf Club, entered Tuesday’s second round trailing the talented Krosse by two shots after Carson had opened with a 1-over 73 Monday and she put together a steady round Tuesday. Carson made a birdie at the sixth hole, a bogey at nine, a birdie at 13 and a bogey at 16 in her even-par round.

   Krosse, who had opened with a 1-under 71 Monday, had an up-and-down round, but put away a state championship with back-to-back birdies at the 16^th and 17^th holes.

   Krosse made an early birdie at the second hole, stumbled a little with back-to-back bogeys at eight and nine, added a birdie at 10 and a bogey at 13 that left her at even-par for the tournament.

   The two clutch birdies at the 16^th and 17^th holes gave Krosse some breathing room and the luxury of taking a bogey at 18. That gave Krosse an even-par 72 for the day and a 1-under 143 total.

   York Suburban senior Vivienne Powers, who had grabbed a share of the lead with Krosse following an opening round of 1-under 71, added a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round to finish a shot behind Carson in third place with a 2-over 146 total.

   Conestoga senior Jill Burks, the District One Class AAA champion, capped the individual portion of her scholastic career with her best finish in the state tournament as she finished in a tie for fourth place with Ephrata junior Makenna Heckman at 4-over 148, two shots behind Powers.

   Burks and the Pioneers will be seeking a second straight PIAA Class AAA team crown when the state team competition tees off Wednesday.

   Burks, making her fourth appearance in the state tournament, and Heckman had identical splits, each adding a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to an opening-round 74.

   Burks’ Central League rival, Harriton junior Megan Choi, finished two shots behind Burks and Heckman in sixth place as she added a 6-over 78 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening round of even-par 72 for a 6-over 150 total. It was Choi’s third straight appearance at states.

   Cedar Crest sophomore Bryn Brandt matched Choi’s 6-over 78 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 2-over 73 as Brandt finished alone in seventh place with a 7-over 151 total.

   Siena Smith of Pine-Richland and Olivia Degori of Moon shared eighth place, each landing on 9-over 153.

   Smith bounced back from an opening-round 79 with a with a solid 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round. Degori added a 6-over 78 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 75.

   Rounding out the top 10 was Burks’ Conestoga teammate, senior Corinne McReynolds, as she finished alone in 10^th place with a 10-over 154 total. McReynolds, who will join Burks as the Pioneers defend their PIAA Class AAA team crown Wednesday, added a 4-over 76 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 78.

   Nazareth Academy senior Adriana Seravalli, a Catholic League rival of Carson’s, and Avon Grove junior Kiera Post were part of a trio of players who finished in a tie for 13^th place at 158.

   Seravalli added a solid 4-over 76 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 82. Post also improved off an opening-round 81 with a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Springfield junior Delaney Kearney and Perkiomen Valley senior Saloni Patel, the runnerup to Burks in the District One Class AAA Championship two weeks ago at Turtle Creek Golf Course, shared 16^th place, each ending up with a 160 total.

   Kearney and Patel had the same splits, each recording an 82 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 6-over 78.

   Bishop Shanahan senior Emma Bergey earned a top-20 finish in her first appearance in the state tournament as she tallied a second straight 81 to land in a tie for 19^th place at 162.

   Council Rock North sophomore Noor Mehta added an 80 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 85 to finish alone in 25^th place with a 165 total.

   Methacton senior Lauren Springman rounded out the District One contingent as she added an 86 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 85 to finish alone in 30^th place with a 171 total.

   Shady Side Academy junior Alyssa Zhang was a runaway winner of the PIAA Class AA Championship at Penn State’s Blue Course as she matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 3-under 69 for a 3-under 151 total that left her 10 shots clear of the field.

   It was reminiscent of Zhang’s 12-shot victory in the Pennsylvania Junior Girls’ Championship in June at Lebanon country Club. That earned her a trip to the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C., where she finished a shot out of a playoff for the final spots in the match-play bracket.

   Zhang also played four rounds in the unrelenting Texas heat in a solid showing in the Girls Junior PGA Championship in July at Fields Ranch courses at PGA Frisco at the PGA of America’s headquarters in Frisco, Texas.

   Zhang was in complete control Tuesday at the Blue Course.

