Ran into Episcopal Academy head golf coach Doug Borgerson at the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club in August and he was very high on this group of Churchmen.
Episcopal Academy wrapped up its second straight Inter-Ac League championship Thursday as the Churchmen shared the top spot in the Malvern Prep Invitational at Waynesborough Country Club with the host Friars and earned the sweep of the field on a tiebreaker.
It was a busy week for this blogger trying to round up all the results from the PIAA Championships. I’m usually able to break down each individual invitational, but I just couldn’t get to Tuesday’s Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitational, which was played at Merion’s West Course.
I’ll wrap up both the final two invitationals in this post, but The Haverford School set the stage for a dramatic winner-take-all final invitational at Waynesborough by sweeping the field at the West.
Episcopal Academy and Malvern Prep finished in a tie for second place at Merion West, each ending up with a 186 total, four shots behind Haverford School’s 182 total. But, as was the case in the final invitational at Waynesborough, EA had the tiebreaker edge on Malvern Prep and got second place.
The 4-1 day for the Churchmen enabled them to forge a tie with the Fords, each taking a 21-4 mark into the final showdown at Waynesborough. It’s become fairly typical for Episcopal Academy, The Haverford School and Malvern Prep to battle it out right to the finish these few falls.
Junior Jack Gioffre was the leading man for Episcopal at Waynesborough with a sparkling 2-under-par 33, leading the Churchmen to a 1-over 176 team total.
Episcopal got strong showings from its senior tri-captains when it mattered most as Freddy Hartmann added a 1-under 34, Arthur Hampel matched par with a 35 and Liam Crowley chipped in with a 37. Junior Tucker Dempsey matched Crowley’s 37 for the final counter for the Churchmen.
Crowley will defend his title in the Bert Linton Invitational for the Inter-Ac’s individual title Thursday at the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve. Crowley defeated his teammate Hampel in a playoff to capture the Bert Linton title a year ago at The 1912 Club.
Malvern Prep, led by the day’s individual medalist, senior Timmy Burns, who birdied his last three holes for a sizzling 3-under 32, matched Episcopal’s 1-over 276, but settled for second place for the day via the tiebreaker.
Haverford School was just three shots behind EA and Malvern Prep in third place with a 179 total.
Episcopal’s 5-0 day gave it a final record of 26-4 and its second straight Inter-Ac crown with Haverford School a close second with a 24-6 mark. Malvern Prep was right there with its two rivals in third place with a 22-8 ledger in the six Inter-Ac invitationals.
I’ll have to ask around a little at next week’s Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship Monday at Radley Run Country Club and the Bert Linton Thursday at RiverCrest to see if anybody at EA can remember the last time the Churchmen won back-to-back Inter-Ac team crowns.
Backing up Burns for Malvern Prep was a trio that included senior captain Colby Komancheck and juniors Danny DiDomenico, all of whom recorded a 1-over 36. Sophomore Charlie Blok was the final counter for the Friars with a 2-over 37.
Komancheck nailed down the regular-season individual points title compiled during the Inter-Ac’s six invitationals.
Komancheck, who will join the program at Saint Joseph’s next summer, finished with a 242-26-14 record against the rest of the league while piling up 498 points. His 35.2 scoring average was the lowest for a player since the Inter-Ac made golf a fall sport and adopted its format of six league invitationals.
Episcopal’s Gioffre closed with a rush to earn runnerup honors in the points race with a 235-30-17 record and 487 points. Haverford School senior Quinn Gallagher took third place with a 234-35-13 record and 481 points.
Komancheck will defend his individual title in the PAISAA Championship Monday at Radley Run, where he carded a solid 3-under 69 a year ago.
Komancheck would be an obvious favorite in the Bert Linton Thursday as he has finished among the top five in each of his first three seasons at Malvern Prep.
But he became an even bigger favorite when it was decided to hold the Bert Linton at RiverCrest, where Komancheck’s parents, PGA professionals Jamie and Kelly, are the husband-and-wife team that mans the pro shop and where Colby Komancheck grew up playing the game.
Playing on your home course doesn’t guarantee a victory, but it certainly doesn’t hurt Komancheck’s chances.
Like EA’s Gioffre, Haverford School’s Gallagher finished strong in his senior regular season with the Fords.
Gallagher was the individual medalist in the Springside Chestnut Hill Invitational Tuesday at Merion West with a sparkling 1-under 34 that led Haverford School to a first-place finish and gave the Fords a real shot at the title going into the final invitational at Waynesborough.
And Gallagher gave it his best shot at Waynesborough, tallying a sparkling 2-under 33 to lead the way for the Fords, who came up just short with their 4-over total leaving them just three shots behind EA and Malvern Prep.
Senior Harry Neilly backed up Gallagher by matching par at Waynesborough with a 35. Freshman Eric Cunningham added a 1-over 36 for the Fords and another freshman, Christos Bottos, and senior Jack Luterman were Haverford School’s final counters as each registered a 38.
Germantown Academy finished in fourth place at Waynesborough with a 194 total. The Patriots were led by junior Brayden Vargas, who posted a 2-over 37, and freshman Charles Egginton, who added a 3-over 38.
Penn Charter finished in fifth place, two shots behind GA with a 196 total. The Quakers were led by Cole Brown, who recorded a 1-over 36 and Jack Sheward, who added a 3-over 38.
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place, two shots behind Penn Charter with a 298 total. The Blue Devils were led by Parker Grieve and Brandon Varga, each of whom carded a 3-over 38.
Germantown Academy and Penn Charter shared fourth place in the final league standings, each ending up with an 8-22 mark. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place with a 2-28 ledger.
In the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Invitational at Merion West Tuesday, Neilly and Bottos backed up Gallagher, the individual medalist with his 1-under 34, as they each matched par with a 35.
Luterman added a 3-over 38 and sophomores William Thorkelson and Jesse Shurman each tallied a 40, one of which was the final counter for the Fords.
Gioffre led the way for Episcopal at Merion West with a 1-over 36.
Seniors Crowley and Carson Jakuc backed him up, each posting a 2-over 37 and senior Connor Smolenski and junior Max Leung were the final counters, each carding a 3-over 38.
Pretty sure a 39 by Dempsey provided the tiebreaker edge for Episcopal that gave the Churchmen a crucial runnerup finish over Malvern Prep after the two teams finished in a tie for second place with identical 186 totals.
Komancheck, Burns and Matlack led the way for Malvern Prep at Merion West as each signed for a 1-over 36. Sophomore Charlie Blok backed up that trio with 2-over 37.
Senior Ayden Gallen and sophomore Owen Ciesielka each tallied a 41, one of which was the final counter for the Friars.
Penn Charter took fourth place at Merion West with a 203 total behind Brown and Jonah Flaisher, each of whom recorded a 39.
Germantown Academy took fifth place with a 209 total. Junior Onyu Park and sophomore Dominic Kelly led the way for the Patriots as each registered a 40.
Host Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place with a 211 total.
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