Oct. 18—STATE COLLEGE — Panic set in midway through Gwen Powell’s second round at the PIAA Golf Championships on Tuesday at Penn State University.
When the North Pocono senior went to her bag for two of her wedges on No. 11 on the Blue Course, they weren’t there. It was at that moment Powell realized she had left them on the ground on the third hole. After a frantic search for them by family and friends, she got them back in time to finish strong, birdieing two of her final three holes for a 1-under-par 71 to tie for second place in Class 3A at 1-over 145.
First-round leader Rhianna Gooneratne from Plymouth Whitemarsh won with a 4-under 140 (67-73).
Powell’s performance was part of a big day for District 2.
Nick Werner of Wyoming Seminary won the Class 2A boys title with a 6-under 138 (68-70). Lake-Lehman teammates Cael Ropietski (72-68) and Michael Lugiano (71-69) tied for second at 4-under 140. Riverside’s Michael Maslanka and Lackawanna Trail’s Gavin June used second-round surges to earn state medals. Maslanka shot a 2-under 70 to finish with an even-par 144 and tie for fourth place. June carded a 3-under 69 to tie tie for seventh place with a 1-over 145.
Also, Anna Zapletalova of Wyoming Seminary was fourth in Class 2A girls with a 3-over 147 (73-74).
Things started well for Powell when she birdied the par-4 No. 1. After a par on the par-4 No. 2, she bogeyed the par-4 No. 3, and that’s where she forgot her wedges on the ground.
She didn’t notice it, though, because she didn’t need them over her next 10 holes, carding four pars, birdies on the par-5 No. 5 and par-4 No. 7 and a bogey on the par-3 No. 8.
But when she reached into her bag for them on the par-4 11th, she came up empty.
“I brought my 58 and my 54 (degree wedges) with me on No. 3 when I missed the green and had my first bogey,” Powell said. “I just left them there and didn’t figure it out until No. 11. I only had a 50-degree. So I was a little frantic in my head.”
While Powell bogeyed No. 11, her family and friends began the search for the missing clubs. Someone had found them and brought them to the scoring area. She got them back on No. 14.
“My family and friends were doing a little relay,” Powell said. “I was lucky to get them back. I definitely needed those clubs on the last three holes.”
After a bogey on the par-4 No. 15, Powell birdied the par-4 No. 16. She two-putted for par on the par-3 No. 17, then finished her round with a birdie on the par-5 No. 18.
“I kind of pushed my drive to the right,” Powell said. “I laid up with a 5-iron to the middle of the fairway. Had about 60 yards out and hit it about 10-15 feet long, then made the putt for birdie.”
What made that putt special for Powell, a Penn State commit, was that her future coach and Nittany Lions teammates were there watching her.
“I had to put on a show for the audience,” Powell said. “I was like, OK, if this goes in, it goes in and it did. I was very happy with that last putt. It’s those that keep you coming back.”
It wasn’t enough, though, to make any kind of comeback against the insurmountable lead Gooneratne had built.
“It’s hard to come back from something like that,” Powell said. “Overall, I just really wanted to go out there and shoot the best round I could. I had a few missed opportunities with my putts, getting up-and-down. But overall I hit it really well today. I hit a lot of greens, which is why I didn’t realize I was missing my wedges.”
Second is Powell’s best finish in four trips to states. She said it shows how much her game has progressed.
“I feel like a whole different player from last year,” Powell said. “My pace of play and the rhythm I have, I feel more comfortable than ever right now. I’m striking the ball well. I know more about golf than ever and have learned a lot the past year about my game and the game in general.”
Next, Powell, Lyla Jones, who finished 33rd with a 35-over 179 (90-89), and the rest of the North Pocono team will compete in the PIAA Team Championships on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Penn State.
In Class 2A, Lillian Sedlak from Mountain View finished 22nd with a 24-over 168 (83-85).
Boys
Maslanka began the second round tied for 16th place. Playing the White Course, he started strong with birdies on the par-4 No. 1 and the par-5 No. 3. He hit a bit of a lull with bogeys on the par-3 No. 7 and the par-4 No. 11, but finished strong with birdies on the par-5 Nos. 13 and 18 to climb up the standings and end up tied for fourth with two other golfers.
“I made a really long birdie putt on 13 and that’s when things switched,” Maslanka said. “I got more aggressive, more confident in myself and played a good last few holes.
“It’s my senior year and I just wanted to come out and have fun and not stress over too much. I play way better when I’m not overly angry. If I hit a bad shot, I shrugged it off and kept moving on with my day. That kept me in it.”
June, meanwhile, was tied for 25th after the first round. He started the second round with birdies on the two front-nine par-5s (Nos. 3 and 6) and a bogey on the par-3 No. 7. On the back nine, he used birdies on the par-5 Nos. 10 and 13 and one on the par-4 No. 15 to offset a bogey on the par-3 No. 12 to storm into medal position and a tie for seventh.
“Everything just went right today,” June said. “I got off to a solid start, made putts. My short game was night and day from (Monday). I don’t think I had a three-putt, everything was tap-in range. Ate up the par 5s again but was a little shaky on the par 3s.
“That stretch of holes (on the back nine), I made like three or four 15-footers. The putter worked today. It was really nice to see them go down. The last one (on 18) was my last high school one ever.”
June and Maslanka were thrilled to end their senior years with a state medal.
“It’s crazy how fast it went by. It’s been a fun four years,” June said. “To get a medal, I couldn’t ask for much better. I came here with no expectations, this is my third time here. I knew I could be able to get a medal if I played good enough.”
Added Maslanka: “My senior year, this was the last year I could do it. Not having the best district appearances and missing (states) by one shot my freshman, sophomore and junior years, it definitely means a lot.”
Western Wayne’s Jamie Chapman finished tied for 53rd with an 18-over 162 (78-84).
In Class 3A boys, Alec Hamilton of Abington Heights finished tied for 37th with a 7-over 151 (74-77), while teammate Cade Kelleher was tied for 59th with a 15-over 159 (80-79).
Now, Hamilton and Kelleher will join their Comets teammates for the PIAA Team Championships on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Penn State.
“I know what I need to work on and what I need to fix,” Kelleher said. “So I’m excited to help my team.
“I think we have a really good shot at winning, which is crazy to say. We have so many good players and we’re so bonded together. I think we’re going to light it up and do well.”
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