   After a bogey at the second hole, she made a birdie at four and bogeys at seven and 10 before making birdies at 11 and 17 on her way to the clubhouse to get it back to even-par for the round.

   Zhang’s closest pursuer was Chartiers-Houston junior JoJo Jaskulski as she added a 6-over 78 to her opening-round 73 to finish 10 shots behind Zhang in second place with a 7-over 151 total.

   Paige Sowers of West Middlesex and Lindsay Hoover of Wilmington shared third place as each ended up four shots behind Jaskulski at 11-over 155.

   Sowers had opened with a 3-over 75 and added an 80 in Tuesday’s second round. Hoover had only trailed Zhang by three shots after matching par in the opening round with a 72, but struggled a little with an 83 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Addison Davis of Quaker Valley added a 6-over 78 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 79 to finish two shots behind Sowers and Hoover in fifth place with a 157 total.

   On the boys side, it was a record-breaking performance by West Allegheny junior Nico Ward as he put together a breathtaking 9-under 63 at Penn State’s White Course in Tuesday’s second round to capture the title in the PIAA Class AAA Championship and deny Fox Chapel senior Carson Kittsley a third straight Class AAA state crown.

   Ward, who reached the second round of match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Saucon Valley Country Club in July, had trailed Kittsley by two shots after Ward opened with a 5-under 67 Monday.

   Ward made early birdies at the second and fourth holes and then ripped off five straight birdies at six, seven, eight, nine and 10 to get it to 7-under for his round. He added birdies at the 11^th and 17^th holes with nary a bogey on his scorecard in a masterful 63 that left him with a 14-under 130 total and a three-shot victory.

   Ward’s total was three shots better than the previous record of 134 established by Central York’s Carson Bacha, who went on to help Auburn capture a national championship in 2024, in 2019 at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort in Springettsbury Township, York County.

   Baldwin senior Michael Quallich, who will join the program at Atlantic Coast Conference power Notre Dame next summer, added a sparkling 7-under 65 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 68 as he earned runnerup honors with an 11-under 133 total that would have made him a state champion in any other year.

   Kittsley had his sights firmly set on a third straight state title when he opened with a 7-under 65, but could only manage 2-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round as he finished in third place, two shots behind Quallich with a 8-under 135 total.

   State College senior Luke McGraw was only a shot behind Kittsley following an opening round of 6-under 66. A 2-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round left McGraw in fourth place, a shot behind Kittsley with an 8-under 136 total.

   Catholic League champion La Salle had two finishers inside the top six as senior Liam Littleton was alone in fifth place, four shots behind McGraw with a 4-under 140 total, and senior Ben Robbins shared sixth with Pittsburgh Central Catholic junior Bailey Donahue, each landing on 3-under 141.

   Littleton added a 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening round of 4-under 67.

   Robbins also closed with a 1-over 73 Tuesday after opening with a 4-under 68. Donahue had matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added a 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Central Dauphin’s Jaxon Niman and Abington Heights’s Sebastian Meyer shared eighth place, each landing on 2-under 142.

   Niman signed for a 2-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round after matching par in the opening round with a 72. Meyer had opened with a 3-under 69 and added a 1-over 72 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Souderton senior Chase Andrews was the top finisher out of District One as he shared 10^th place with Saucon Valley’s Anthony Albano, each ending up with a 1-under 143 total.

   Andrews, who will head the Souderton contingent as the District One champion Big Red compete for the state Class AAA title Wednesday, matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 1-under 71.

   Albano had the opposite splits, posting a 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round after matching par in the opening round with a 72.

   Radnor’s talented sophomore duo of Gavin Reger and Sebastian Leone had solid showings as Reger finished in a tie for 12^th place at even-par 144 and Leone was part of a trio tied for 14^th at 1-over 145.

   Reger, who had opened with a 1-under 71, added a 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round. Leone bounced back from a 3-over 75 in the opening round with a solid 2-under 70 Tuesday.

   District One Class AAA champion Michael Gravinese, a senior at Spring-Ford, matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 2-over 74 as he finished among the group tied for 17^th place at 2-over 146.

   Souderton sophomore Danny Ross, Garnet Valley junior Frank Kunze and Lucas Nye, another member of a strong group from La Salle, finished in the group tied for 25^th place at 5-over 149.

