Westmoreland H.S. notebook: WCCA boys golf championship coming this week

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, August 27, 2023 | 4:25 PM

Purchase Photo Options

The first event on the Westmoreland County Coaches Association’s fall calendar will take place later this week with the boys golf championship.

The 18-hole event begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at Latrobe Elks Golf Course.

An individual champion will be crowned, along with Class 3A and 2A team winners.

There will be a new individual champion with the graduation of Derry’s Hunter Jurica, who made seven birdies on the way to a 2-under-par 70 last season.

Jurica, who won the WPIAL 2A title at famed Oakmont, is now on the golf team at St. Francis (Pa.).

Senior Nick Turowski of Penn-Trafford looks like a strong favorite after finishing second with a 73.

Co-runner-up Nolan Shilling of Franklin Regional, who lost a scorecard playoff to Turowski, also graduated and moved on to Youngstown State.

Turowski eagled the 18th hole last year with a tricky, downhill 15-foot putt after reaching the 495-yard par 5 in two shots.

Norwin won the 3A team title, and Greensburg Central Catholic was the 2A champion.

Soccer rankings

A number of Westmoreland girls soccer teams are ranked by TribLive HSSN heading into a new season.

In Class 3A, Latrobe is No. 3 and Franklin Regional No. 4 after lengthy playoff runs last season.

Mt. Pleasant is No. 2 — not far from No. 1 Avonworth — in Class 2A. The teams met in last year’s WPIAL championship.

And Greensburg Central Catholic, a perennial power in Class A, is ranked No. 3 behind Freedom and Springdale.

On the boys side, Norwin is No. 5 in 4A, and Greensburg Central Catholic is No. 4 in Class A.

On a roll

The Franklin Regional girls golf team is carrying on momentum from last season.

With a 168-172 victory over previously unbeaten Hempfield on Wednesday, the Panthers moved to 4-0 on the season and also stretched their section winning streak to 35.

Cam Alexander led with a 39, Ali Boyle followed with a 41, Gianna Johnson shot 45 and Mia Snyder checked in with a 47.

Recruiting

Belle Vernon soccer player Kataira Rhoades committed to play at Saint Vincent.

Rhodes, a junior midfielder, is one of five returning starters this season for the Leopards.

• Mya Morgan, a senior basketball player at Greensburg Central Catholic, now has three Division II scholarship offers. Lake Erie offered the shooting guard, who averaged 16.7 points last season. Her other offers are from Cal (Pa.) and Wheeling.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Derry Area, Greensburg C.C., Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford