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WPIAL GOLF: Fields Set for 2A & 3A Girls Individual Finals

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Murrysville Golf Club hosted the Class 3A Section 3 qualifier. (MIKE DARNAY/PGN)

A total of 64 girls’ golf student-athletes qualified for the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) 2A & 3A Individual Finals, which are set to be held on Thursday, Oct. 7 at Hannastown Golf Club. Student-athletes punched their ticket through six different sectional qualifiers across the 2A and 3A classifications, each with their own target score needed to advance.

Tee times for the WPIAL 2A & 3A Girls’ Golf Individual Finals will be set Friday, October 1.

SECTION 1-AAA

Seneca Valley’s Lihini Ranweera continued her reign as the Section 1-AAA champion, firing an even-par 72 to win her second consecutive medalist honor by five strokes. A total of 10 golfers met the target score of 90 at Suncrest Golf Club, with Ranweera joined by teammate Madison Sharek, three student-athletes from Moon (Julia Barthelemy, Marley Leach, Alizabeth Cross), three from North Allegheny (Kati Rose Rankin, Lauren Kardos, Megan Manesiotis), Blackhawk’s Hailee Liptak, and North Hills’ Ella Demoise.

Ranweera is one of two qualifiers that competed at last year’s WPIAL Individual Final, joining Rankin.

Advancing to WPIALs: Lihini Ranweera (10), Seneca Valley; Julia Barthelemy (11), Moon; Madison Sharek (10), Seneca Valley; Kati Rose Rankin (11), North Allegheny; Lauren Kardos (11), North Allegheny; Hailee Liptak (12), Blackhawk; Ella Demoise (10), North Hills; Marley Leach (12), Moon; Megan Manesiotis (10), North Allegheny; Alizabeth Cross (11), Moon

SECTION 2-AAA

Marissa Malosh of South Fayette edged Mt. Lebanon’s Lindsey Powanda and Peters Township’s Allison Poon by one stroke to capture medalist honors at the Section 2-AAA Qualifier. Malosh’s 70 (-1) was one of 15 scores that met the target score of 88 at Cedarbrook Golf Course, as she was accompanied by three from Peters Township (Poon, Delaney Kern, Brooke Vowcheck), two from South Fayette (Caroline McConnell, Ally Brennan), two from Mt. Lebanon (Powanda, Natalie Boyd), two from Upper St. Clair (Tori Slagle, Bridget Boal), two from Oakland Catholic (Grace Windfelder, Paige Meyers), Laurel Highlands’ Megan Joyce, Uniontown’s Adena Rugola, and Belle Vernon’s Adreana Scaramucci.

Two-thirds of the 15 qualifiers have previously played in a WPIAL Individual Final. Four student-athletes (Joyce, Kern, Powanda, Slagle) will be competing in their fourth championships, with Joyce qualifying as the 3-AAA medalist winner in 2019. McConnell (2019) and Rugola (2020) are two former Section 2-AAA champions who are heading to the WPIAL Individual Final for the third time, with Malosh and Poon also making a third trip. Boal and Boyd also qualified in 2020.

Advancing to WPIALs: Marissa Malosh (11), South Fayette; Lindsey Powanda (12), Mt. Lebanon; Allison Poon (12), Peters Township; Delaney Kern (12), Peters Township; Caroline McConnell (12), South Fayette; Megan Joyce (12), Laurel Highlands; Adena Rugola (12), Uniontown; Tori Slagle (12), Upper St. Clair; Grace Windfelder (10), Oakland Catholic; Adreana Scaramucci (12), Belle Vernon; Brooke Vowcheck (9), Peters Township; Paige Meyers (10), Oakland Catholic; Natalie Boyd (12), Mt. Lebanon; Bridget Boal (12), Upper St. Clair; Ally Brennan (11), South Fayette

SECTION 3-AAA

Franklin Regional’s Caroline Tragesser posted an 81 (+7) to earn medalist honors at the Section 3-AAA Qualifier, topping the field by two strokes. Tragesser was one of four golfers who met the target score of 89 at Murrysville Golf Club, as she was joined by teammate Anna Quin, Penn Hills’ Lucy Brayton, and Hempfield Area’s Raina Jones.

