PT’s Benson leads heading into finals
Ellie Benson headed into the WPIAL Class 3A individual golf championship match with a three-stroke lead after winning the first round of competition.
The WPIAL championship round will be played Sept. 30 at Butler Country Club. The top 36 finishers in the opening round of competition advanced to the finals.
This is the second time the Peters Township junior has taken the lead into the final round of the championships. Last year, she finished as the WPIAL runner-up. As a freshman, she placed third.
During the opener played Sept. 23 at Willowbrook Country Club in Apollo, Benson fired a 75 to finish three strokes ahead of Pine-Richland’s Siena Smith, who shot a 78.
Benson was even after six holes, but had bogeys on No. 7, 8 and 9. Back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes helped her to shoot par (36) on the back.
Benson’s teammate, Sophia Severns, sits in third place, having finished with an 80.
Defending WPIAL champion Mya Morgan enters the final round in fourth place. The Elizabeth-Forward senior carded an 81 along with North Allegheny’s Kayli Dings, Upper St. Clair’s Olivia Ziegler and Peters Township’s Brooke Vowcheck.
Among the other girls in The Almanac’s readership area to advance to the WPIAL championship round included: Betty Glyptis from Peters Township and USC’s Addy Schedd as well as Bethel Park’s Keylee Kreigline and Sarah Jakel.
LUSK SECOND
Colton Lusk shot a 2-over 74 during the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A golf championships played Sept. 24 on the 6,637-yard course at the Southpointe Golf Club in Canonsburg. The Peters Township senior entered the championship round, set for Oct. 1 at Oakmont Country Club, in second place, one shot behind leader Carson Kittsely of Fox Chapel.
Lusk was tied with William Hilton of Pine-Richland, Ravi Desai of North Allegheny and Michael Quallich of Baldwin heading into the final round.
Quallich was leading the first round of action until taking a triple-bogey on No. 18. Kittsely, Lusk, Desai and Hilton all shot par (4) on that final hole.
Several other Almanac golfers made the cut and advanced to the championships. The top 36 first-round finishers – 44 in all – qualified.
Joining Lusk are his teammates: Griffin Hansberry and Ryan Watterson. They shot 83 scores as did nine others, including Upper St. Clair’s Connor McKenzie and South Fayette’s Brady Newman, to tie for the 34th and final spot. McKenzie was last year’s runner-up.
South Fayette’s Sam Bishop was tied for 10th place with a 78 heading into the finals while his teammate, Randy Fisher, was tied for 26th position.
Several other area golfers competed in the first round but did not make the cut. Among them were: PT’s Nick Haught and Shane Williams, Chartiers Valley’s Gavin Waldron and Jack Sexton, USC’s Samuel Rush and Beau Pirnat, Mt. Lebanon’s Max Pirain and Cooper Whalen as well as Bethel Park’s Joey Boff.
SOCCER
Ellie Benson of Peters Township enters the final round of the WPIAL Class 3A championships in the lead by three strokes after carding a 75 during action at the Willowbrook Country Club in Apollo. The WPIAL final round was scheduled for Sept. 30 at the Butler Country Club. Benson was the WPIAL runner-up last year.
Peters Township picked up two more victories in boys’ soccer with triumphs over Woodland Hills, 4-0, and Central Catholic, 5-1.
Against the Wolverines, Markus Bizyak and Aaron Peterson combined in the nets for the shutout. Anthony Maiello recorded a hat trick while Brett Martin completed the scoring.
Against the Vikings, Maiello, Alex Parise, Jeven Kelly, Parker Weiss and Colin Froelich picked up the points.
The Lady Indians blanked Baldwin, 6-0, and North Allegheny, 3-0.
Kaitlyn Strine and Kaylin Hoffman patrolled the nets against the Highlanders while Taylor McCullough (2), Julia Spergel, Cailin Martin and Milena Gill provided the offense.
Against the Tigers, Marina Hajnosz. Natalie Faingnaert, and Paige Malley scored the goals. Molly Kubistek posted the shutout.