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PIAA regional golf: 2 county golfers advance to PIAA Tournament


FLEETWOOD >> Two Franklin County golfers have earned a trip to the PIAA Championships.

Waynesboro senior Nick Franki tied for 11th with a 4-over par 76 and Chambersburg senior Ian Patterson shot 77 to tie for 16th on Monday in the PIAA Eastern Regional at Golden Oaks Golf Club. The top 24 players in Class AAA qualified for the PIAA event, which is next Monday and Tuesday at Heritage Hills in York.

Chambersburg's other entry, freshman Karsen Rush, shot 78 to tie with five others for 22nd place, but he bogeyed the first playoff hole and was knocked out.

In girls Class AAA, Waynesboro junior Olivia Gardenhour had a rough day on the greens and shot 92 to place 19th. The top 12 advanced to states.

Franki earned his first trip to states by taking advantage of a hot putter.

"I held it together, although I didn't play my best," he said. "I made a lot of good putts and two-putts."

Indian coach Ryan Henderson said, "Nick had two magnificent bunker saves when he short-sided himself. He had very little green to work with, but got up and down both times and that saved his round."

Patterson shot nines of 38 and 39 for his 77, which included birdies on No. 4 and No. 18.

"No. 4 was my starting hole, a par 3 about 155 yards," Patterson said. "I hit 8-iron because it was cold and I wasn't loosened up yet, and I got in there close. On 18 (a par 5), I was close in two and got it up and down over a trap.

"Overall, it was another round where I grinded it out. Nothing came easy. It was a five-hour round – there were a lot of people on the course and they took their time."

Rush was undone by one hole, the par 4 No. 12. He had played seven holes to that point and was at even par. But he hit his drive under a tree, punched out into a bunker and eventually three-putted for a triple bogey.

"I was kind of disappointed," Rush said. "After that hole I was just trying to hang on for dear life. I knew I was right around the cut line."

Gardenhour, who had been averaging just under 85 for the season, couldn't match that score Monday. And her putting was the culprit.

Henderson said, "Tee to green, Olivia was fine. But the speed of the greens and the pin placements gave her fits. They had quite a few holes on ridge lines or turtlebacks and you couldn't stop the ball. There were a lot of three-putts out there today."

PIAA Eastern Regional

At Golden Oaks, Fleetwood

Par 72

BOYS CLASS AAA

1.Gus Minkin (Central York) 69, 2.Kyle Vance (Methacton) 69, 3.David Kim (Upper Dublin) 71, 4.David Cerbara (Holy Ghost Prep) 72, 5.Dan Reiger (Methacton) 73, 6.Robert Falconer (Cumb. Valley) 74, 7.(tie) Evan Brown (Kennett), Quinn Guzman (Souderton), Jack Melville (Upper Dublin), William Mitchell (St. Joseph's Prep) 75, 11.(tie) Nick Franki (Waynesboro), Andrew Davis (Eastern York), Nick Gianelos (Unionville), Matt Kreider (Ephrata), R.J. Wren (Twin Valley) 76, 16.(tie) Ian Patterson (Chambersburg), Alex Butler (St. Joseph's), Davis Clarke (Cumb. Valley), Kevin Crumbling (E.York), Jake Fitts (Central Bucks South), Joe Parrini (C.York) 77, 22.Ben Pochet (Spring-Ford), Geoff Rice (Great Valley), Ronnie Yanoski (Valley View) 78

Note: There was a playoff for the last 3 spots among 6 golfers.

Other Chambersburg golfer: 22.(tie) Karsen Rush 78.

GIRLS CLASS AAA

1.Gabby Kim (Radnor) 74, 2.(tie) Samantha Staudt (Coatesville), Brynne Walker (Radnor) 75.

Waynesboro golfer: 19.Olivia Gardenhour 92.

BOYS CLASS AA

1.Clay Asplundh (New Hope-Solebury) 72, 2.Garrett Barilar (Central Columbia) 72, 3.Vincent Bender (Warrior Run) 72.

GIRLS CLASS AA

1.Franca Hurtado (Allentown Central Cath.) 79, 2.Nina Kouchi (New Hope-Solebury) 81, 3.Morgan Sohosky (Bloomsburg) 84.