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WPIAL GOLF: 72 Players Qualify for 2A Boys Individual Finals

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Pheasant Ridge was the site of the WPIAL 2A Section 3 qualifier. (MIKE DARNAY/PGN)

A total of 72 athletes qualified for the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) 2A Individual Boys Finals, which are set to be held Thursday, Sept. 30 at Allegheny Country Club.

Players punched their tickets through nine different sectional qualifiers, each with their own target score needed to advance.

Tee times for the WPIAL 2A Boys’ Golf Individual Finals will be set this Friday.

SECTION 1-AA

Leechburg’s Ken Klasnick captured medalist honors at the Section 1-AA Qualifier, posting a 92 (+21) to top Burrell’s Jaxon Logut in a playoff. Held at Lenape Golf Resort, Klasnick is the lone qualifier from the section after the target score of 84 was not met. He will compete in his first WPIAL 2A Individual Final.

Advancing to WPIALs: Ken Klasnick (92), Leechburg

SECTION 2-AA

The medalist honors were shared at the Section 2-AA qualifier, as Derry’s Hunter Jurica and Greensburg Central Catholic’s Wade Boyle both turned in at 77 (+5). Hosted by Pleasant Valley Golf Course, four golfers hit the target score of 85, as Jurica and Boyle were joined by Jurica’s teammates Ashton Beighley and Antonio Houser.

Jurica is the lone returnee from Section 2-AA after qualifying for last year’s WPIAL 2A Individual Championship.

Advancing to WPIALs: Hunter Jurica (77), Derry; Wade Boyle (77), Greensburg Central Catholic; Ashton Beighley (78), Derry; Antonio Houser (82), Derry

SECTION 3-AA

Luke Gronbeck of Eden Christian Academy carded a 75 (+3) to collect Section 3-AA medalist honors, outlasting Northgate’s Brandon Sapoisky by a single stroke. A total of 16 golfers qualified by meeting the target score of 87 at Pheasant Ridge Golf Club, with six from North Catholic (Ethan Ellis, Tommy Burke, Teagan McTighe, Justin Kontul, Erik Schneider, Zach Cozza), five from Deer Lakes (Eddie Auer, Tyler Gozzard, Lucas Tiglio, Bryce Robson, Danny McCloskey), three from Northgate (Sapoisky, Kai Carlson, Sam Neal), and two from Eden Christian Academy (Gronbeck, Brian McDonnell).

Carlson, Gronbeck, and Ellis will be appearing in their second WPIAL Individual Championship after qualifying in 2020. Carlson claimed the 2020 Section 3-AA crown after defeating Gronbeck by one stroke.

Advancing to WPIALs: Luke Gronbeck (10), Eden Christian Academy; Brandon Sapoisky (10), Northgate; Kai Carlson (10), Northgate; Ethan Ellis (12), North Catholic; Brian McDonnell (12), Eden Christian Academy; Tommy Burke (11), North Catholic; Teagan McTighe (12), North Catholic; Eddie Auer (12), Deer Lakes; Tyler Gozzard (12), Deer Lakes; Justin Kontul (10), North Catholic; Erik Schneider (11), North Catholic; Zach Cozza (12), North Catholic; Sam Neal (10), Northgate; Lucas Tiglio (12), Deer Lakes; Bryce Robson (11), Deer Lakes; Danny McCloskey (10), Deer Lakes

SECTION 4-AA

Chartiers Houston’s Griffin Hanberry netted Section 4-AA medalist honors on his first try, as his 74 (+4) topped teammate Caleb Passieu by four strokes. Held at Fort Cherry Golf Club, nine golfers met the target score of 85, as the Chartiers Houston duo were joined by the South Park trio of JP Tusai, Ryan Tumas, and Dom Dice, the McGuffey pair of Jacob Ross and Kaleb Hancher, Bishop Canevin’s Ryan Saginaw, and Fort Cherry’s Sam Schuman.

All nine golfers will be new to the WPIAL 2A Individual Final.

Advancing to WPIALs: Griffin Hanberry (9), Chartiers Houston; Caleb Passieu (12), Chartiers Houston (12); Ryan Saginaw (10), Bishop Canevin; Sam Schuman (11), Fort Cherry; Jacob Ross (11), McGuffey; JP Tusai (10), South Park; Kaleb Hancher (12), McGuffey; Ryan Tumas (10), South Park; Dom Dice (12), South Park

SECTION 5-AA

Ellwood City’s Milo Sesti recorded a 75 (+3) to take home the Section 5-AA Qualifier medalist honor, as he topped Caleb Gilmore of Laurel by two strokes. A total of 11 golfers moved onto the WPIAL 2A Individual Final by meeting the target score of 86 at Castle Hill Golf Club, with Sesti and Gilmore joined by three student-athletes from Mohawk (Josh Wilkins, Mason Hopper, Keigan Hopper), three from Neshannock (Paul Litrenta, Sam Ball, Matt Morelli), Riverside’s Logan Greer, Laurel’s Nolan Ayers, and Ellwood City’s Zac Polojac.

