“Our focus was to repeat as team champions again,” Hollidaysburg coach Jill Hileman said. “Our top three scorers today shot a 249, so that’s one of our best team scores probably since last year. So, we were pretty happy about that.”

Meanwhile, Bishop Carroll’s Sarah Miller punched her ticket as she was third with an 85 (+13) after waiting anxiously for others to finish their rounds since she was already complete.

“Yes, it was nerve-racking,” Miller said. “Just sitting there, all I could do was hope that what I did was good enough at that point.”

The team tournament will continue on Thursday, Oct. 9 at DuBois’ Treasure Lake Course.

Denis

“I’m really excited, not just for me, but also all the girls that we got to go back-to-back,” Denis said. “Our goal from the beginning of the season was to win districts, make it back to interdistricts and we’ve kind of always had that on our mind.”

Meanwhile, the individuals are moving on to the PIAA state championships on Monday, Oct. 20 and Tuesday, Oct. 21 at Penn State University’s White Course.

Denis captured her third straight district title by shooting a 74 (+2) to beat out teammate Maliah Malausky who finished with an 81 (+9).

“I bogeyed the first hole and took a double on the second hole,” Crosby said. “So, I want to say, at least in my group, I know I was in fourth place — the first two holes were a little rough. … Just going into it (tournament), I knew that if I played how I have been playing all season – how I am capable of – that I could win again. It feels great to have the three-peat as that was one of my goals.”

The junior, starting with her group on hole No. 10, got off to a rough start on holes 10 and 11, but was able to quickly settle in and begin to take command from there.

“It was similar to last year in that, when I looked at the leaderboard (because I wasn’t following that group), she was in seventh or eighth place,” Hileman said. “But she just kind of got herself straightened out, and I think she had three or four birdies in a row and handled it from there.”

That pressure is nothing new for Crosby as she won the District 6 Class 3A double tennis title on Wednesday with teammate Grace Muriceak.

“Crosby is the best golfer in the area,” Hileman said. “That comes with pressure for her because everyone expects to win, and she handles it well. I would say, this year, she’s handled the expectations better.”

Having her teammate finish in second place is great for the individual but also a better spot for the success of the team.

“I was happy for Maliah — she’s steadily improved,” Hileman said, “Finishing second today, she was really happy. Her goal is to break 80 and I think she can do that next week or if we make it to states.”

With Denis claiming her third straight title, that marks a Lady Tiger winner in each of the last four seasons.

“Crosby winning again gives us (Hollidaysburg) four straight individual titles,” Hileman said. “This is her third and Ashden (Stitt) won the year before that (four years ago).”

The Lady Tigers were able to capture the team title for the second straight year by having another place in the top five in Laila Panaro who finished with a 94 (+22).

Lucy Carles was tied for sixth with a 97 (+25), while Arie Kerstetter was in 15th at 113 (+41) and Reagan Bihary was in 17th with a 116 (+44).

As a team, Hollidaysburg carded a 249 (+33) which was 44 strokes ahead of second-place Altoona who finished with a 293 (+77).

Altoona’s highest finisher was Ellie Filer who was third with an 84 (+12). State College was third with a 295 (+79).

“We were more focused on what our team score would be and advancing to the regional round at Treasure Lake next Thursday,” Hileman said. “Our goal is to finish in the top 3 at states — we’ll see what happens moving forward. We just have to see how it goes next Thursday first.”

In Class 2A action, Madison Koshko of St. Joseph’s Academy cruised to the individual title by 20 strokes as she shot a 62 (-10), while Westmont Hilltop earned the team championship by shooting a 275 (+59).

Koshko’s sister, Olivia, placed second and advanced as well. Miller had a few missteps early in her round, but was able to right the ship to finish things off.

“To start off the round early, she struggled on the first hole making a double bogey. Then also had another double bogey on the front nine,” BC coach Tim Holtz said. “She started the front nine with two double bogeys. She got to the back nine, and on ten she went bogey, and on eleven she went bogey. She then took a quadruple on twelve.”

Miller finished her round behind River Valley’s Madigan Dunlap who was at +10 but still had two par 5s and two par 3s left to play.

