Hickory's Sasha Petrochko, North East's Anna Swan in final group for PIAA 2A girls golf
District 10 boasted eight Class 2A girls in the PIAA golf tournament.
Of those eight, Hickory’s Sasha Petrochko and North East’s Anna Swan were expected to contend for first place.
Two others, Hickory’s Luciana Masters and West Middlesex’s Kate Sowers, were projected as top-10 medal contenders.
They didn’t disappoint after Monday’s opening round at State College.
Neither did the district’s other four participants.
Petrochko topped a field of 36 with her even-par 72 on Penn State University’s White Course. The Hornets’ star senior will carry a one-stroke lead over two Annas, Swan and Wyoming Seminary’s Anna Zapletalova (1-over 73s), into Tuesday’s last 18 holes.
“It was a back-and-forth round the whole day,” Petrochko said. “I didn’t play great, but I offset a lot of the mistakes I made.”
Petrochko said a par save on the ninth hole was the ultimate reason she has a one-stroke advantage. The district’s 2A titlist badly missed a 10-foot downhill birdie chance but drained her ensuing par putt.
Swan, last season’s 2A silver medalist, couldn’t be reach for comment after Monday’s round. Regardless of what happens Tuesday, she’s verbally committed to play women’s golf for Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It’s the same school where older sister Lydia Swan, a North East graduate and former PIAA team and individual gold medalist, is a sophomore for the Division I Golden Eagles.
The top 10 players with ties are guaranteed state medals after Tuesday’s action. West Middlesex’s Kate Sowers and Hickory’s Luciana Masters will be among those honorees if they maintain their current positions.
Sowers, at 2-over 74, was involved in a four-way tie for fourth place. Masters, who’s eighth, was the field’s lone golfer who shot a 75.
More familiar names
Only the low four golfers from this month’s district’s 2A girls tournament were assured Monday tee times at State College.
Four others, though, eventually qualified with at-large berths based on their 36-hole stroke totals at The Country Club of Meadville.
Wilmington’s Kaitlyn Hoover and Hickory’s Ava Liburdi each recorded state rounds of 8-over 80.
Liburdi, like Petrochko and Masters, will remain at State College for Wednesday’s one-round PIAA team tournament. The Hornets seek a record third consecutive 2A girls state championship.
Mercyhurst Prep’s Katie Caryl was tied for 14th at 9-over 81. She started her senior season with a one-stroke tournament victory over Petrochko.
That tournament, the Happy Valley Invitational, was held at the same site she played Monday.
Fairview sophomore Cora Hirz opened with an 84. The sophomore was tied for 20th.
Petrochko loved the fact northwestern Pennsylvania’s other seven participants remain in medal contention.
“The talent for (the district) is insane,” she said, “and a lot of them have more years to go.”
More: District 10 high school scoreboard: Erie-area sports results, game stats, Oct. 16-21
‘Just another tournament’
Caden Bender had the low round for district golfers in the 2A boys field. The West Middlesex senior, playing on the White Course, was in a four-way tie for 19th place at 3-over 75.
Bender is seven shots behind leader Nick Werner. The junior, like Zapletalova, also attends Wyoming Seminary.
Fairview’s Anthony LaBoda, in his tournament debut, shot a 77. Although the sophomore birdied three of his first four holes, they were negated by six bogeys and a double-bogey seven.
“I was nervous,” LaBoda said, “but I always try to think of it as just another tournament. Get too nervous, you can mess up. But if you don’t get nervous, you don’t care as much.”
“I started off well, so I guess my nerves were helping in that way.”
North East’s Leyton Hassenplug, Erie County’s other golfer in the 2A boys standings, opened with an 82. He’s part of a five-way tie that also included Trent Nemec of Grove City.
Isaac Allan, Nemec’s teammate, shot a 79 on Monday. He was the district’s small-school champ.
More: Top Performers from Erie County for the week of Oct. 16-21
Damore doing what dad did
The district received no at-large berths in the state’s Class 3A boys field.
That left Warren’s Braddock Damore (2-under 70) and Cathedral Prep’s Cooper Wierzchowski (12-over 84) as its representatives.
Damore, the district winner, is in line for a state medal. The senior played his way back into contention with a sensational end to Monday’s round.
Damore sank a 20-foot par putt on the 17th and then recorded an eagle three on Blue Course’s 446-yard 18th. That left him four back of co-leaders Aidan Farkas (St. Joseph’s Prep) and Wes Lorish (Plum).
“I like being in this position,” Damore said. “Being a couple shots behind, that puts less pressure on myself and I can put pressure on the people above me.”
Damore’s father is McDowell graduate Mike Damore, the PGA professional for Cable Hollow Golf Course in northern Warren County.
Mike Damore, a 1989 McDowell graduate, competed in the 1988 PIAA tournament on Penn State’s same Blue Course. He finished in a five-way tie for 13th when the competition was open-class.
McDowell's Marsh, Wolf in Class 3A
McDowell teammates Alexis Marsh and Analise Wolf struggled Monday during the 3A girls first round. They finished respective rounds of 87 and 90.
Marsh teed off as the district’s champ.
Rhianna Gooneratne of Plymouth Whitemarsh had an eagle three as the highlight of her 5-under 67. The junior was the only player who posted a red number.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: PIAA golf: Hickory's Petrochko, North East's Swan lead in first round
