PT boys, girls win state golf team championships
The boys and girls golf teams at Peters Township High School have enjoyed plenty of good days in the history of the powerhouse programs.
There have been seven WPIAL boys team titles won and three PIAA runner-up finishes.
The girls teams have won three WPIAL championships and finished as the PIAA runner-up twice since 2020.
All of those terrific performances, however, pale in comparison to what Peters Township’s teams did Wednesday on Penn State University’s Blue Course.
The Indians, both boys and girls, finally made it to the top and won the gold trophy in state competition with a sweep of the PIAA Class 3A Championships.
Peters Township won the boys team title by two strokes over runner-up La Salle College. Third-place Unionville was 10 shots behind the Indians.
The girls team was more dominant, winning the championship by five strokes over runner-up Manheim Township and by 13 shots over third-place finisher Conestoga.
It was a good day all around for local teams as the Belle Vernon boys, the WPIAL champion, finished in second place in Class 2A. The Leopards were five strokes off the pace set by state champion Devon Prep.
The PT boys had a combined score of 4-under-par 284. Only four players counted in the scoring, unlike a regular-season match where five players count.
The Indians were led by junior Colton Lusk, who shot 7-under par 65 only one day after finishing in fourth place in the state individual championships. Lusk had a round that included five birdies on the front nine, which he played at 5-under 31. He added three more birdies on the back side.
Lusk was the medalist among the six teams competing for the Class 3A title. He had one of three sub-70 rounds.
Griffin Hansberry followed Lusk with a 1-under 71. Shane Williams and Nick Haught each shot 2-over 74. Haught shot 35 on the back nine, one shot more than Lusk.
The Indians, who went undefeated this year, are so deep that Ryan Watterson, who qualified for the individual state championships, had the throw-out score of 3-over 75.
The PT girls shot 15-over 271. Only three players scored in the girls competition.
Ellie Benson, fresh off a top-10 finish in the indvidual championships, led the Indians with a round of 1-over 73. Benson was steady throughout. She had only one birdie but also had nothing worse than a bogey.
Benson was one shot off medalist honors.
Brooke Vowcheck followed with a 6-over 78. She matched Benson on the front nine by shooting 38.
Sophia Severns rounded out the scorers with an 80. Severns led the Indians with three birdies.
Amelia Severns had an 89 that did not count in the scoring and Gabby Catalogna shot 100.
The Leopards’ four golfers combined to shoot 18-over 306 and trailed champion Devon Prep by five strokes.
Jordan Mocello and Seth Tomalski shared scoring honors for Belle Vernon at 2-over 74. Rogan Maloney and Jack Edwards both finished with 79. John Bellissimo’s 87 did not count.
Nick Ciocca fired a 2-under 70 for Devon Prep.
Hickory won the gold in the Class 2A girls tournament by shooting 220.