WPIAL girls golf preview: Defending champs Peters Township, Shady Side Academy still brimming with talent

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The WPIAL golf season begins Thursday. Here is a breakdown of the top teams and individuals to watch this fall.

Class 3A

Team

2024 WPIAL champion: Peters Township (317)

2024 PIAA champion: Peters Township (227)

Favorite: North Allegheny will chase its 11th WPIAL title, first since 2018, with its full lineup back. It includes seniors Kayli Dings, Omisa Shah and Kirsten Karlovits.

Others to watch: Two-time defending champion Peters Township can go a long way with defending individual champ Ellie Benson in the lead spot, but the Indians have some spots to fill. Watch sophomore Betty Glyptis, who helped her team to a PIAA title. … Fox Chapel is chasing its second title in four years and has the talent in place to do so. Last year’s runner-up lost only two senior starters. The Foxes lineup will be bolstered by seniors Ava Calanra and Morgan Monteverde and junior Clara Koteski. … Senior Angelina Schild and junior Lix DeGori front Moon, and junior Siena Smith leads Pine-Richland. … Low-scoring senior Mya Morgan helped Elizabeth Forward to a sixth-place finish. … Junior Olivia Ziegler is the top returnee at Upper St. Clair, and senior Gianna Johnson is back for Franklin Regional.

Individual

2024 WPIAL champion: Ellie Benson, Peters Township

2024 PIAA champion: Mya Morgan, Elizabeth Forward

Top players: Could it be another back-and-forth between the top two finishers the last two years? Benson, a senior, returns to defend her title after an eight-shot, wire-to-wire win last season at Butler Country Club. Mya Morgan of Elizabeth Forward was the runner-up after winning the title in 2023. Morgan bounced back last year to win the PIAA title. … Junior Sienna Smith of Pine-Richland took third in the WPIAL, sophomore Betty Glyptis of Peters Township was third and junior Liv DeGori of Moon tied for sixth.

Class 2A

Team

2024 WPIAL champion: Shady Side Academy (387)

2024 PIAA champion: Fairview (234)

Favorite: Shady Side Academy grabbed its first title since 2011, its fourth overall, led by fab freshman (now sophomore) Alyssa Zhang, who fired a 71 in the team finals. Senior Ariya Nahata and Nora Bryan return for the Bulldogs.

Others to watch: Only one starter graduated from Greensburg Central Catholic. Top players back are senior Alyssa Stawovy, juniors Kennedy Kelly and Betsabe Chapman and sophomore Cayla Kelly. … Sophomores Riley Kontul and GiGi Colafella and senior Izzy Engleka are back for North Catholic. … Juniors Morgan Miller and Ally Christopher top the lineup for Mt. Pleasant.

Individual

2024 WPIAL champion: Alyssa Zhang, Shady Side Academy

2024 PIAA champion: Madison Koshko, St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy

Top players: Zhang is the favorite to repeat after showing the extent of her talent in last year’s win in bad weather. She went on to finish third in the state. … Senior Pearl Lundgren could have something to say, however, after a runner-up finish. She was three shots back. … Sophomore JoJo Jaskulski came in third. … Seven of the top 10 in the WPIAL finals were not seniors. Others who could contend this fall are North Catholic sophomore Riley Kontul, senior Alayna Stawovy and junior Kenney Kelly of Greensburg Central Catholic and Quaker Valley senior Makenna Desanti.

Important dates

Aug. 4 — First practice date

Aug. 7 — First play date

Sept. 16, 17, 18 — Section qualifiers

Sept. 22, 23, 24 — WPIAL individual first round

Oct. 1 — WPIAL individual championships, Sewickley Heights C.C.

Oct. 9 — WPIAL team championships, Cedarbrook G.C.

Oct. 20-21 — PIAA individual championships, Penn State

Oct. 22 — PIAA team championships, Penn State

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg C.C., North Allegheny, Peters Township, Shady Side Academy, Upper St. Clair