GROVE CITY — Slippery Rock’s Brett Rinker admits he felt a little pressure.

For the first three years of his high school golf career he had managed to advance out of districts all three times.

However, with the PIAA splitting golf into two classifications (Class AAA and Class AA), and with District 10 advancing just two Class AAA golfers to the West Regional; the window of opportunity for Rinker and every other triple-A golfer became brutally narrow.

So, Rinker just went out and won the darn thing.

The Rockets’ senior fired a 2-over-par 74 at the Grove City Country Club, leading both classifications at the District 10 Individual Championships, which were held on Tuesday.

“I knew that if I stuck to my game plan I’d be all right,” said Rinker. “And if two other people beat me, then so be it.”

It was Rinker’s first championship. As a freshman, he lost the title in a three-way playoff with McDowell’s Austin Romeo and Cathedral Prep’s Greg Podufal.

“I started off struggling a little bit and got it together towards the middle of the round and finished with a bogey on 17,” Rinker said about yesterday’s event. “But overall, I finished with a 74. I was beating the kids I was playing with, so I thought 74 would get me in the top two at least.”

The conditions were far from perfect. In fact, the match was delayed by an hour due to frost on the course.

“Obviously you had to hit fairways because you couldn’t move it in the rough,” Rinker said. “And some of the pin placements today were really tough. There were some spots where you just try to get below the hole and give yourself an uphill putt.”

Joining Rinker at the Class AAA Regional, which is Monday in Blairsville at Chestnut Ridge Resort’s Tom’s Run course, will be Strong Vincent’s John Fosco, who finished second with a round of 77.

And with the first split in classifications came the first victim of District 10’s harsh triple-A cut-off. That would be Meadville freshman Zack Ford.

Ford shot a 6-over-par 78 on the day. That was the third-best round on the course on Tuesday. But it was one stroke away from the Class AAA regional tournament.

“He played great,” said Meadville head coach Fred Garvey Jr. “There were four scores under 80. He hit 78 as a freshman. He played great. He has nothing to be ashamed of.”

Also participating from Meadville was Charlie Holt, who finished eighth with an 83. Dalton Zelasco finished tied for 12th with an 88.

Meadville — the District 10 Class AAA team champion —  has one more match to show what its got. On Friday, the Bulldogs will participate in a PIAA sub-regional tournament at Treasure Lake Golf Course with teams from districts 5, 6, 8 and 9. The team with the lowest score will move onto the state championship tournament, slated for Oct. 24 at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York.

“That takes the sting out a little big,” said Garvey, “gives them something to refocus on.”



Sculley wins Class AA

Eight golfers from the Class AA tournament advanced, including event champion Sean Sculley of Mercyhurst Prep, who won a two-hole playoff against Lakers teammate Steve Kearns.

“I made a good chip for par (on No. 2), put it close, about a foot-and-a-half,” said Sculley. “The first hole, we both ended up in the same bunker, about five yards from each other. So, it was interesting.”

Both Sculley and Kearns finished with rounds of 81.

“Honestly, I thought I was going to finish in the middle,” said Sculley. “I thought there were some low numbers out there. But the course was hard. It was long and wet, wind in your face. I struggled all day until the last five holes. I was 2-under the last five holes.”

Also advancing in double-A is Titusville’s Matt McCord (82); Cambridge Springs’ Trevor Rodgers, Fort LeBoeuf’s Justin Latsko and North East’s Brian Ropecki (each with an 83), Harbor Creek’s Teven Vargo (84) and North East’s Alex Hunter (85).

Rodgers, a junior on the Blue Devils squad, said he’s happy to move on, but wasn’t jumping for joy over his score.

“Not good at all,” he said. “The conditions were kind of tough. The greens really rolled out more than I expected. And it was really windy.

“It feels good to make it. Still, an 83 is an 83.”

District 10 Individual Championships

At Grove City Country Club (Par 72)

