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Northampton golfers, Central Catholic senior Ian Arnold, and Michelle Cox of Emmaus win titles at 2018 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Golf Tournament
September 26, 2018
Northampton High School – Eastern Pennsylvania Conference champions
Michelle Cox – EPC Girl’s Champion
LEHIGH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — While the top four senior golfers at Northampton Area High School have enjoyed great success the past four years with 70 match victories, they had no titles to show for it.
But on Wednesday, the Konkrete Kids golf program took home a coveted trophy at Woodstone Country Club.
Tied with regular-season champion Emmaus with a four-player score of 327, Northampton won with a tie-breaking fifth score per league rules to win the 2018 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Golf Tournament team title.
Northampton’s fifth scorer Anthony Sawarynski shot 89, while Emmaus’ fifth scorer Matt Zerfass carded a 91.
Emmaus, the regular-season champion with a 15-0 EPC record, edged Northampton (14-1) 407-414 in a late season match.
The two teams will meet again at the District 11 Golf Championships on Monday, October 8 at Lehigh Country Club.
In the boys competition, Central Catholic senior Ian Arnold shot 5-over-par 39-38–77 to win the title.
For the second consecutive year, a Central Catholic boys golfer won the league title. Matt Kalamar, now a freshman at Gettysburg College, won last season with a 76.
Emmaus sophomore Michelle Cox shot 7-over-par 38-41–79 to coast to her second consecutive girls EPC title.
Cox kept the EPC girls title in the Green Hornets golf program. Samantha Fritzinger, now a sophomore at Wingate University, won the 2015 and 2016 EPC girls championships.
Northampton wins title
Led by seniors Devon Britton (79), Andrew Hozza (81), and Andrew Kovalchik (84), and junior Nate Wheeler (83); Northampton shot a four-player score of 327 to win their first team title since winning the 2012 District 11 3A crown.
Coach Brian Davies saw a lot of potential in the group four years ago.
“I knew the time they were seniors they could be good,” said Davies, now in his seventh year at the helm. “It was nice to finally get that chip. They beat us earlier this season, we beat them today. The District’s will be the rubber match.”
The Konkrete Kids can take satisfaction in defeating perennial regional golf power Emmaus.
Emmaus has dominated regional high school golf since 2012 with six league titles (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 regular season, 2017 regular season, 2018 regular season), and three straight District 11 3A crowns from 2013-2015.
Arnold comes back home and triumphs
Ian Arnold was a promising freshman golfer three years ago at Central Catholic.
He spent the past two years at Heritage Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina, but is very happy to be back home for his senior year.
“It’s a lot more fun,” said Arnold, who averaged 76 strokes per match this season. “Not everything is about a score. It’s fun to see how the team is doing.”
Arnold played a steady round, which featured one birdie on the par-4 15th hole. Only two three-putt greens held him back from a lower score.
“I drove the ball good,” Arnold said. “I kept it in bounds. I didn’t lose any balls, that’s a big plus. On fifteen, I had a good drive, a good chip, and had a tap-in. I wasn’t making my putts all day.”
Arnold, 17, won the Lehigh Valley Junior Tournament of Champions in August, which earned him an exemption into the 2019 Lehigh Valley Open.
With his score of 77, Arnold won by two strokes over three senior golfers at 79: Mitch Machulsky of Emmaus, Devon Britton of Northampton, and Parkland’s Chris Panny.
Seniors Andrew Hozza of Northampton and Nolan Beagell of Liberty tied for fifth place at 81.
The top five boys finishers (plus ties) earned exemptions to the District 11 Golf Championships on Monday, October 8, at Lehigh Country Club.
Cox repeats
Long-hitting Emmaus sophomore Michelle Cox managed to shoot 7-over-par 79 to repeat, but she wasn’t satisfied with her performance.
Cox described her 3-over-par start through four holes Wednesday “a little rocky”, but she rallied with consecutive birdies on the par-5 ninth hole (3-foot putt) and par-4 tenth hole (15-foot putt) to get back to 1-over-par for the round.
“I made two birdies back-to-back, and then I couldn’t remember how to make a par until 17,” said Cox, who closed out her round with pars on the 17th and 18th holes. “My swing was a little erratic today, so I want to get that back in check.”
Cox, the District 11 3A girls runner-up last year, is looking forward to the District 11 girls championship at her home course Lehigh Country Club.
“I’m playing on my home course in Districts, and I’m excited,” Cox said. “I definitely want to go low there.”
In the meantime this weekend, Cox will compete in the 16-player Lehigh Valley Amateur junior division match play event. The champion will earn an invitation to the 2019 Lehigh Valley Open.
Stroudsburg senior Olivia Patrow shot an 84 to finish second to Cox for the second straight year.