   Ross added a 2-over 74 to his opening-round 75 while Kunze had the opposite splits, opening with a 2-over 74 and adding a 75 in Tuesday’s second round. Nye had opened with a solid 1-under 71, but struggled a little in Tuesday’s second round with a 6-over 78.

   The District One trio of Unionville senior Matt McGinnity, Downingtown West senior Ian Larsen, and North Penn senior Kellen Touissant formed the group tied for 31^st place at 6-over 150.

   McGinnity added a 5-over 77 to his opening-round 73. Larsen, making his second appearance in the state tournament, matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 6-over 78. Touissant added a 2-over 74 to his opening-round 76.

   Pennsbury freshman Ben Revness, an impressive runnerup to Gravinese in the District One Championship at Turtle Creek, finished among a trio of players tied for 34^th place at 7-over 151 as he added a 5-over 77 to his opening-round 74.

   Another freshman, Harriton’s Thomas Airoldi, wrapped up a solid rookie season of scholastic golf as he finished in a tie for 38^th place, carding back-to-back 4-over 76s for an 8-over 152 total.

   A fourth state Class AAA qualifier from La Salle, senior Ethan Starkey, finished among the trio tied for 44^th place with a 154 total as he added a 4-over 76 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 78.

   West Chester East freshman Ben Lear added a 5-over 77 to his opening-round 78 as he finished along in 47^th place with a 155 total.

   Downingtown East senior Chase Riley and Avon Grove junior Ben Nowland formed the duo tied for 48^th place at 156.

   Riley had opened with a 3-over 75, but struggled to an 81 in Tuesday’s second round. Nowland had opened with a 3-over 75, but also struggled Tuesday, posting an 80.

   Central Bucks West senior Jackson Valmore finished in a tie for 50^th place as he improved from an opening-round 81 with a 4-over 76 in Tuesday’s second round.

   West Chester Henderson senior Charlie Isler bounced back from an opening-round 83 with a solid 2-over 74 as he finished among the group tied for 52^nd place with a 158 total.

   Souderton senior Wyatt Underwood rounded out the District One contingent as he added an 84 to his opening round of 5-over 77 to finish in a tie for 65^th place with a 161 total.

   Scranton Prep junior Cole Powell repeated as the PIAA Class AA champion at the Blue Course as he defeated Annville-Cleona senior Ben Allwein on the second hole of a playoff, the 14^th at the Blue Course, after both had finished regulation with a 4-under 140 total.

   Powell and Allwein had both opened with a 3-under 69 and Powell got the early jump in Tuesday’s second round with birdies at the first, third and eighth holes. A bogey at the 11^th hole and a double bogey at 14 dropped Powell back to 3-under for the tournament, but a birdie at the last gave him a spot in the playoff.

   Allwein, who also suffered an untimely double bogey at the 16^th hole, also closed with a birdie at the last to join Powell in the playoff.

   Powell and the Cavaliers will be gunning for a third straight PIAA Class AA crown in Wednesday’s state team tournament.

   Josiah Swan, the latest member of a golf dynasty at North East, finished two shots behind Powell and Allwein in third place with a 2-under 142 total. Swan, who had matched par in the opening round with a 72, added a 2-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Solid showing by Devon Prep junior Scott Cunningham as he had the best round of the day Tuesday at the Blue Course, a 3-under 69, after opening with a 2-over 74 to finish alone in fourth place with a 1-under 143 total.

   Erie Cathedral Prep’s Santino Washburn added a 1-over 73 to his opening round of 1-under 71 to finish in fifth place with an even-par 144 total.

   Santino Toscano of Wilmington had matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round to finish three shots behind Washburn in sixth place with a 3-over 147 total.

   Powell’s Scranton Prep teammate, sophomore Bobby Stott, headed a group of four players who rounded out the top 10 in the Class AA field as they finished in a tie for seventh place at 4-over 148.

   Stott added a 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 75.

   Stott was joined at 4-over by Athens’ Eli Hicks, Grove City’s Isaac Allen and North Catholic’s Christopher Faber.

   Hicks bounced back from an opening round of 5-over 77 with a solid 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round. Allen tallied a second straight 2-over 74 and Faber added a 3-over 75 to his opening-round 73.

   Solid showing by District One champion Joey Chachkin, a sophomore at Jenkintown, as he added a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 75 to finish among the group tied for 11^th place at 5-over 149.