Quin is the lone qualifier from the quartet who hasn’t played in a WPIAL Individual Final. Tragesser and Jones both advanced out of sectional play in 2019 and 2020, while Brayton will compete in the championships for the second straight year.

Advancing to WPIALs: Caroline Tragesser (12), Franklin Regional; Lucy Brayton (11), Penn Hills; Anna Qin (9), Franklin Regional; Raina Jones (12), Hempfield Area

SECTION 4-AAA

Paige Scott of Butler claimed her second Section 4-AAA medalist honor, carding a 73 (E) to win the event by six strokes. The two-time champion – first capturing the title as a freshman in 2018 – is one of seven qualifiers from the section, as four golfers from Fox Chapel (Nina Busch, Erin Drahnak, Baylin Bitar, Grace Rygelski), Armstrong’s Maci Lorigan, and Shady Side Academy’s Neely Nicholson all met the target score of 92 at Kittanning Country Club.

Busch, Scott, and Drahnak will all compete in their fourth WPIAL Individual Final after previously qualifying in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Nicholson will be making her second consecutive championship appearance.

Advancing to WPIALs: Paige Scott (12), Butler; Nina Busch (12), Fox Chapel; Maci Lorigan (12), Armstrong; Erin Drahnak (12), Fox Chapel; Neely Nicholson (11), Shady Side Academy; Baylin Bitar (12), Fox Chapel; Grace Rygelski (12), Fox Chapel

SECTION 1-AA

Quaker Valley’s Eva Bulger netted her second straight sectional medalist honor, claiming the Section 1-AA title by six strokes with a 76 (+4). She was one of 12 golfers who hit the target score of 96 at Del-Mar Golf Club, as she was joined by three student-athletes from Central Valley (Mya Mrkonja, Kate Robertson, Kennady Norton), Deer Lakes’ Anna Yourish, Knoch’s Madilyn Boyer, Freeport’s Lillie Snow, Avonworth’s Ciara Anderson, Eden Christian Academy’s Calli Jennings, Seton LaSalle’s Emily Obara, Elizabeth Forward’s Meagan Lewonas, and Neshannock’s Sophia Covelli.

Bulger, the 2020 Section 2-AA champion, is one of four golfers that are returning to the WPIAL Individual Finals. She also previously made the 2019 field, while Norton and Lewonas qualified last season.

Advancing to WPIALs: Eva Bulger (11), Quaker Valley; Mya Mrkonja (11), Central Valley; Anna Yourish (11), Deer Lakes; Madilyn Boyer (12), Knoch; Lillie Snow (10), Freeport; Ciara Anderson (11), Avonworth; Calli Jennings (12), Eden Christian Academy; Emily Obara (9), Seton LaSalle; Meagan Lewonas (12), Elizabeth Forward; Sophia Covelli (10), Neshannock; Kate Robertson (12), Central Valley; Kennady Norton (11), Central Valley

SECTION 2-AA

Meghan Zambruno of Greensburg Central Catholic captured her second straight sectional medalist honor, picking up the win at the Section 2-AA Qualifier by eight strokes with a round of 75 (+4). A total of six golfers met the target score of 91 at Pleasant Valley Golf Club, with teammates Ella Zambruno, Izzy Aigner, and Olivia Kana, Geibel Catholic’s Claire Konieczny, and McGuffey’s Faith Chapman joining her.

Zambruno, the 2020 Section 1-AA champion, is one of five golfers that are returning to the WPIAL Individual Finals. She and Ella Zambruno have made four championship appearances, while Konieczny – the 2019 Section 1-AA champion – qualified for a third consecutive year. Aigner and Chapman played in the 2020 edition.

Advancing to WPIALs: Meghan Zambruno (12), Greensburg Central Catholic; Claire Konieczny (12), Geibel Catholic; Faith Chapman (12), McGuffey; Ella Zambruno (12), Greensburg Central Catholic; Izzy Aigner (10), Greensburg Central Catholic; Olivia Kana (12), Greensburg Central Catholic

Thanks to the WPIAL’s Ethan Woy for the report.

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