Canon-Mac’s Larkin and C-H’s Jaskulski lead in WPIAL golf
The first round of the WPIAL Golf Championships were held Monday for Class 3A boys and both classifications of girls, and the leaderboard shows plenty of locals near the top.
Canon-McMillan sophomore Jordyn Larkin and Chartiers-Houston junior JoJo Jaskulski are in first place in their respective tournaments at the halfway mark, while Peters Township’s Caden Benson is within striking distance in Class 3A boys.
Larkin led a local charge at the Class 3A girls tournament that was held at Hillcrest Country Club in Lower Burrell. Six local golfers were among those in the top 11 spots.
Larkin led the way by shooting 8-over par 79. She has a one-stroke lead over both Berry Glyptis of Peters Township and Clara Koteski of Fox Chapel.
The final round of play will be held Monday at Valley Brook Country Club in McMurray.
Larkin’s round included three birdies, two on par-5 holes and another on a par-3.
Glyptis had a steadier round that included only one birdie but also nine pars.
Trinity’s Izzy Lesako is in a tie for fourth place after shooting 82 and is only four shots off the lead. Lesako had a strong back nine, needing only 39 shots.
Freshman Annie Higgins of Peters Township is in the top-10 after a round of 84 that has her in seventh place. Alianna Billings of South Fayette shot 86 and is in a tie for ninth place.
Josie Jeglinski, another freshman from Peters Township, is in a tie for 11th place after shooting 87.
In Class 2A girls, which also was held at Hillcrest, Jaskulski is the leader after shooting 76. Jaskulski was part of the three-golfer breakaway at the top of the leaderboard. Jaskulski leads second-place Alyssa Zhang of Shady Side Academy by two strokes and third-place Addison Davis of Quaker Valley by three heading into the final round, also to be contested at Valleybrook.
There is an 11-stroke gap between third place and fourth place.
Jaskulski, who plays for the Chartiers-Houston boys team, had only one birdie in her round but kept the ball in the fairway and produced 12 pars. She played the back nine in 37.
There are only 17 golfers in the Class 2A field.
In Class 3A boys, Benson finished the first round at 3-over and trails leader Bailey Donahue of Central Catholic, who shot 3-under 67 at Hannastown Golf Club in Greensburg. Donahue played the front nine in 3-under 32 and had four birdies and an eagle-2 on the par-4 No. 16.
Benson stayed within striking distance with one birdie and 13 pars.
Gavin Bricker of Trinity is not far off the pace as he shot 5-over 75 and is eight shots behind the leader. Bricker is in a tie for 12th place, along with Peters Township’s Camden Reyes, who played the front nine at even par.
The Class 2A boys first round will be held today at South Hills Country Club in Whitehall.