   Plumstead Christian freshman James Gannon added a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 81 to finish in the trio tied for 42^nd place at 158.

   Rounding out the District One contingent was New Hope Solebury sophomore Corvin Bridge as he added a 90 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 87 to finish in 70^th place with a 177 total.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fox Chapel's Kittsley grabs the lead as he opens bid for a third straight state title

 

   Carson Kittsley, a Fox Chapel senior and a product of the junior program at Oakmont Country Club, opened his bid for a third straight PIAA Class AAA crown with a sizzling 7-under-par 65 Monday at Penn State’s White Course.

   Kittlsley will try to join Reading’s John Markel as the only player in the history of scholastic golf in Pennsylvania to win three straight state championships. Markel achieved the feat in 1939, ’40 and ’41. Pretty certain golf was played in the spring back then and I’m quite sure Markel’s sticks would be unrecognizable to the modern high school golfer.

   Kittsley took the lead into the final round of the Pennsylvania Amateur in July at his home course of Oakmont, the Henry Fownes masterpiece in suburban Pittsburgh. He stumbled a little in that final round and settled for a third-place finish.

   It was probably a pretty frosty start to the proceedings in central Pennsylvania Monday before heating up.

   Speaking of heating up, Kittsley went off in the middle of his round, going 8-under over a 10-hole stretch on his way to grabbing a one-shot lead over local favorite Luke McGraw, a junior on the State College golf team who got it going on the incoming nine at the White Course, lighting it up with six birdies on his way to a sparkling 6-under 66.

   Kittsley’s round started quietly as he made a bogey at the second hole.

   But a birdie at the third hole ignited Kittsley sizzling run. He added a birdie at the fifth hole, made an eagle at the par-5 sixth, ripped off three straight birdies at eight, nine and 10 and another birdie at 12. Suddenly, he was 7-under for his round.

   A bogey at the 16^th hole dropped Kittsley back to 6-under, but he closed with a birdie at 18 to get into the clubhouse at 7-under.

   McGraw started off with a birdie at the first hole and made a bogey at nine, the only blemish on his scorecard.

   McGraw then went off on the back nine at the White Course with birdies at the 10^th, 12^th, 14^th, 15^th, 17^th, and 18^th holes for a 6-under 30 on the incoming nine as he ended up a shot behind Kittsley with his 66.

   Liam Littleton headed a trio of players from Catholic League champion La Salle among the top 10 following the opening round as Littleton signed for a 5-under 67 to get a share of third place with West Allegheny junior Nico Ward.

   Ward reached the second round of match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Saucon Valley Country Club in July.

   Another La Salle representative, Ben Robbins, got a share of fifth place with Michael Quallich of Baldwin, each posting a 4-under 68.

   Sebastian Meyer, a junior at Abington Heights, was another shot behind Robbins and Quallich in seventh place with a solid 3-under 69.

   A third La Salle representative, Lucas Nye, headed a group of four players who rounded out the top 10 following Monday’s opening round in a tie for eighth place, each recording a 1-under 71.

   The group at 1-under included a pair of District One entries in Radnor sophomore Gavin Reger and Souderton senior Chase Andrews. Rounding out the group at 1-under was Ryan Davis of Cumberland Valley.

   Scranton Prep junior Cole Powell is also looking to repeat as a state champion in Class AA and he got his title defense off to a good start with a 3-under 69 at the Blue Course that left him in a tie for first place with Annville-Cleona senior Ben Allwein.

   Powell was the overall winner of the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour Championship in August at Chester Valley Golf Club.

   Powell was all over the place in his opening round at the Blue Course with seven birdies and four bogeys.

   After opening with a birdie at the first hole, Powell made a bogey at three and bounced back with birdies at four and nine to make the turn at 2-under. Powell made a bogey at the 10^th hole, a birdie at 11, a bogey at 12, birdies at 14 and 16 and a bogey at 17 before finishing up with a birdie at 18 in a roller-coaster ride of an incoming nine.

   Allwein made a birdie at the fifth hole and a bogey at eight before capping his front nine with an eagle at the par-5 ninth. He made birdies at the 11^th and 18^th holes around a bogey at 12 over the Blue Course’s incoming nine.

