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The Wyoming Valley Conference finalized their representative in next week’s District 2 individual golf championships with a round of pre-district qualifying on Monday at Fox Hill.
Nick Werner, fresh off leading Wyoming Seminary to a team conference championship on Friday, posted the lowest score among Class 2A golfers (and the lowest score overall) with a 7-under 64, clearing the rest of the 2A field by ten strokes to lead a pack of 14 Class 2A golfers heading to districts.
In Class 3A, Wilkes-Barre Area’s Brady Gerrity fired off a 73 to take first place, with 16 WVC golfers qualifying for district in the Class 3A competition.
Both the Class 2A and Class 3A fields came down to a playoff to secure the final district spots.
In the girls’ competition, eight golfers from Class 2A qualified for districts while just three golfers from Class 3A cleared the cutline score of 100 necessary to reach districts.
Tunkhannock’s Hallie Brown led the way in Class 2A with a 78, one of five Tigers to qualify for the girls’ District 2 championship.
Sienna Smith carded a score of 83 to take first place in the Class 3A qualifiers.
Lake-Lehman sends six through to Class 2A districts
Though they came up short on Friday in head-to-head action against Wyoming Seminary for the WVC team title, Lake-Lehman outshot Sem to send six golfers to the District 2 championships, most of any Class 2A school.
Charlie Weidner led the Black Knights with a sixth-place finish, shooting a 79 for Lake-Lehman’s best individual score.
Will Jenkins finished a stroke behind at 80, good for seventh place. Jack Kashatus, Von Voelker and Jackson Norconk shot matching 81s to finish in a tie for eighth place.
Lake-Lehman’s final qualifying golfer, AJ Borchert, snuck his way in a four-way playoff, with him and Leo Nockley of Wyoming Seminary claiming the final two spots.
Nockley joins Werner and JP Hay as the Wyoming Seminary representatives in districts.
Wyoming Area also had three qualifiers, with Aiden August finishing in second place with a 74 and Kristian Pugliese in third at 76. Robert Yatsko fired off a 77 to round out the qualifiers for the Warriors.
Max Bowen (76, tied for third) and Jack Hurst (81, tied for eighth), both from Holy Redeemer, rounded out the Class 2A qualifiers.
Wilkes-Barre Area’s Gerrity leads field in Class 3A qualifiers
The Wolfpack sent just one golfer through to next week’s District 2 championships, but he did so in a big way.
Brady Gerrity’s 73 kept him three shots clear of the field, taking first place and leading a field of 16 golfers from seven different Class 3A schools.
Hazleton Area and Pittston Area (the Class 3A team conference champs after beating Dallas on Friday) each sent four golfers through to districts, tied for the most in the 3A division.
The Patriots had another strong day, with Noah Gruber finishing in second place with a score of 76 and Chris Scavo a shot back in a tie for third at 77.
Andrew Nocito shot an 81 to tie for ninth place, and Brady Noone grabbed the fourth and final spot for Pittston Area in a playoff, holding off four other golfers to qualify for districts.
Hazleton Area’s low scorer was Gabe Fatula, who finished in fifth place with a 78. Troy Gaydos (80, tied for sixth), Luke Palmieri (81, tied for ninth) and Michael Pecora (83, 15th place) were the other three Cougars to advance.
Berwick had three qualifiers: Cole Phillips who finished in a tie for ninth, and the duo of Grant Evensen and Jackson Matash, who both shot 82s to finish in a tie for 12th.
Charlie Letwinsky and Chase Kresge qualified for Dallas. Tommy Biscotti (Crestwood), Kaden Dittus (Wyoming Valley West) and Gerrity (Wilkes-Barre Area) were the lone qualifiers for their respective schools.
Smith, Brown take first in girls’ qualifiers
Hazleton Area had two of the three Class 3A qualifiers, but it was Crestwood’s Sienna Smith who took first place with an 83 in qualifiers.
Gia Rainey (92) and Madison Matteo (93) will rep the Cougars in next week’s district championships.
In Class 2A, Hallie Brown was the low scorer on a great day for Tunkhannock, firing a 78 to take first place easily. Jackie Martin, Madelyn Bevan, Morgan Rickaby and Madison Walker all qualified for the Tigers.
Arden Brunn (Holy Redeemer) and defending district champ Anna Zapletalova (Wyoming Seminary) finished tied for second with matching 84s, sending them through to districts. The eighth and final spot went to Holy Redeemer’s McKenzie Chimock, shooting a 90.
Wyoming Valley Conference Class 2A Boys Qualifiers
1. Nick Werner (SEM) 31-33-64
2. Aiden August (WA) 35-39-74
T3. Kristian Pugliese (WA) 37-39-76
T3. Max Bowen (HR) 36-40-76
5. Robert Yatsko (WA) 37-40-77
6. Charlie Weidner (LL) 39-40-79
7. Will Jenkins (LL) 41-39-80
T8. Jack Kashatus (LL) 39-42-81
T8. Von Voelker (LL) 40-41-81
T8. Jackson Norconk (LL) 41-40-81
T8. JP Hay (SEM) 40-41-81
T8. Jack Hurst (HR) 41-40-81
T13. AJ Borchert (LL) 38-44-82*
T13. Leo Nockley (SEM) 40-42-82*
* — advanced in playoff
Class 3A Boys Qualifiers
1. Brady Gerrity (WBA) 36-37-73
2. Noah Gruber (PA) 37-39-76
T3. Charlie Letwinsky (DAL) 38-39-77
T3. Chris Scavo (PA) 37-40-77
5. Gabe Fatula (HAZ) 40-38-78
T6. Kaden Dittus (WVW) 37-43-80
T6. Tommy Biscotti (CRE) 42-38-80
T6. Troy Gaydos (HAZ) 40-40-80
T9. Andrew Nocito (PA) 42-39-81
T9. Luke Palmieri (HAZ) 42-39-81
T9. Cole Phillips (BER) 41-40-81
T12. Grant Evensen (BER) 38-44-82
T12. Jackson Matash (BER) 42-40-82
T12. Chase Kresge (DAL) 40-42-82
15. Michael Pecora (HAZ) 41-42-83
T16. Brady Noone (PA) 38-46-84*
* — advanced in playoff
Class 2A Girls Qualifiers
1. Hallie Brown (TUN) 38-40-78
T2. Arden Brunn (HR) 42-42-84
T2. Anna Zapletalova (SEM) 39-45-84
4. Jackie Martin (TUN) 43-45-88
5. Madelyn Bevan (TUN) 44-45-89
6. McKenzie Chimock (HR) 44-46-90
7. Megan Rickaby (TUN) 48-46-94
8. Madison Walker (TUN) 50-47-97.
Class 3A Girls Qualifiers
1. Sienna Smith (CRE) 42-41-83
2. Gia Rainey (HAZ) 47-45-92
3. Madison Matteo (HAZ) 44-49-93