×

Local golfers experience agony, ecstasy at districts

Mirror photo by Michael Boytim Bishop Guilfoyle’s Nick Helsley gets a hug from his mom, Jennifer Helsley, while his dad, Doug Helsley, looks on Wednesday.

By Michael Boytim

mboytim@altoonamirror.com

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Golf can be a cruel game, but the rewards and good times that come from it keep many players coming back to the sport through their entire lives.

High school athletes felt both sides of that spectrum Tuesday during the District 6 boys golf championships at Scotch Valley Country Club.

Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic junior Nick Helsley, who made it to the PIAA championships last year by claiming the final Class 2A spot in a playoff, led the field through a large portion of Tuesday’s play after making four birdies on the front nine. But he struggled down the stretch and put himself in danger of being forced into another playoff or missing the cut for states entirely.

Helsley’s tee shot on his final hole, the par-3 No. 17, went under a tree, but he punched out and walked away with just a bogey to finish with an 81 and earn his second consecutive trip to the state tournament.

“It was definitely rough coming down the stretch,” Helsley said. “But it got to a point where it was just about advancing and surviving. To see that last putt go in, I just felt very happy and felt some relief.”

Helsley, who got a hug from his parents as he exited the final green and signed his scorecard, said he knew that he was on top of the leaderboard early.

“I tried not to look, but in the back of your head, you always know,” Helsley said. “After nine holes, I knew where I was at, and I tried to just keep playing well and stay positive.”

Joining Helsley in the Class 2A PIAA tournament will be fellow Blair County golfers Griff Snowberger and Nick Baum of Central. Timothy Peters of Saint Joseph’s won the individual title with a 77, and West Shamokin claimed the team title in a tight race that saw Bishop McCort, Central and Saint Joseph’s separated from the Wolves by just eight strokes.

Altoona star senior golfer Trent Meyers was on the other side of the coin Tuesday.

Meyers has been the top golfer in the Mirror’s coverage area all season, including the low round of the year — a 68 playing in Ligonier. He made par on his first hole, No. 10, on Tuesday and hit a monster drive to the middle of the fairway on No. 11. His approach was right of the flag in the corner of the green, just slightly above the hole.

That’s when disaster struck.

Meyers’ birdie putt, which he attempted to strike far above the hole, picked up too much steam as it approached its target thanks to a downslope and a strong wind that carried the ball past the hole and off the green. Meyers chipped back on and was only about 3 feet from the hole, but once again, he was above it. The return putt also missed and rolled off the green again. He chipped back on and took three putts to finish off the par-4 hole in nine shots.

“I hit it a little too hard, and then I didn’t hit a good chip and did it again,” Meyers said. “It was not a good hole. My round kind of went away right there.”

Despite being 5-over through just two holes, Meyers didn’t quit even though only two golfers advance in Class 3A. He made three birdies and made an eagle on what turned out to be the last hole of his high school career to finish with an 83 and a tie for fifth.

“Trent is a tremendous player and a great kid,” Altoona coach Erick Kozak said. “Unfortunately, today wasn’t his day. It’s about how you react to things, and he’s going to be fine. He’ll bounce back and have hopefully a great college career. He tried to gut it out without his best stuff today. He had a couple birdies and an eagle at the end of his round, and he didn’t quit. That’s what we have come to expect from him. That’s what kind of kid he is.”

State College’s Max Wager won the 3A crown with a 77, and teammate Joey Sabol shot an 80 to also advance to states. State College defeated Altoona, 319-341, to win the 3A team title. Hollidaysburg senior Wes Eberhart shot an 82 and finished fourth on a card-off but did not advance to the PIAA tournament.

“My senior year went very well, and I did way better than I thought I was going to do this year,” Eberhart said. “My coaches and friends on the team helped me a lot.”

Tuesday was about redemption for Snowberger and Baum, who will keep playing at the state championships on Oct. 17 and 18 at the Penn State Blue Course.

Snowberger overcame a double bogey on his first hole with a solid back nine to shoot 79.

“It’s just how it goes sometimes in golf,” Snowberger said. “You have to forget about that shot and hit the next one better. That’s what is most important part of golf, the mental game. That makes a difference for a lot of people.”

The junior fell in the playoff that Helsley was involved in last year.

“Some putts started falling, and my approach shots were better,” Snowberger said. “It means a lot to me to be going to states. I was very close last year and lost in a playoff, so it feels good to be able to go this year.”

Baum also started slow and was at 6-over par through seven holes — something that may have done him in during previous years.

“The last two years, I have (panicked), severely,” Baum said. “But I have just worked on my mental game so much this year. Playing in a lot of junior tournaments has changed it for me. Getting in that situation of needing to play well and remembering that it’s just golf and if you make it or don’t make it, so be it but enjoy it.”

CLASS 3A TEAM RESULTS

1, State College (SC) 319; 2, Altoona (A) 341.

CLASS 3A INDIVIDUAL (TOP TWO ADVANCE)

1, Wager, SC, 77; 2, Sabol, SC, 80; 3, Carson, SC, 82 (card-off); 4, Eberhart, Hollidaysburg, 82; T-5, Meyers, A, 83; T-5, Janac, SC, 83; 7, Baker, A, 85; 8, Weyman, Mifflin County, 86; 9, Cumming, A, 87; 10, Stringfellow, Mifflin County, 89; 11, Young, A, 93; 12, Eakins, A, 95; 13, Colombo, A, 97.

CLASS 2A TEAM RESULTS

1, West Shamokin (WS) 344; 2, Bishop McCort (BM) 347; 3, Central (C) 348; 4, Saint Joseph’s (SJ) 352.

CLASS 2A INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (TOP EIGHT ADVANCE)

1, Peters, SJ, 77; 2, Karalfa, BM, 78; 3, Talmadge, WS, 79 (card-off); 4, Snowberger, C, 79; 5, Baum, C, 80 (card-off); 6, Corman, Bellefonte, 80; 7, Helsley, Bishop Guilfoyle, 81; 8, Bloom, Bellefonte, 83; 9, McCullough, WS, 84; 10, Repko, Bishop Carroll, 85; 11, Cascino, BM, 86; 12, Turner, BM, 87; T-13, Phillipi, PO, 88; T-13, Stutzman, Westmont Hilltop, 88; T-13, Oakes, C, 88; T-13, Royer, Tyrone, 88; T-17, Nagel, Cambria Heights, 89; T-17, Pynos, River Valley, 89; 19, Irvin, Portage, 90; T-20, Houser, Northern Cambria, 91; T-20, Ahlert, Tyrone, 91; T-22, Shoop, WS, 92; T-22, Huss, Richland, 92; T-24, Geist, WS, 93; T-24, Lingle, SJ, 93; T-24, Fisher, Forest Hills, 93; 27, Benko, Central Cambria, 94; T-28, Warner, SJ, 96; T-28, Cuppett, Central Cambria, 96; 30, Johns, WS, 97; 31, Semelsberger, Central Cambria, 98; 32, Partner-Gore, Bishop Guilfoyle, 103; 33, Burnheimer, Westmont Hilltop, 112.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today