Sep 23, 2024 3 min read

Observer-Reporter

When the final round of the WPIAL Golf Championships are played next week, everybody will be chasing McGuffey’s Logan Crowe and Peters Township’s Ellie Benson in their respective classifications.

Crowe was in first place after the opening round of the Class 2A boys competition held Monday at Youghiogheny Country Club.

Crowe, a senior, shot 1-over par 73 and will carry a one-stroke advantage over Shady Side Academy’s Landon Mauser and Quaker Valley’s Ethan Dai into the second, and final, round of the Class 2A Boys Championships that will be played Oct. 2 at Sewickley Heights Golf Club in Bell Acres.

Benson, a junior, has a little more wiggle room than Crowe. She shot 3-over par 75 in the Class 3A Girls Championships at Willowbrook Country Club in Apollo. Benson will have a three-stroke lead over Siena Smith of Pine-Richland and a five-shot advantage over Peters Township teammate Sophia Severns when the final round starts Monday at Butler Country Club.

Crowe had a consistent day, shooting 36 on the front nine and 37 on the back side. His round consisted of three birdies, two on par-4 holes, and one on the par-5 No. 8.

The top 36 and ties advanced to the final round and Crowe was one of only three local golfers to move on. Joining Crowe will be Charleroi freshman Levi Large and Jefferson-Morgan sophomore Urijah Teasdale. Large and Tesdale are part of an eight-way tie for 13th place. Both shot a round of 80.

Play was delayed for about 45 minutes because rain with just a couple foursomes already on the course.

Teasdale was just getting into his round when the rain started.

“It just started pouring on the second hole,” said Teasdale. “Then, the next shot after that (the delay) I hit into a tree.”

Teasdale managed to overcome back-to-back double bogeys on his back nine.

“After (the second double bogey), I slipped to 30th,” said Teasdale. “Then, I went birdie on the next hole. I almost had a hole-in-one on No. 16.”

McGuffey’s Josh Rusmisel missed advancing to the final round by one stroke as he shot 87. Chartiers-Houston’s Justus Buckingham shot 88.

Benson and Severns were two of four Peters Township golfers to finish in the top nine, each advancing to the final round. Joining them will be Indians senior Brooke Vowcheck, who carded an 81 to finish in a tie for fourth place, and freshman Betty Glyptis, who is tied for eighth following a round of 84.

This will be the second time Benson has taken the lead into the final round of the WPIAL Championships. Last year, she had to settle for a runner-up finish.

In Class 2A girls, Chartiers-Houston freshman JoJo Jaskulski shot 84 and is in third place. She trails leader Pearl Lundgren of Eden Christian by nine strokes. Lundgren shot 3-over 75.

Jaskulski is only one shot behind second-place Alyssa Zhang of Shady Side Academy.

Waynesburg’s Avery Davis is tied for ninth place after shooting 95.

Both Jaskulski and Davis advanced to the finals.

Herald-Standard sports writer Jim Downey contributed to this story.