The top two girls finishers (plus ties) earned exemptions to the District 11 Golf Championships on Monday, October 8, at Lehigh Country Club.
2018 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Golf Tournament
Woodstone Country Club (par 72)
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Team Scores (4 players):
1. Northampton (17-1, 14-1) 327 (won title on fifth place tie-breaker score of 89)
2. Emmaus (15-1, 15-0) 327 (fifth place tie-breaker score of 91)
3. Parkland (14-2, 13-2) 333
4. Central Catholic 339
5. Liberty 342
6. Nazareth 359
7. Pocono Mountain East 362
8. Stroudsburg 366
9. Easton 385
10. Freedom 391
11. Whitehall 404
12. Pocono Mountain West 409
13. Bethlehem Catholic 417
14. Pleasant Valley 447
15. East Stroudsburg South 479
16. East Stroudsburg North no score
Northampton is the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference champion, and will advance to the District 11 3A Team Golf Championship.
Boys Scores:
77 – Ian Arnold, Central Catholic
79 – Chris Panny, Parkland; Mitch Machulsky, Emmaus; Devon Britton, Northampton
81 – Andrew Hozza, Northampton; Nolan Beagell, Liberty
82 – Aiden Leblanc, Emmaus; Charlie Long, Central Catholic; Tristan Buscemi, Becahi
83 – J.C. Grimm, Parkland; Trevor Schubert, Easton; Nate Wheeler, Northampton
84 – Andrew Kovalchik, Northampton
85 – Joey Altemose, Liberty; Trevor Grimm, Parkland; Evan Cartwright, Liberty; Ethan Honsel, Nazareth; Nick Kremer, PME
86 – John Angelella, Parkland
87 – Luke Lanzone, Emmaus
88 – Jason Koch, Stroudsburg
89 – T. J. Bohl, Nazareth; Tom Gaudette, PME; Anthony Sawarynsk, Northamptoni; Isaac Nunez, Easton; Ryan Stettler, PME; Pierce Argot, PME
90 – Aaron Janus, Central Catholic
91 – Matt Zerfass, Emmaus; Ryan Evans, Liberty
92 – Owen Fahs, Nazareth; Josh Mallory, Whitehall
93 – Gavin Hummer, Nazareth
94 – Jake Haberstumpf, Freedom; Mike Oehrlein, Stroudsburg
96 – Nathan Myers, Central Catholic; Owen Slimm, Nazareth; Hunter Balch, Easton; Mark Matusinsky, Whitehall
98 – Chris Guadagnino, Freedom
99 – Kyle Petrone, Freedom; Paul Nyberg, PME
100 – Josh Jasionowicz, Stroudsburg; Max Mehta, Freedom
101 – Jimmie Kelly, Parkland; Tyler Young, Liberty
102 – Ryan Armstrong, PMW
104 – Nick Rohn, Whitehall; Jack Pence, PME
106 – Ben Bentz, Stroudsburg
108 – Joey Duffy, Becahi; Seamus McCarroll, PMW
110 – Alex Markowski, Pleasant Valley; Jeb Sussenbach, PMW
111 – Steven Ottman, Pleasant Valley; Harrison Hanyon, Pleasant Valley
112 – Tyler Huch, Freedom; Noah Gaugler, Whitehall
113 – Mason Cardwell, Becahi; Jake Scavello, PMW
114 – Kyle Young, Becahi; Owen Bowers, ESS; Sam Bushta, ESS
115 – Henry Lui, Pleasant Valley
117 – Slavy Trayanov, Easton
118 – Haidyn Long, ESS; Antonio Capille, Whitehall
129 – Thomas Dominic, Easton
133 – Crew Bunn, ESS
135 – Andrew Stewart, Pleasant Valley
139 – D.J. Shook, ESN
143 – Mark Masferrer, ESS
NOTE: The boys played from the 6,100 oak markers.
NOTE: Top-five boys scores earned a qualifying exemption to the District 11 Golf Championships, to be played Monday, October 8 at Lehigh Country Club.
Girls Scores:
79 – Michelle Cox, Emmaus
84 – Olivia Patrow, Stroudsburg
90 – Emilie Wright, Central Catholic
91 – Paige Diaz, Parkland
100 – Leah Coleman, Whitehall
102 – Andi Andrews; Northampton; Mary Scully, Pleasant Valley
105 – Corinne Deichmeister, Whitehall
107 – Ava Sweeney, Parkland
108 – Jess Bretzik, Northampton
124 – Maxine Tassie, Northampton
149 – Maeve Fogarty, Liberty
159 – Julie Kim, Liberty
NOTE: The girls played from the 5,165 Pine Markers.
NOTE: Top-two girls scores earned a qualifying exemption to the District 11 Golf Championships, to be played Monday, October 8 at Lehigh Country Club.
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