   Erie Cathedral Prep’s Santino Washburn was two shots behind the co-leaders in third place with a 1-under 71, Josiah Swan, another in a long line of golfing Swans at North East, and Santino Toscano of Wilmington were tied for fourth, each tallying an even-par 72, and the trio of Schuylkill Haven’s Alan Evans, Bishop Guilfoyle’s Grant Okorak and North Catholic’s Christopher Faber was in a tie for sixth, each registering a 1-over 73.

   Devon Prep junior Scott Cunningham led a group of six players that rounded out the top 10 in a tie for ninth place following Monday’s opening round at the Blue Course, each landing on 2-over 74.

   Rounding out that gang of six at 2-over were A-C Valley’s Joe Rapp, Powell’s Scranton Prep teammate, Brendan Bell, Central Martinsburg’s Cole Klapper, Saegertown’s Mason Gjovik and Grove City’s Isaac Allan.

   A couple of District Three standouts, Dallastown freshman Bryn Krosse and York Suburban senior Vivienne Powers, each carded a 1-under 71 at the White Course to grab a share of the lead following the opening round of the girls PIAA Class AAA Championship.

   Krosse opened with bogeys at the first and third holes, a birdie at three and a bogey at six before rattling off birdies at seven, nine, 11 and 17 to get it to 2-under for her round. A bogey at the last left Krosse at 1-under.

   Powers teed off at No. 10 and opened with a bogey. But Powers was flawless the rest of the way with birdies at the third and ninth holes and 15 pars as she joined Krosse at 1-under.

   Harriton junior Megan Choi, making her third straight appearance in the state tournament, matched par with a 72 and was alone in third place, a shot behind the co-leaders.

   Cardinal O’Hara junior Alaina Carson, the Catholic League and District 12 champion, and Cedar Crest sophomore Bryn Brandt shared fourth place, each tallying a 1-over 73.

   Like Choi, Carson is teeing it up in the PIAA Class AAA Championship for a third straight fall.

   Conestoga senior Jill Burks, the runaway winner of the District One Class AAA title two weeks ago at Turtle Creek Golf Course, and Ephrata junior Makenna Heckman were another shot behind Carson and Brandt in a tie for sixth place, each signing for a 2-over 74.

   Burks, who led the Pioneers to a second straight District One Class AAA team crown at the Turtle, is making her fourth appearance in the state tournament.

   Olivia Degori of Moon and Jordyn Larkin of Canon-McMillan each posted a 3-over 75 to share eighth place and Holidaysburg senior Crosby Denis rounded out the top 10 as she was alone in 10^th with a 4-over 76.

   A trio of District One players, Burks’ Conestoga teammate, senior Corinne McReynolds, Perkiomen Valley senior Solani Patel, the runnerup to Burks in the District One Class AAA Championship at Turtle Creek, and Springfield junior Delaney Kearney, accounted for the trio tied for 11^th place as each recorded a 6-over 78.

   Shady Side Academy junior Alyssa Zhang, who captured the Pennsylvania Junior Girls’ Championship by a whopping 12 shots at Lebanon Country Club in June, grabbed a three-shot lead after opening with a 3-under 69 in the PIAA Class AA Championship at the White Course.

   Zhang has finished in third place in the state tournament in her first two years at Shady Side and this might be her year.

   After making a birdie at the fifth hole, Zhang made a bogey at eight, the only blemish on her scorecard. Zhang made birdies at the ninth, 12^th and 17^th holes as she was the only girl in the Class AA field to get it in in red figures at 3-under.

   Lindsay Hoover of Wilmington was Zhang’s closest pursuer as she matched par in the opening round with a 72 that left her three shots behind Zhang in second place.

   JoJo Jaskulski, a Chartiers-Houston junior, was alone in third place with a 1-over 73 and West Middlesex sophomore Paige Sowers was another two shots behind Jaskulski in fourth place after opening with a 3-over 75.

   Olivia Nichols of Rockwood and Olivia Koshko of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy were in a tie for fifth place, each posting a 5-over 77 and the trio of Kylie Schall of Jersey Shore, Addison Davis of Quaker Valley and Gabby Filia of Westmont were tied for seventh place, each registering a 7-over 79.

   Rounding out the top 10 in Class AA following Monday’s opening round was Oley Valley junior Chloe Pirdie, who was alone in 10^th place with an 80.