Two WPIAL Golfers Win PIAA Individual Titles

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 | 9:49 PM

A pair of WPIAL golfers won state crowns in the two day PIAA Individual Golf Championships Tuesday at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort and Conference Center in York. A pair of sophomores, Sewickley Academy’s Jason Li and Greensburg Central Catholic’s Olivia Zambruno held on to win Class AA state titles after leading or being tied for first after Day One on Monday.

Li, who finished tied for ninth in the WPIAL Class AA championships last month, shot a par-72 on Monday and a one over-73 on Tuesday to beat Roland Massimino of New Hope Solebury by four strokes.

Evan Long of Laurel finished tied for 6th pace with a two day total of 154 while Hunter Lecker of Burgettstown and Tyler Kuntz of Beth-Center ended up tied for 9th place with a total of 159. WPIAL champion Chris Tanabe finished tied for 15th with a score of 161.

Meanwhile, Zambruno followed up her WPIAL championship with a PIAA by shooting an 81 and a 78 for a two day total of 159, one stroke better than Seton-LaSalle senior Joey Walz. Audrey Clawson of Freeport (162) and Day One leader Marissa Kirkwood of Neshannock (164) made it a clean sweep of the top four spots for WPIAL golfers.

In girls Class AAA, WPIAL champion Lauren Waller shot a 73 each day to finish tied for first place with Brynn Walker of Radnor. Walker then won the state crown on the first playoff hole. Mia Kness of Peters Township and Johnna Beehner of Gateway registered scores of 152 as they finished tied for third place.

Zack Taylor of Baldwin shot a 149 to finish tied for fourth place, the highest finisher from a WPIAL golfer in the PIAA Class AAA tournament. Andrew Reynolds of Plum and Harrison Laskey of Laurel Highlands finished tied for sixth place while WPIAL champion Anthony Cordaro of Fox Chapel finished 10th with a score of 152.

On Wednesday, the PIAA Team Golf Playoffs will take place as WPIAL champs Peters Township in Boys AAA, Sewickley Academy in Boys AA, Peters Township and Central Valley in Girls AAA and Sewickley Academy in Girls AA will try to capture a state championship in York.      

Tags: Baldwin, Canon-McMillan, Greensburg C.C.