Class AAA Leaderboard

1. Brett Rinker, Slippery Rock    74    RQ

2. John Fosco, Strong Vincent    77    RQ

3. Zack Ford, Meadville    78

4. Andrew Britton, Cathedral Prep    79

5. Chris Kupniewski, Strong Vincent    81

    Ben Lucas, Grove City    81

    Bob Paczkowski, Slippery Rock    81

8. Charlie Holt, Meadville    83

9. Ryan Podufal, Cathedral Prep    84

10. Nathan Sandberg, Warren    85

11. Teddy Russell, McDowell    87

12. Nick Hayes, Cathedral Prep    88

      Dalton Zelasco, Meadville    88

14. David Rinderle, McDowell    90

15. Alex Shingledecker, McDowell    91

Class AA Leaderboard

1. Sean Sculley, Mercyhurst Prep    81    RQ

Steve Kearns, Mercyhurst Prep    81    RQ

3. Matt McCord, Titusville    82    RQ

4. Trevor Rodgers, Camb. Springs    83    RQ

Justin Latsko, Fort LeBoeuf    83    RQ

Brian Ropecki, North East    83    RQ

7. Teven Vargo, Harbor Creek    84    RQ

8. Alex Hunter, North East    85    RQ

9. Chad Ferguson, Greenville    86

A.J. Rogers, Harbor Creek    86

11. Billy Colbert, Hickory    88

Eric Maginnis, Titusville    88

Cody Stinson, Harbor Creek    88

Nate Anthony, West Middlesex    88

Keamus Schuhlen, Jamestown    88

16. Pat Artac, Sharon    89

Joey Sontag, Corry    89

18. Nate Guiler, Mercer    90

Kendall King, Greenville    90

Joe Zoltowski, Harbor Creek    90

21. Tucker Ochalek, Girard    91

Ross Rosati, Hickory    91

23. Brady Byers, West Middlesex    92

Ryan Matlock, Mercyhurst Prep    92

Jacob Wilson, Kenn. Catholic    92

Note: Sculley defeated Kearns in a two-hole playoff for the championship. Rodgers was awarded fourth place via tiebreaker. Latsko was awarded fifth and Ropecki sixth.

Kaverman, Hearns win first girls titles

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — McDowell’s Megan Kaverman became the inaugural District 10 Class AAA girls golf champion, firing an 84 at Riverside Golf Club to win the individual championship on Tuesday.

Kaverman is also the lone qualifier for the PIAA West Regional tournament, which will be held Monday at Tom’s Run Golf Course at Chesnut Ridge Resort in Blairsville.

Meadville’s Lacey Latta and McDowell’s Ellen Eighmy finished tied for second with scores of 88.

The Lady Bulldogs also got a strong showing out of Kailey Malady, who was fifth with a 97.

The Class AA champion was Hickory’s Rosy Hearns. She and North East’s Megan Moylan finished the round with matching scores of 79. Hearns later won the title with a par on the second playoff hole.

Both Hearns and Moylan advanced to the regional tournament along with Villa Maria’s Annie Ciacchini (80) and Hickory’s Alena Lancia (88), who beat Villa’s Abby Fessler in a two-hole playoff.

Maplewood’s Allison Schmader finished in a tie for sixth after carding a 90.



District 10 Girls Golf Individual Championships

At Riverside Golf Club (Par 72)

Class AAA Leaderboard

1. Megan Kaverman, McDowell    84    RQ

2. Ellen Eighmy, McDowell    88

Lacey Latta, Meadville    88

4. Morgan Smith, Warren    95

5. Kailey Malady, Meadville    97

6. Mehan Smoulder, Warren    100

7. Julie Capotis, McDowell    102

8. Felicia Krasa, Meadville    109

Lindsey Swanson, McDowell    109

10. Amanda Skarlinski, McDowell    114

11. Michaela Persichini, Meadville    117

12. Abby Moore, Meadville    130

Class AA Leaderboard

1. Rosy Hearns, Hickory    79    RQ

Megan Moylan, North East    79    RQ

3. Annie Ciacchini, Villa Maria    80    RQ

4. Alena Lancia, Hickory    88    RQ

Abby Fessler, Villa Maria    88

6. Grace Brzozowski, Mercyhurst Prep    90

Georgia Capotis, Mercyhurst Prep    90

Emily Fessler, Villa Maria    90

Allison Schmader, Maplewood    90

10. Lia Fatica, Villa Maria    91

11. Fontaine McFeaters, Grove City    94

12. Jillian Johannes, Mercyhurst Prep    95

13. Brianna Colbert, Hickory    96

14. Becky Bargielski, Mercyhurst Prep    98

 Mackenzie Bonnet, Girard    98

 Carly Yovich, Fort LeBoeuf    98

17. Maria Clark, Reynolds    99

18. Abby Hearns, Hickory    105

 Michaela Redinger, Gen. McLane    105

 Jaime Vamosy, Reynolds    105

Note: Hearns defeated Moylan in a two-hole playoff for the Class AA championship. Lancia defeated Fessler in a two-hole playoff for the final double-A regional qualifier.