By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
Seven local golfers — three boys and four girls — will participate in Monday and Tuesday’s PIAA golf championships at the Penn State golf courses.
The Mirror’s coverage area’s only district champion, Hollidaysburg’s Ashden Stitt, will play the White Course with the other Class 3A competitors and tee off on No. 1 Monday at 10 a.m. with the District 1, 2 and 3 champions.
“Making states was my whole goal for the whole year,” Stitt said. “I have said from the very beginning to my coach that making it to states was the whole goal of my senior season.”
Along with Stitt, State College’s Max Wager and Joey Sabol will compete in the 3A championship.
The other area golfers will compete on the Blue Course along with the rest of the Class 2A field.
District 6 Class 2A girls runner-up Cassidy Miksich will tee off No. 1 at 10:30 a.m. The three-time district champion has played in the last two PIAA championships but is still looking for her first medal.
“I know the competition going there,” Miksich said. “I really have high hopes for myself, and I hope I do great, but I just worry, because I played with a lot of those girls at the Happy Valley Invitational, and girls went under par by five strokes. That’s hard to compete with.”
Penn Cambria seniors Bella Spahr and Alyssa Mostick will tee off from No. 10 just before Miksich at 10:05 and 10:15 a.m., respectively. Both will also compete in Wednesday’s team championship at Penn State.
District 6 champion Maddie Koshko of Saint Joseph’s, who shot a 2-over par 73 in districts, will tee off No. 1 at 10:10.
On the boys side in Class 2A, Central teammates Nick Baum and Griffin Snowberger will be playing on opposite sides of the course.
Baum starts on No. 10 at 8:45 a.m., and Snowberger will tee off No. 1 at 9:50.
“I’ll play a few practice rounds,” Snowberger said. “Anything top 10 or top 20 would be great, but I just want to go out and do my best.”
Baum and Snowberger both medaled at the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference meet earlier this week, with Baum winning the title.
“It’s a great feeling knowing all the hard work has paid off at this point,” Baum said. “But, I think with states, it’s just about going out and having fun and enjoying the week, the two days of playing and the practice round. I just want to try and have fun. I know the course pretty well and have played some junior tournaments there. I’d like to shoot a good score and come out of there in a decent position.”
Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic’s Nick Helsley, who led the District 6 Class 2A field through nine holes, will tee off No. 10 at 9:15.
“I have played it one time, but I’m looking forward to it,” Helsley said. “Any golf course is playable. I’ll go down and try to play my best.”
In addition to the players in the Mirror’s core coverage area, Bedford’s Matt Edwards and Saint Joseph’s Tim Peters will tee off together on No. 1 at 8:40, Conemaugh Township’s Ankony Jack will start on No. 1 at 9, Bishop McCort’s Brennan Karalfa will be on No. 1 at 9:10, West Shamokin’s Alex Talmadge starts at No. 1 at 9:30, and Bellefonte’s Davis Corman gets started at No. 10 at 9:05.
On the regional girls side, Alex Boring of Conemaugh Township tees off No. 1 at 10 a.m.