5 WPIAL Class AAA/AA girls individual golf championship storylines

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 | 6:19 PM

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The WPIAL Class AAA and AA girls individual golf championships will be Wednesday at Diamond Run Golf Club in Sewickley.

The AA girls have their first first tee time at 9 a.m., and the AAA girls start at 9:32 a.m., with the last tee time at 10:52 a.m. There will be 18 twosomes.

The top nine finishers in AA and top seven in AAA at the 18-hole tournament advance to the PIAA western regional Oct. 15 at Tom’s Run Golf Course at Chestnut Ridge Resort in Blairsville.

Here are some storylines to watch:

1. Smithco eyeing 3-peat

North Catholic senior Maddie Smithco, the defending WPIAL Class AA champion, will attempt to become a three-time PIAA champion, joining 2017 Greensburg Central Catholic grad Olivia Zambruno, currently playing for Penn State. Smithco finished second to Zambruno in 2016.

2. More Zambrunos

There has been a golfer from the Zambruno family playing in the WPIAL championship since 2013: Olivia (2103-16), Abby (2014-18) and sophomore twins Meghan and Ella (2018-19). Meghan finished sixth as a freshman, and Ella tied for ninth but was beaten in a playoff for the final spot.

3. New AAA winner

With the graduation of North Allegheny’s Caroline Wrigley, Class AAA will see a new champion.

One of the top contenders is Mt. Lebanon sophomore Lindsey Powanda, who placed second in 2018.

Other favorites are Hampton junior Arianna Erka, South Fayette sophomore Caroline McConnell, North Allegheny senior Isabella Walter and Peters Township junior Ella Roberts.

4. AA contenders

Along with the Zambruno sisters, the other returning placewinners from 2018 are Brownsville’s Lindsay Sethman (a two-time placewinner), Sewickley Academy’s Zoe Luther and Geibel’s Caroline Konieczny.

Carmichaels’ Remmey Lohr, who placed third in 2018, competed in the Class AA boys tournament and took 13th with an 81, the same score she shot in the girls tournament last year.

5. Tournament-tested

Numerous girls competed in the Tri-State PGA Islay’s Junior tournament.

The winner this summer was Moon’s Rhianna Firmstone.

Others to watch include Peters Township’s Ella McRoberts, Upper St. Clair’s Mary Groninger, Oakland Catholic’s Tara Loughran and Butler’s Paige Scott.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Brownsville, Butler, Fox Chapel, Greensburg C.C., Hampton, Moon, Mt. lebanon, North Allegheny, North Catholic, Upper St. Clair