Low-scoring sophomore sets tone for Baldwin golf team

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, October 27, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Baldwin sophomore Michael Quallich knows his way around a golf course.

Quallich was medalist at the WPIAL sectional qualifier at Lindenwood with a 71 score. He then tied for second place in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A tournament, shooting a score of 74 at Southpointe

He ended up tied for second after the second round thanks to his score of 72 at Oakmont Country Club.

For the second year in a row, Quallich qualified for the PIAA Class 3A championships at Penn State’s White Course. The top 14 golfers at the WPIAL tournament advanced to the PIAA tournament.

“Mike tied at states for lowest freshman (score) last year, and he hopes to build upon that success in this year’s state championship,” Baldwin coach Brad Lewis said. “He was the medalist in the individual section qualifier at Lindenwood, shooting a 1-under par 71. He also had two strong rounds at two difficult courses — Southpointe and Oakmont Country Club, shooting a combined 3-over par, which was good enough to tie for second place at WPIALs.”

Quallich served as a co-captain on this year’s golf team at Baldwin.

“Mike’s scoring average was in the 37s, highlighted by shooting 3-under par in one of our nine-hole matches at South Hills Country Club,” Lewis said. “He sets the tone for the team, often going out in the first group.

“What I appreciate most about Michael is his willingness to help his teammates and to get the team locked in before, during and after matches. By consistently scoring low, Michael gives us a solid chance to win each match. We are fortunate that he is only a sophomore.”

Quallich, known to be an outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing, plans to join the Baldwin bowling team once his fall golf season is completed.

“I would definitely say my season was a roller coaster,” Quallich said. “I had some really great matches and others not so good, but it all came together towards and through the individual playoffs.”

Quallich was joined in the Highlanders’ lineup by juniors Mack Dempsey and Zach Auel and senior co-captain Cole Reed in the No. 2 to No. 4 positions.

“Mack Dempsey improved a lot this year,” Lewis said. “He qualified for the individual WPIALs and shot an even-par round at the difficult South Hills Country Club. He is a junior and we expect his senior year to come with even more success.”

Senior Brady Malloy and junior Gavin Sakely were complementary golfers in the lineup; seniors Kyle Murphy, Nate Wesling, Matt Schenk and Caden Cherico rounded out the team.

“We had the most students (30-plus) try out for the golf team since I started coaching in 2021,” Lewis said. “This shows how golf is getting more popular in the Baldwin-Whitehall community and that students are hearing about our program and what we are doing.

“While we started out with a few early losses, we found our stride in the middle of the season, recording our lowest team totals of the season as well as the lowest scores in the past four years. We had some unlucky breaks and a key injury to one of our top players, which slowed our momentum a bit as we got into the later part of the season.”

Baldwin (5-8, 4-8) competed in Section 5-3A along with Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Thomas Jefferson and Trinity. Peters Township took first place with a 12-0 record.

“Our goal is to compete for the top of our section each season,” Lewis said. “While we didn’t get there this year, we do have a strong group of 10th and 11th graders and we expect to improve going into next season.

“We have a lot of potential as a team going into next year and, with some sustained practice in and around the greens and focusing on the mental component of the game, hope to compete in the team playoffs (finishing in the top two spots in our section).”

Quallich agreed with his coach that the Highlanders are gearing for a stronger playoff push in 2025.

“I truly think the team improved significantly from last year,” he said, “from the missing pieces we got to the players themselves improving before and during the season.

“I definitely expect us to have a run at the playoffs next year even with the loss of some of our (senior) players.”

Tags: Baldwin