Sesti and Litrenta will compete in their second WPIAL 2A Individual Final, having both qualified in 2020.

Advancing to WPIALs: Milo Sesti (12), Ellwood City; Caleb Gilmore (11), Laurel; Josh Wilkins (10), Mohawk; Paul Litrenta (12), Neshannock; Logan Greer (12), Riverside; Sam Ball (12), Neshannock; Nolan Ayers (12), Laurel; Zac Polojac (12), Ellwood City; Mason Hopper (10), Mohawk; Matt Morelli (10), Neshannock; Keigan Hopper (10), Mohawk

SECTION 6-AA

Adam Marcellus of New Brighton registered an even-par 72 in the Section 6-AA Qualifier, capturing medalist honors by an impressive seven strokes. Held at Beaver Valley Golf Club, six golfers hit the target score of 85, with Marcellus accompanied by Hopewell’s Austin Smith, Ambridge’s Cole Gable, and the South Side trio of Josh Lytle, Aaron Mzyk, and Tristan Shuman.

Three of the six student-athletes competed at last year’s WPIAL 2A Individual Final in Lytle, Marcellus, and Shuman, with Shuman qualifying as the Section 6-AA champion.

Advancing to WPIALs: Adam Marcellus (12), New Brighton; Austin Smith (12), Hopewell; Josh Lytle (11), South Side; Cole Gable (12), Ambridge; Aaron Mzyk (12), South Side; Tristan Shuman (11), South Side

SECTION 7-AA

Elizabeth Forward’s Logan Monzak earned medalist honors at the Section 7-AA Qualifier, firing a 76 (+6) to finish five strokes ahead of the field. In addition to Monzak, his teammate A.J. Palmer, Serra Catholic’s Brendon Cooley, and Keystone Oaks’ Ty Serakowski all met the target score of 83 at Grand View Golf Club to qualify for the WPIAL 2A Individual Final.

Serakowski is the only new entrant into the 2A championship from Section 7-AA, as Cooley, Monzal, and Palmer all qualified last year. Cooley entered this week’s qualifier as the reigning champion.

Advancing to WPIALs: Logan Monzak (11), Elizabeth Forward; Brendon Cooley (12), Serra Catholic (12); A.J. Palmer (12), Elizabeth Forward; Ty Serakowski (11), Keystone Oaks

SECTION 8-AA

Medalist honors were shared for Section 8-AA, as both Daniel Sethman of Brownsville and Mason Lapana of Carmichaels carded a 75 (+3) to claim the title. A total of 13 golfers qualified at Chippewa Golf Club by meeting the target score of 79, with five coming from Waynesburg Central (Evan Davis, Braden Benke, Matthew Ankrom, Mason Switalski, Hudson Pincavitch), five from Carmichaels (Lapana, Liam Lohr, Dustin Hastings, Rolin Burghy, Nick Ricco), Brownsville’s Sethan, Frazier’s Nixon Erdely, and Bethlehem-Center’s Chase Malanosky.

Lohr is the only repeat WPIAL 2A Individual Final qualifier, having finished as the Section 8-AA runner-up last season.

Advancing to WPIALs: Daniel Sethman (10), Brownsville; Mason Lapana (10), Carmichaels; Evan Davis (12), Waynesburg Central; Braden Benke (10), Waynesburg Central; Liam Lohr (10), Carmichaels; Nixon Erdely (10), Frazier; Matthew Ankrom (12), Waynesburg Central; Dustin Hastings (10), Carmichaels; Rolin Burghy (10), Carmichaels; Mason Switalski (11), Waynesburg Central; Chase Malanosky (12), Bethlehem-Center; Hudson Pincavitch (12), Waynesburg Central; Nick Ricco (12), Carmichaels

SECTION 9-AA

Joey Mucci of Sewickley Academy collected the Section 9-AA medalist honor by firing a 73 (+3) at Allegheny Country Club, two strokes ahead of Quaker Valley’s Ethan Dai. Mucci and Dai were two of eight golfers to meet the target score of 85, as Adam Tanabe and Jackson Bould of Quaker Valley, the Sewickley Academy trio of Nick Straka, Severin Harmon, and Will Duggan, and Beaver County Christian’s Micah Guevara joined them in qualification for the WPIAL 2A Individual Final.

This will be the third straight WPIAL Championship appearance for Bould, Duggan, and Mucci, who all qualified in 2019 and 2020. Tanabe also advanced to the 2020 final.

Advancing to WPIALs: Joey Mucci (11), Sewickley Academy; Ethan Dai (9), Quaker Valley; Adam Tanabe (12), Quaker Valley; Jackson Bould (11), Quaker Valley; Nick Straka (11), Sewickley Academy; Severin Harmon (9), Sewickley Academy; Micah Guevara (12), Beaver County Christian; Will Duggan (12), Sewickley Academy

Thanks to Ethan Woy of the WPIAL for the report.

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