“Atter the start, I told her to keep her head up, you’ve got to keep swinging and you’ve just got to fight through the day,” Holtz said. “You never know what’s going to happen at the end of the day.”

Fortunately, things went in Miller’s favor as Dunlap struggled down the stretch.”

“The Rivera Valley girl ended up making a triple on the one par 5, doubled two of the other holes and ended up shooting a 92,” Holtz said. “That moved Sarah right into third place.”

“I’ve been golfing for a long time, and I know that you don’t play the way you want to sometimes,” Miller said.

“I had a really bad hole but I knew that I was still in it, and I just stayed focused and kept my head in the day. I did well the rest of the time and knew I had a chance.”

Miller, who qualified as a sophomore but had to sit out last year due to an ineligibility ruling, set her focus on her senior season to put all the hard work in she could to make a return trip.

“It motivated me to work harder,” Miller said. “Ever since basketball season ended, and the weather was warm enough to start golfing again, I was there (Ebensburg Country Club) every day. I knew what my goal was and that’s what I worked for.”

The Lady Hilltoppers beat out River Valley (290), Philipsburg-Osceola (299), Central (301), Penn Cambria (305) and Richland (314).

Other area participants to lead their respective schools with high finishes were: Central Cambria’s Bella Mesoras was fifth with an 88, Kiya Thomas of Penn Cambria was 11th with a 95 and Britton Myher of Portage was 18th with a 104.

CLASS 3A

TEAM RESULT

Hollidaysburg (H), 249; 2. Altoona (A), 293; 3. State College (SC), 295.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (WINNER ADVANCES)

Denis, H, 74; 2. Malausky, H, 81; 3. Filer, A, 84; 4. Walizer, Central Mountain, 85; 5. Panaro, H, 94; 6. Carles, H, 97; 7. Arrowsmith, SC, 97; 8. Harm, SC, 98; 9. Wheeler, SC, 100; 10. Norman, Mifflin County, 102; 11. Baker, A, 102; 12. Handley, SC, 103; 13. Angle, Bellefonte, 104. 14. Jackson, A, 107; 15. Kerstetter, H, 113; 16. Lily Breon, Mifflin County, 115; 17. Bihary, H, 116; 18. McGhee, A, 117; 19. Hallinan, A, 122; 20. Hudson, A, 125; 21. Wilkinson, A, 143.

CLASS 2A

TEAM RESULTS

Westmont Hilltop (WH), 275; 2. River Valley (RV), 290; 3. Philipsburg-Osceola (PO), 299; 4. Central Cambria (CC), 301; 5. Penn Cambria (PC), 305; 6. Richland (R), 314.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (TOP THREE ADVANCES)

M. Koshko, St. Joseph’s, 62; 2. O. Koshko, St. Joseph’s, 82; 3. Miller, Bishop Carroll, 85; 4. Filia, WH, 87; 5. Mesoras, CC, 88; 6. Hampton, PO, 89; 7. Cruelty, Forest Hills, 90; 8. Hill, WH, 91; 9. Mad. Dunlap, RV, 92; 10. Mar. Dunlap, RV, 94; 11. Thomas, PC, 95; 12. Wesner, WH, 97; 13. Burns, PO, 98; 14. Durbin, PC, 99; 15. Stouffer, R, 99; 16. Umbenhouer, BEA, 100; 17. Dumm, CC, 102; 18. Myher, Portage, 104; 19. LaMantia, RV, 104; 20. Mullen, WH, 105; 21. Friedman, R, 105; 22. Phynos, RV, 107; 23. Sheredy, Northern Cambria, 109; 24. Clement, WH, 110; 25. McAneny, R, 110; 26. Wirfel, PC, 111. 27. Hill, CC, 111; 28. Bollinger, RV, 115; 29. Neff, Northern Cambria, 116; 30. Ladika, R, 117; 31. McConnell, PC, 120; 32. Papcunik, CC, 120; 33. Paronish, Northern Cambria, 121; 34. Glass, PC, 123; 35. Beyer, R, 124; 36. Monoskey, PO, 127.