Pine-Richland golfers cap team season at WPIAL championships

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, October 12, 2018 | 7:03 PM

The week of Oct. 2-9 was a good one for the Pine-Richland boys golf team.

First, the Rams placed two golfers in the top 14 in the WPIAL Class AAA individual championships, with Cade Zolkos finishing eighth with a score of 80 and Jack Wymard collecting 12th place (83).

Donnie Professori finished in 15th and was to serve as an alternate for the PIAA Western Regional, and Wymard and Zolkos qualified outright.

Then, on Oct. 9, Pine-Richland finished second out of eight teams at its WPIAL team semifinal match at Village Green Golf Course in Hickory, with an overall score of 391.

Next, the team finished fifth at the WPIAL team championships Thursday at Cedarbrook Golf Course.

The Rams shot 406 to finish behind Central Catholic (372), Fox Chapel (378), Shady Side Academy (390) and Seneca Valley (396).

“We didn’t do our best (at the semifinal), but the boys knew that. They know if they shave away five more strokes, each of them, we would have been really in the hunt for first,” Seybert said. “Knowing where we were at, and how much better we can be when we golf at our best, it’s a good thing.”

In the team semifinal, Professori led the Rams with a 74, and Zolkos (77), Nick Piper (78) and Rico Sciulli (79) finished close behind. Wymard served as the fifth score for his team with a round of 83. Those five also competed at the WPIAL finals, along with Jacob Anderson.

Wymard shot 75, Professori had an 80, Zolkos 81 and the other three shot 85. The players quickly turned their focus to the individual regional competition at Tom’s Run Golf Course at Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort.

“It’s really, really special to send three guys to the Western Regional. We’ve never had that many guys go at one time. We’ve had two in the past, so if somehow Donnie can get in there and play, I think we have a real good shot at sending three to the state finals,” Seybert said.

Another sign it was a good start to the month for Pine-Richland golf came with the team’s practice round for the team finals at Cedarbrook Golf Club, when Professori shot a hole-in-one at gold course hole No. 2, with a six-iron from 186 yards.

Kevin Lohman is a freelance writer.

Tags: Pine-Richland