Upper Dublin captured the District One team title while Pennsbury’s Jackie Rogowicz won the individual district crown. To view photos of the Tuesday’s district play, please visit the Photo Gallery...CLICK HERE!
By Ben Reese
LIMERICK — If there was a dominant color at Turtle Creek on a windy, slightly rainy day, it would have been red, Flying Cardinal red.
Upper Dublin won the District One team title, outdistancing Unionville by three shots, and Cardinal Jack Melville finished second in the individual race with teammate Michael Reed-Price tied for fifth.
On the girls’ side of the ledger, Pennsbury's Jackie Rogowicz continued her dominance with a one-shot win over defending PIAA champion Isabella DiLisio of Mt. St. Joseph. Holy Ghost Prep's Steve Cerbara won the boys district crown by two shots over Melville.
But the big news was Upper Dublin's team victory. With both Reed-Price and Melville playing in the last groups, the final tally wasn't definite until both finished.
With Melville's even-par 72 and Reed-Price's 3-over 75 added to 76s from Cole Swiger and David Kim to total 299, it topped Unionville's 302.
Perhaps the happiest person in Limerick once the final score was tallied was Upper Dublin coach David Koch. It was something that he has been working toward.
"We made UD history today," an emotional Koch said. "(This is) the first time ever we've had a team in states.
"I'm extremely happy. As I've said all year, it has been a total team effort. Everybody came though."
Without the play of Melville and Reed-Price, the team title would have been difficult. But Melville's second-place finish put the Cardinals over the top.
"Second's not bad," Koch said of his player's finish. "He lost by two; I'll take it."
Melville was a bit more subdued.
"That's very exciting," he said of the team win. "We definitely knew we had a great chance of going."
For Reed-Price, the round brought something unexpected.
"It was a grind," he said. "It was the most pressure I've ever had for one round of golf because our team and individuals were riding on it."
Melville went into the second day with the lead after shooting a 2-under 70 on Monday. He came back with an even-par 72 for a two-day total of 142.
"I'm very happy with the result," Melville said. "I didn't imagine this when I started but I'm very happy.
"I was hitting a lot of greens, but my putting wasn't like yesterday (when he putted very well). That's usually my goal, hit the fairway one shot at a time and hit the green."
And it worked to near-perfection.
Melville and Reed-Price led six Suburban One League golfers into the Eastern Regionals. Council Rock North's Logan Fuglestad tied with Reed-Price at 148 and Lukas Clark of Council Rock South, Vinay Ramesh of Pennsbury and Central Bucks East's Tommy Lewis all tied at 152.
Clark, Ramesh and Lewis along with Upper Dublin's Cole Swiger and Kevin Conners of Bishop Shanahan all tied at 152 and had to play off for the final four spots. Clark, Ramesh, Lewis and Conners all parred the first hole. Swiger did not.
For Ramesh, the SOL champion, edging into the Regionals was a huge relief. He admitted to not playing well on Monday and needed to redeem himself on the second day of play.
"For sure," he said when asked if he gave a big sigh of relief. "Oh, man.
"I was kind of on cruise control the entire day. I was 1-under through 14 holes and then on the 16th hole I hit into the water hazard, not the one on the left but the one on the right next to the green.
"(My drive) hit the cart path and rolled all the way down. It was like a 360-yard drive with the cart path.
"I was just unlucky there. I made three straight bogies and shot 74.
"At first, I thought I was done (when he putted out on 18, thinking he had missed the cut). But I was hoping."
Rogowicz, Ramesh's teammate, came though in typical Rogowicz fashion. She shot a 4-under 68 to go with her 69 on Monday to beat DiLisio by a single stroke.
"I was just trying to hit it on the green and 2-putt each hole," Rogowicz said. "I'm playing pretty well.
"I'm just going to try to do my best. It was kind of tough (because of the wind and the spotty rain) and then there were a couple holes where you could make a big number."
Obviously, she didn't make any big numbers in her round.
The only other SOL girl who advanced to regionals was Madelein Herr of Council Rock North. She shot a second-round 71 to finish at 2-over 145 and in fifth place.
Both Rogowicz and Herr are primed for regionals and states.
"If I can shoot some good scores, it will be good," Rogowicz said. "I think I can (win states); it's just a matter of those two days. It's a matter of who plays better."
Herr is even pumped up for the practice round.
"I'm excited," she said. "I'll get to play a practice round (for regionals) with my cousin (Jake Riley) because he won districts at Hershey."
It was a tough day for Swiger of Upper Dublin, who missed out in the playoff. But he will get to go to states with the Cardinal team.
Tuesday also wasn't a good day for Cassidy Gavaghan of Hatboro-Horsham. The Hatter just missed out on advancing to regionals by one stroke.
On the AA side, Springfield (Montco) golfer Chris Binet shot a 74 Tuesday to finish with a 151 total. That was one stroke behind AA winner Roland Massimino of New Hope-Solebury. Both will move on to regionals.
The Eastern Regional will be held Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Golden Oaks in Fleetwood. The PIAA Championships will be held at Heritage Hills in York on Monday, Oct. 20 and Tuesday, Oct 21.
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