Sports

By Tom Robinson
Go Lackawanna sports correspondent

ROARING BROOK TOWNSHIP – Scranton Prep’s Nicholas Reach and North Pocono’s Ellen Ceresko stormed to leads that took away the confidence their rivals had in chasing District 2 golf titles.

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Scranton Prep junior Nicholas Reach won his third, consecutive District 2 golf title this week.

Don McGlynn / The Times Leader

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Both Reach and Ceresko were sure not to become too overconfident with their big leads. They used solid finishes to again win championships at Elmhurst Country Club.

Reach, a junior from Scranton Prep, opened a six-shot lead over the first 18 holes and finished with a 1-under-par, 107 for 27 holes and a three-shot victory for his third district championship.

Ceresko, a senior from North Pocono, led by nine shots going into the final five holes and shot 1-over-par, 74 for a five-shot victory and her second title.

“My mindset was to stay sharp, play the best I could and shoot the best number I could,” Reach said of the final nine holes. “Unfortunately, 38 was that number, but I was real excited about how well I hit the ball all day.”

Reach built his lead midway through the full round with birdies on 9 and 10 followed by an eagle on 11. He shot 4-under-par, 32 on the back nine.

Ceresko was happy with the strong start, but still looking ahead.

“I know you can always start off bad and finish good,” she said. “So, I know you can start good and finish bad, too.

“I think the finish is the most important part. I really held in there the last couple holes.”

In addition to the district championships, Tuesday’s tournament also decided which golfers got to advance to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association East Regional October 20 at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood.

The top eight boys and top five girls continue.

The boys that qualified were determined when the top 15 players out of 84 were sent back out for nine holes. It turned out that the extra nine was not necessary because the top eight shuffled their order but held the eight spots.

Lackawanna League golfers claimed six of the spots for boys and four of the five for girls.

Delaware Valley’s Cody Cox shot 34 on the extra nine to finish second at 110. He tied for the best score on the extra nine with third-place finisher Mike Napkori of Holy Redeemer.

Scranton Prep’s Chaz Hudacek was fourth, Dunmore’s Pat Ross was fifth, Honesdale’s Ben Krempasky was sixth and Erik Meyer of Abington Heights tied for seventh.

Nicholas Reach, Ross and girls’ qualifiers Ceresko, Shelby Hart of Scranton Prep and Amanda Reach of North Pocono are all returning to regional play.

Ceresko won by five strokes over defending champion Vicky Petrosky of Wyoming Area with the help of four birdies in seven holes on the front nine.

Hart and teammate Danielle Dalessandro shot 88s while Amanda Reach had an 89.

North Pocono’s Ken Sames and Scranton Prep’s Kyle Williams were tied for ninth and Connor Coldwater of Abington Heights claimed the last medal for 12th place.

Scranton Prep’s Peter Nelson (13th) and Western Wayne’s Kevin Karabin (15th) also made the cut to the extra nine.

There were six medals given out in the girls’ tournament.

Holy Cross freshman Selena Cerra took the sixth-place medal with a 90.