C-H’s Jaskulski in 3rd at PIAA Championships
Chartiers-Houston junior JoJo Jaskulski knows it will take two good rounds to win a state golf championship. She already has one in the books.
Jaskulski shot an opening round of 1-over par 73 Monday in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A Girls Golf Championships at Penn State’s Blue Course.
Jaskulski is in third place and four strokes behind leader and WPIAL champion Alyssa Zhang of Shady Side Academy. Zhang shot 69. Lindsay Hoover of Wilmington shot even-par 72 and is in second place, one stroke ahead of Jaskulski.
Jaskulski had an interesting round as she recorded six birdies – three each on the front nine and back side. She played the front in 36 and the back in 37. She did, however, have a three-hole stretch, Nos. 15-17, with consecutive bogeys.
Zhang, who edged Jaskulski for the WPIAL championship, had four birdies in her round.
Jaskulski was one of two local girls who are in the top-10 after one round. Canon-McMillan sophomore Jordyn Larkin is tied for eighth place in girls Class 3A. Larkin shot 3-over 75 and trails co-leaders Bryan Krosse of Dallastown and Vivienne Power of York Suburban by only four shots.
The second round of the individual tournaments will be played today. The team championships, which include the Peters Township girls, will be played Wednesday.
Also in Class 3A girls, Trinity’s Izzy Lesako and Peters Township’s Betty Glyptis are tied for 16th place after shooting 80. Annie Higgins of Peters Township is tied for 22nd at 82.
In Class 3A boys, Peters Township’s Gavin Benson shot 2-over 74 on the White Course and is nine shots behind leader Carson Kittsley of Fox Chapel who shot 65. Kittsley is trying to become the first WPIAL golfer to win three state championships. Two others, including the legendary Arnold Palmer, have won two PIAA titles.
Trinity’s Gavin Bricker is in a tie for 42nd place after his round of 77.
In Class 2A boys, the top local golfer after the first round is Avella’s Tristan Davis, who had a solid day with a 3-over 75 that put him in a tie for 15th place, six strokes off the pace set by co-leaders Cole Powell of Scranton Prep and Ben Allwein of Annville Cleona. Davis had three birdies on the front nine.
McGuffey’s Josh Rusmisel shot 78, Levi Large of Charleroi had an 80 and Max Mezyk of McGuffey is at 88. Bishop Canevin’s Jamin Brock, a Washington resident, is within striking distance of a medal after shooting 77 that has him in a tie for 29th place.