Six local golfers take aim at WPIAL title
Brandon Katzeff may have a long day of waiting today because the Laurel Highlands senior will be the first player off the tee this morning in the WPIAL Boys Golf Championship at Treesdale Golf & Country Club in Gibsonia. Katzeff and Butler’s Jon Pratkanis are scheduled to tee off at 8:30 a.m. Katzeff is in search of his first trip to the PIAA Championships.
Waynesburg Central’s Robert Rohanna won’t be far behind with an 8:51 tee time. He is paired with Gateway’s Justin Scott and Butler’s John Aubrey. The junior won a playoff for third place in last year’s WPIAL Championship at Cedarbrook Golf Course’s Gold Course and finished 46th in the state finals with a two-day total of 12-over-par.
Uniontown’s Zach Rockwell is scheduled to tee off with Shady Side Academy’s Brock Bergman and Elizabeth-Forward’s Jason Kim.
The junior is in his first WPIAL finals.
A total of 40 golfers will vie for 16 berths into PIAA finals.
Burgettstown’s Dave Vallina and Upper St. Clair’s Mark Cimarolli tied with 73 last year, but Vallina capped his senior year with the individual title after winning the sudden-death playoff.
The girls will also be at Treesdale with the first threesome will tee off at 10:30. Among the first girls to begin action is Hempfield’s Katie Miller. The senior lost a playoff to Bethel Park’s Jordyn Wells to finish second. Miller finished second in the PIAA as well. Wells is scheduled to tee off at 10:48.
Laurel Highlands’ Sara Bonchosky tees off in her second finals at 10:39. She is grouped with Seneca Valley’s Stacy Wagner and Upper St. Clair’s Katie Trachok. Bonchosky was tied for 13th in the 2001 championship held at Cedarbrook’s Red Course.
Connellsville’s Jordan Craig is in her third finals, finishing tied for 11th with a 92 last year.
The Lady Falcon junior begins her pursuit of a title at 11:15 with Franklin Regional’s Heidi Kaufman and Center’s Allison Casoli.
Southmoreland’s Emily Morrison tees off at 11:33 with Sewickley Academy’s Christine Pappas and Baldwin’s Christa Cox.
The top eight places out of the 30 girls along with the 16 boy qualifiers will advance to the PIAA Championships at Heritage Hills Golf Course in York on Oct. 21 and 22.