CLARION, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Clarion junior Kam Kerle earned medalist honors with a 2-over-par 37 on the 2,856-yard back nine at Slippery Rock, leading the Bobcat golf team to victory in the team competition.
(Pictured above, Keystone’s Talon Wilson)
It was the second victory for Kerle and his team in as many starts this season.
A-C Valley/Union freshman Joe Rapp (38), Devon Lauer (38), a senior at Clarion, and North Clarion senior Mason Shaftic (38) tied for second, three strokes off Kerle’s pace.
Rounding out the top five was freshman Sean Karg (39) of Keystone.
Further down the leaderboard were Clarion junior Lucas Mitrosky (41), Cayden Baker (41), a senior at Cranberry, and Karns City junior Chloe Fritch (41) in a three-way tie for sixth.
Ethan Carll (42), a North Clarion senior, came home in ninth, with Moniteau senior Dawson Wallace (43) placing 10th.
Clarion’s five-person team score of 211 was 22 strokes better than Moniteau’s and North Clarion’s, who tied for runner-up status with 233s.
Scores going toward the Clarion total were those of Kerle, Lauer, Mitrosky, Tanner Miller (44), and Parker Miller (51).
Wallace, Corbin Fallen (45), Chason Delarosa-Rugg (47), Landon Kelly (48), Cade Barger (50) contributed to Moniteau’s score.
North Clarion’s total was the product of rounds by Shaftic, Carll, Kelton Stitt (48), Jack Buckley (51), and Landon Lutz (54).
Cranberry (235) finished fourth, two-strokes behind Moniteau and North Clarion. The Berries counted the cards of Cayden Baker, Landon Baker (45), Ethan Merryman (48), Dane Wenner (50), and Dalton Wenner (51).
Completing the top-5 was Clarion-Limestone with a 243. Nick Aaron (44), Jack Monnoyer (46), Jack Craig (49), and Josh Kessler (51), and Aiden Coulsen (53) had rounds that went toward the Lions’ total.
Thursday, August 31: Hunter’s Station Golf Course
Kerle (34) and Keystone freshman Talon Wilson (34) each played par-golf on the 2,340-yard back-nine in Tionesta to share co-medalist honors.
It was Kerle’s third medalist finish in as many Mega Matches this season, but the first of Wilson’s varsity career.
Devon Lauer, a senior at Clarion, and Sean Karg, a Keystone freshman, each staked a claim to third by completing the loop with identical 2-over-par 36s.
There was a two-way tie for fifth – A-C Valley/Union freshman Joe Rapp (37) and Cayden Baker (37), a senior at Cranberry – both finishing one stroke behind Lauer and Karg.
Sophomore Brayden Baylor of Keystone took seventh with a 4-over-par 38.
Mason Shaftic, a North Clarion senior, was eighth with a 5-ove-par 39.
Clarion’s Lukas Mitrosky (40), a junior, and the Clarion-Limestone (C-L) senior duo of Nick Aaron (40) and Jack Craig (40) were knotted in ninth.
Like the first two Mega Matches of the season, Clarion once claimed the team victory – the Bobcats (196) finishing 13 strokes better than runner-up Cranberry (209).
Kerle, Lauer, Mitrosky, Tanner Miller (41), and Avery Kline (45) factored into the five-player Clarion score.
Positions second through fifth in the team competition were tight, each spot separated by a single stroke.
Cranberry counted the rounds of Baker, Dalton Wenner (41), Dane Wenner (41), Ethan Merryman (42), and Mason Albert (48).
Keystone (210) was third, with the scores of Wilson, Karg, Baylor, Jonathan Schultz (48), and Jerod Schruers (54) used to calculate the team total.
Aaron, Craig, Josh Kessler (41), Jack Monnoyer (44), and Jack Callen (46) contributed to C-L’s fourth place total of 211.
Moniteau (212) rounded out the top five, with rounds by Cade Barger (41), Dawson Wallce (41), and Chason Delarosa Rugg (41), Connor Ealy (44), and Landon Kelly (45) counting for the squad.
The next KSAC boys’ Mega Match is scheduled for Tuesday at Aubrey’s Dubb Dred Golf Course (Sept. 5), with another slated for later in the week at Clarion Oaks Golf Course (Thursday, Sept. 7).
