North Journal notebook: North Allegheny girls golfers off to strong start

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, August 28, 2021 | 11:01 AM

The North Allegheny girls golf team opened its season by shooting 166 to sweep a tri-match with Fox Chapel (188) and Mt. Lebanon (185).

Katie Rose Rankin shot 38 at North Park. Sissi Hai shot 40, Lauren Kardos had a 42 and Megan Manesiotis 46.

Niyati Cannabilla, Jena Norman, Amber Roth and Kate Gilliland also competed for the Tigers.

North Allegheny improved to 3-0 with a 186-210 win over Upper St. Clair on Aug. 23, at Diamond Run.

Kardos shot 44, followed by Hai (45), Rankin (46) and Manesiotis (51).

NA boys golf starts 1-1

The North Allegheny boys golfers also opened the season with a win, topping Blackhawk, 202-222, in a nonsection match.

Jake Watterson shot 37 to earn medalist honors.

Collin Wang shot 39, Chris Hoffman 40, Joe DeJonckeere 43 and Dylan Fitzgerald and Ethan Byrne shot 44s.

Curtis Rhoten and Jackson Talerico also competed for NA.

On Aug. 24, the Tigers lost to Pine-Richland in a playoff. After tying at 192 after nine holes, two golfers from each team played two holes. Pine-Richland won by four strokes in the playoff.

Hoffman, Fitzgerald and Wang shot 38, and Ethan Byrne and Watterson shot 39 for NA.

North Hills golfers open

The North Hills boys golf team started the season with a 182-205 nonsection loss to Avonworth on Aug. 20 at Clover Hill. It also lost to Seneca Valley, 198-230, on Aug. 23, at Shannopin Country Club.

Tyler Manford shot 7-over-par 42. Will Blass (44), Ella Demoise (47), Nick Friday (48) and Peter Lukac (49) also scored for North Hills.

NA girls tennis falls short

The North Allegheny girls tennis team opened the 2021 campaign with a 5-0 loss to reigning WPIAL runner-up Upper St. Clair on Aug. 24.

Emily Wincko, Abbey Swirsding and Claire Zheng competed at singles, and Siya Jain/Rebecca Kolano and Tia Soussou/Rebecca Murphy teamed up in doubles.

Title games over 2 days

For the first time this fall, the WPIAL football championships will be a two-day event at Heinz Field.

The WPIAL board on Aug. 23 officially approved plans to hold five of the six championship games at the North Shore stadium Nov. 26-27.

The Class 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and A finals will be decided there. The 6A champion must be crowned a week earlier to enter the state playoff bracket correctly, so that game will be elsewhere.

The Heinz Field games tentatively are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Nov. 26 and noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Nov. 27, said WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman.

The order of games is undecided.

Traditionally, the WPIAL has used Heinz Field — and before that, Three Rivers Stadium — to host four championships on one day. The two-day schedule became an option this time because the Steelers and Pitt play on the road Thanksgiving weekend.

“It was the perfect storm of us having five games all on the same weekend and Heinz Field being open those two days,” Scheuneman said.

“The fact that we didn’t have championships there last year, this allowed us to do something good for the student-athletes.”

Scheuneman said there are too many unknown variables to say whether this is a one-time opportunity.

Along with needing Pitt and the Steelers to be off or out of town, the two-day arrangement works this year because five of the six WPIAL champions enter the PIAA playoffs together in the state semifinal round. That’s not always the case.

Also, there’s the question of ticket sales vs. cost.

“We’ll see financially how much of a difference it is to be there two days,” Scheuneman said.

Tags: North Allegheny, North Hills