Fairview girls golf team can repeat as PIAA 2A champion thanks to late state invitation
Fairview’s girls golfers didn’t learn they officially received an at-large berth for next week’s PIAA team tournament until Oct. 17.
Ryan Quiggle wasted scant time upon confirmation. The Tigers’ coach had last season’s Class 2A state champions on the road and practicing on Penn State University’s White Course by following afternoon.
Fairview’s 24-hour turnaround was roughly two weeks shorter than the time span between the invitation and its one-stroke, second-place finish (233-234) to West Middlesex in District 10’s tournament at The Country Club of Meadville.
“(The wait) was definitely stressful,” Quiggle said. “We looked at other (state) scores and logically thought we’d get (an at-large berth), so we had to keep acting as if we were going and grind as much as we could.
“But it was hard not to get anxious.”
Fairview seeks back-to-back titles when the state’s one-round team tournament takes place Oct. 22. It follows the PIAA’s two-round individual tournament at Penn State’s 36-hole facility.
All 2A rounds will occur on its White Course and Class 3A competition on its Blue Course.
Maintaining district dominance
District interest in the state’s 2A girls team tournament extends beyond Fairview’s bid to defend. Northwestern Pennsylvania schools have won its every year dating back to the decade’s start.
North East (2020) and Hickory (2021-23) were victors before the Tigers.
The appearances by Fairview and West Middlesex also mean the district will boast two of eight teams in the Oct. 22 field.
Fairview’s probable starters include three — Cora Hirz, Abby Benz and Moira Erhartic — who contributed to its 2024 title team. The Tigers’ newcomer is freshman Tara Worline.
Sisters Kate Sowers (senior) and Paige Sowers (freshman) highlight West Middlesex’s starters.
Kate Sowers, a James Madison University recruit, also won the district’s 2A girls individual tournament.
Senior Kylie Kimpan and juniors Reagan Diaz and Lila Kimmel are the Big Reds’ other starters.
‘Pretend like you’re going’
Collectively, Fairview’s girls weren’t the only golfers in an extended hurry-up-and-wait mode between the district’s Oct. 4 tournament and the PIAA’s official invitations.
Mercyhurst Prep’s Lena Fuss, Seneca’s Kylie Bednar and Fairview’s Erhartic missed the 2A girls individual cut for the district’s automatic top-four state berths. They went to the Sowers sisters, Hirz and Wilmington’s Lindsey Hoover.
Fuss, though, sensed her two-round total of 165, plus the scores for Erhartic (162) and Bednar (165) were still low enough for wild card consideration. That’s why she remained active on local links, which included an Oct. 18 practice round at The Ridge Golf Club north of Waterford.
“I was definitely eager to find out,” Fuss said, “but you have to pretend like you’re going and practice like you’re going. That’s why I practiced or played every day (during the interim).”
The PIAA tournament will be the last time Fuss represents the Lakers. The senior plans to compete for Virginia Wesleyan University, where McDowell’s Ella Bickel is expected to be a teammate next fall.
District tee times
First-round tee times for District 10’s golfers in the Oct. 20-21 PIAA tournament at Penn State University’s Blue and White Courses:
Class 2A boys (White Course)
First tee
9:20 a.m: Anthony LaBoda, Fairview (District 10 champion); 9:50: Mason Gjovik, Saegertown; 10:20: Joseph Prichard, Cathedral Prep
Tenth tee
9 a.m: Leyton Hassenplug, North East; 9:20: Connor Laird, Cathedral Prep; 9:40: Tegan Rucks, Fairview; 9:50: Santino Washburn, Cathedral Prep; 10: Tyler Cherpak, Saegertown
Class 2A girls (White Course)
First tee
10:40 a.m: Kate Sowers, West Middlesex (District 10 champion); 11:10: Cora Hirz, Fairview
Tenth tee
10:40 a.m: Paige Sowers, West Middlesex, and Lindsey Hoover, Wilmington; 10:50: Moira Erhartic, Fairview, and Lena Fuss, Mercyhurst Prep; 11: Kylie Bednar, Seneca
Class 3A boys (Blue Course)
First tee
9:10 a.m: Patrick Mahoney, Meadville (District 10 champion); 9:40: Luke Ferry, Meadville
Class 3A girls (Blue Course)
First tee
10:40 a.m: Cassidy Conn, Fort LeBoeuf (District 10 champion)
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: District 10 preview for PIAA team and individual golf tournaments