Top-10 Individual Nine-Hole Averages (after 3 megamatches)
1. Kam Kerle (Clarion) – 34.67
2. Sean Karg (Keystone) – 36.37
3. Cayden Baker (Cranberry) – 37.67
3. Joe Rapp (A-C Valley/Union) – 37.67
5. Mason Shaftic (North Clarion) – 38.00
6. Devon Lauer (Clarion) – 40.00
7. Lucas Mitrosky (Clarion) – 40.33
8. Talon Wilson (Keystone) – 40.67
9. Braydon Baylor (Keystone) – 41.00
10. Nick Aaron (Clarion-Limestone) – 41.33
10. Ethan Carll (North Clarion) – 41.33
10. Tanner Miller (Clarion) – 41.33
Top-5 Teams (points after 3 Megamatches)
1. Clarion – 27.00
2. Cranberry – 22.00
3. Keystone – 18.00
4. Moniteau – 17.5
5. North Clarion – 16.5
Girls
Wednesday August 30, 2023: Hi-Level Golf Course
Like she did a week ago at this same course (Aug. 21), Moniteau senior Mariska Shunk captured medalist honors. This time out, she shot a 5-over-par 39 on the 2,209-yard front nine – four strokes better than her previous round here (43).
Commented Shunk, “It [her round] was really good, the only thing that struck my score down was my putting at the beginning. My driver, all of my irons, and chipping was actually really good today. [Since the last match, Aug. 21] I have been working on my chipping and putting.”
Shunk’s round included a birdie on Hole 5, a fairly straight, 400-yard hole that finishes on an elevated green that is somewhat sloped.
“I had a really good drive, then my six-iron got me right by the green. I chipped on and the putt was good,” said Shunk, describing the birdie.
Shunk has won three of the season’s four Mega Matches, something she credits to her coaching.
“My coaches are always there to help us out,” relayed Shunk. “If I have a question, I go straight to them and they help me out.”
Observed Moniteau head coach Sue Scialabba, “She’s [Shunk] had some really good practice this [past] week. She’s really concentrating on the things that aren’t working. She did a lot of chipping the last couple of days, that really helped.”
Like last week, senior Kendall Sankey came in second, five strokes behind Shunk. It was the third time this season Sankey been runner-up to her teammate.
“I think it [her round] was honestly pretty good. There were a couple of my clubs that I usually hit pretty good that I wasn’t hitting [well]. My five [iron] I usually hit pretty decent and I could not hit it today, so I put it in ‘time out’ [quit using it]” remarked Sankey.
“I think I finally found my happy medium on my drive, so I was happy about that.”
Said Scialabba on Shunk and Sankey, “They’re just really working hard at practice and trying to get better very match. The hard work is paying off.”
A-C Valley/Union freshmen teammates Reagan Best (48) and Ruby Watson (49) finished third and fourth, respectively. For Best it was an eight-stroke improvement over her last round at Hi-Level (56).
Moniteau’s Jessie Stocks (50), a senior, and freshman Juliette Brown (50) tied for fifth.
Claiming the remaining spots at the top of the leaderboard were Moniteau freshman Kennedy Sullivan (52) in seventh, Moniteau senior
Taylor Voloch (53) and freshman Gabriella Shearer (53) tied for eighth, and Keystone sophomore Lily Nicewonger (56) in tenth.
Only two squads were eligible for the team competition – Moniteau (131) besting A-C Valley/Union (162).
Though the District 9 girls’ tournament won’t be played until Tuesday, October 3, it is already Moniteau’s radar, as the Warriors will look to defend the titles they captured in 2021 and 2022.
Reported Scialabba, “[We need to] just stay focused. Bavarian Hills [in St. Marys, site of the 2023 girls’ tournament] is a very hard course, we know that from the past. We need to just get them up there to play. We’re hoping to do well and continue the things that we’ve done the last two years.”
The next KSAC girls’ Mega Match is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 6 at Hi-Level.
Top-10 Individual Nine-Hole Averages (after 4 Mega Matches)
1. Mariska Shunk (Moniteau) – 43.75
2. Kendall Sankey (Moniteau) – 47.00
3. Jessie Stocks (Moniteau) – 50.75
4. Ruby Watson (A-C Valley/Union) – 52.25
5. Taylor Voloch (Moniteau) – 53.25
6. Reagen Best (A-C Valley/Union) – 54.00
7. Kennedy Sullivan (Moniteau) – 56.33
8. Hayden Hilliard (Moniteau) – 57.67
9. Lily Nicewonger (Keystone) – 58.25
10. Mallory McMasters (Cranberry) – 58.33
