Experience benefits Penn-Trafford girls golfers
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Sunday, September 4, 2022 | 11:01 AM
Penn-Trafford’s Taylor Kaminski chips onto the ninth green at Manor Valley Golf Course Aug. 31, 2022.
Paul Schofield | Tribune-Review photos
Penn-Trafford’s Amanda Bobich chips on No. 9 at Manor Valley Golf Course Aug. 31.
Antolena Damico (left) and Mikayla Casaro are two of the top players on the Penn-Trafford golf team.
Penn-Trafford’s Saylor Kaminski line up a putt Wednesday while Hempfield’s Kylee Grew looks on at Manor Valley Golf Club.
When the Penn-Trafford girls golf team began the season, veteran coach Ed Herbst had hope for success.
With six players returning, including five who saw starting action in 2021 and three who have started since they were freshmen, there was reason to be optimistic.
“When we started, I could see who played a lot during the offseason,” Herbst said. “Some players were ahead of others. My goals for the team were simple, try to get better every day. I’ve seen that.”
Herbst’s ultimate goal is have the team qualify for the WPIAL team championship.
Penn-Trafford is 4-2 overall, 3-1 in the section after defeating Hempfield, 188-201, on Aug. 31, at Manor Valley Golf Course. The Warriors were led by juniors Antolena Damico (44) and Erin Driscoll (46).
Damico, Driscoll, junior Saylor Kaminski, junior Amanda Bobish and senior Makayla Casario have been playing since their freshmen seasons. Senior Taylor Shearer also starts.
Others Herbst expects to contribute are seniors Berkley Olszewski and Riley Cuda and sophomores Corryn Cigich and Marielle Wilson.
Lost to graduation were Alexis Dindak and Emily Spudy.
The Warriors fell to Franklin Regional to open the season, 178-182, and to North Allegheny in a nonsection match.
They have also defeated Connellsville, 193-208; Norwin, 188-203; and Armstrong, 192-220.
Penn-Trafford just missed qualifying for the WPIAL Class 3A tournament in 2021. A loss to Indiana in the season finale halted those hopes which allowed Hempfield to take its spot.
“I believe our experience is a plus and the players know what they have to do,” Herbst said. “Putting and chipping is what we have to continue to work on. We have a drill that we want them to get to within a garbage can lid of the hole. We want to eliminate too many putts.
“As the team gets older, they listen to what we are teaching. They want to get better.”
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
Tags: Penn-Trafford
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