MIKE GROSS | Sports WriterSTATE COLLEGE - Andrew Bilson birdied the last event of his high school golf career, and finished his last event two under par.
Good by any standard except Bilson’s own, and given the blistering birdie barrage unleashed on Penn State University’s Blue Course Monday and Tuesday, not quite good enough.
Bilson tied for 10th boys’ in Class AAA in the PIAA state golf championship, shooting rounds of 69-73-142.
“I think this is a course where, if you’re not under par, it’s disappointing,’’ Bilson said.
“I should have been a couple under at least going into 17, but I couldn’t make it putt.’’
Through 16 Bilson was hanging in there, even par for the day, the easy par-5 18th on the horizon. Then came his, “worst swing of the day,’’ on his tee shot at 17, a 180-yard par-3.
The ball ended up plugged in a bunker, under the lip, the ball below Bilson’s feet, impossible. It led to a double-bogey.
Fireworks were happening all over the overwhelmed Blue Course, where 17 boys’ AAA players finished under par. State champion Hunter Swidzinski, in the middle of the pack after a first-round 73 Monday, went nuts Tuesday.
Playing the back nine first, he eagled the 18th, then made birdies at the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh. That’s seven under over an eight-hole stretch. He went on to shoot 64, a seven-under total of 137, and beat Nick Turowski of Penn Trafford and Wes Lorish of Plum in a sudden-death playoff for the gold medal.
In girls’ AAA, Elle Overly of Warwick put together second straight solid round of 76 to finish tied for ninth at 152. Overly, a junior, won the Lancaster-Lebanon League title and finished second in the District Three tournament and should be among the top returning players in the state next fall.
Another junior, Plymouth-Whitemarsh’s Rhianna Gooneratne, won the state championship with a 67-73-140 total, four under par.
Manheim Township sophomore Piper Smith, second in the L-L and third in districts, was 18th in states with 79-79-158. Also for the Blue Streaks, Paisley Kappesser finished 24th at 83-81-164, and Sonia Dumasia 32nd, shooting 89-86-175.
The Township girls’ will be back at the same venue Wednesday, competing for the AAA team championship.
Logan Francis of Annville-Cleona, a sophomore, shot an even-par 72 on Penn State’s White Course Tuesday to finish tied for 11th in boys’ AA at 75-72-147, three over.
A-C teammate Reagan Flynn, the District Three AA champ, tied for 25th at 76-78-154, and Cole Stoltzfus, of Pequea Valley tied for 35th at 76-80-156.
The boys’ AA state title went to Nick Werner of Wyoming Seminary, who shot 68-70-138, six under.
Girls’ AA gold went to Anna Swan of North West, who shot 73-70-143.
Savannah Miller of Lancaster Catholic shot 97-87-184 to tie for 29th.
