WPIAL champ now focused on PIAA
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Chris Sabol might not have been the last person anyone expected to win the WPIAL Class 3A individual golf title last week, but he certainly wasn’t one of the favorites.
Yet in the end, the Moon senior shot an even-par 70 and defeated Latrobe junior Brady Pevarnik in a onehole playoff to become the first Tiger to win a golf championship since Scott Arthur in 1973. But he is still a bit more awed to have his name mentioned in the same breath with the first person who ever won the title in consecutive years.
“It’s pretty cool and it’s the same thing I said before that Arnold Palmer won it, so it’s pretty crazy,” Sabol said. “I’ve had numerous people come up to me and talk to me and say something about it, especially at my country club, Montour Heights, a lot of people know about it. It’s pretty awesome.”
It was a completely different turn for Sabol, who shot a 17-over 88 and finished tied for 28th last year at Oakmont Country Club.
“It was pretty cool because nobody expected me to win and, during the day, I sent the Scrolf link [online leader board] to all my family and my friends and they were texting me through the round even though my phone was off, obviously,” Sabol said. “Last year, I was never really comfortable and we never really got to play a practice round and, of course, it’s Oakmont and it was hard. I pretty much gave up midway through the round, which I regret and I wanted revenge after last year.”
Sabol now has to put all of this behind him and refocus on the PIAA West Regional, which will take place Monday at Toms Run. Only the top 14 finishers from the WPIAL moved on to the next round, including several top contenders including 2015 champion Hunter Bruce and last year’s winner Gregor Meyer of Fox Chapel.
“I’m just trying to win and, if I come close to winning, then I should advance,” Sabol said.
Class 3A girls
A year ago, Caroline Wrigley won the WPIAL Class 3A individual title by one stroke over Peters Township’s Mia Kness and went to Tom’s Run riding high. Then she crashed. Wrigley shot an 80 in the PIAA West Regional qualifier, came in eighth overall and missed the cut to move on to the state finals by four strokes.
“I’m just going to keep practicing hard and just play pretty conservative at Tom’s Run because I definitely have a strategy going in there,” Wrigley said. “I’m just going to go for the middle of most greens and not hit driver on every hole. I’m going to stick to the plan.”
This year, though, the North Allegheny junior has an even bigger target on her back after a stunning personal best 5-under 67 at Diamond Run to win her second consecutive WPIAL title. Her score was the lowest in relation to par in the WPIAL finals it at least 20 years and she was only the second ever to break 70, joining Canon-McMillan’s Lauren Waller, who shot a 4-under 68 at Willowbrook in 2014.
“It felt really good after hitting the ball so well and making so many putts,” Wrigley said. “I kind of like having the target on my back being the WPIAL champion and shooting a 67, so it’s kind of nice.”
Class 2A girls
Kiaria Porter pulled off one of the biggest upsets in WPIAL girls golf history last year when she snuck past three-time WPIAL champion Olivia Zambruno to win the title by two strokes. In the end, though, the Greensburg Central Catholic alumna came through and won the West Regional at Tom’s Run and her third consecutive state title.
Porter, a Central Valley junior, could live with that after finishing in a tie for second, one shot behind champion Tatum McKelvey of Sewickley Academy.
“I just have to practice even more and, I was little upset about not winning, but it took a lot of pressure off of me,” Porter said. “It just made me want to practice more so that I have a better chance at regionals and states.”
Porter tied for fifth at the regional a year ago with Maddie Smithco of Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic — the same person she tied for second with at the WPIAL finals this year — before coming in fifth at the state finals.
“It helps me because I know that I can do it and it gives me motivation,” Porter said. “I just know I have to play my best and go with the flow and that’s how I did it last year.”