Plum girls golf continues improvement during 2nd WPIAL season

By: Michael Love
Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 11:01 AM

The Plum girls golf team’s seven seniors — Kailey Burton, Ava Miller, Addy Pfeiffer, Alex Fulmer, Hayden Tihey, Brooke Price and Aine Collins — were celebrated Sept. 15 before a Section 4-3A home match with Latrobe at 3 Lakes Golf Course in Penn Hills.

The contest was the final one in a season of continued growth for a program in its second official campaign in the WPIAL.

It also marked the team’s lowest score in the three years of matches overall.

The Mustangs, behind a 47 from Pfeiffer, 49 from Burton, 49 from junior Emma Bevacqua, and 50 from Miller, tied the Wildcats, 195-195.

A one-hole playoff involving three members from each team was used to determine the winner. Latrobe edged Plum in the playoff by one stroke.

“It was exciting because it was our best score ever, but it also was a little bit of a downer because they weren’t able to pull off the win with it,” Plum third-year coach Amy Semnisky said.

“It was definitely a bittersweet day. I really wanted the win for the seniors and the whole team.”

Semnisky said her 12 golfers this year took steps forward in their own ways to help Plum make strides in and out of the section as they continue to push to one day earn a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.

Plum finished 4-11 overall and 4-8 in the section in a compact season that started Aug. 8 and ended with the Latrobe match just over a month later.

“The one thing that is hard about the golf season is that it is so short,” Semnisky said.

“Our first official practice was on a Monday, and our first match was three days later. We were going quickly to see who would be traveling or who would be playing in the first, second or third spots. We had matches three or four days a week. There’s really no time for practice or instruction. Practice is the matches. We might get to a range or a putting green once a week. To see them improve from one match to the other was huge.”

The Mustangs swept their section series against Kiski Area and Indiana.

“It was really exciting to see the girls get those wins,” Semnisky said.

“Walking away with that first one against Kiski Area (Aug. 18) was a big boost to their confidence. The big thing is watching how much these girls have improved over the past couple of years and seeing the newer girls to the program continue to learn in the game and enjoy it while they improve their scores.”

Plum broke 200 for the first time this season Aug. 28 in a 181-198 loss to Armstrong at 3 Lakes. Burton carded a team-best 47 which included a birdie 4 on No. 5.

“They played well against Armstrong,” Semnisky said. “The highest score in that match was a 53. Two years ago, these girls were shooting 60s and 70s. They were consistent with scores close to each other.”

Burton, Miller and Pfeiffer will graduate with four years of experience in the program which started in 2022 as a club in Plum athletics.

“I don’t know if those three knew what they could accomplish with this team back when it all started, but they kept working at it, and now the program is strong and hopefully getting stronger,” Semnisky said.

Bevacqua and Hartley came on as freshmen in 2023 when Plum played an independent schedule against the likes of Butler, Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford, Belle Vernon and Deer Lakes while waiting to officially join the WPIAL.

Price and Collins came out for the team for the first time last year as juniors.

“Brooke had played a little bit before, so she had some experience,” Semnisky said.

“Aine never had a golf club in her hand before last season, and she was going out and playing nine holes this year.”

Plum slow-pitch softball ceased operations after last fall, and that brought Fulmer and Tihey to the golf team.

“I think Fulmer and Tihey had a lot of fun learning more about the game,” Semnisky said.

Junior Morgan Loughren joined the team for the first time this year.

Freshmen Avery Hall and Lilly Scheible also made their varsity team debuts.

“By the end, they were shooting in the low 60s which is good because they both show a lot of potential for improvement,” Semnisky said.

Semnisky said the underclassmen are encouraged by the season and hope to get more work in over the remainder of the fall and into the offseason months. The team has reserved spots with both the indoor simulator and on the course at Rolling Fields Golf Club in Murrysville through Pat McAfee’s “We’re All Mustangs Here” foundation.

“They are making friendships and encouraging others to join the team,” Semnisky said.

“They will hopefully go out and play more with each other. They understand what it will take for them to take that next step for next season. It will be exciting to see their growth.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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