Annville-Cleona's Reagan Flynn wins District 3 Class 2A title, 11 L-L League golfers make states

YORK — Reagan Flynn’s scouting report on his own golf game? Good mental approach, good short game.

The mental stuff, on Saturday, involved eschewing rain gear and pushing through a brutal day that ran the meteorological gamut. The short game, when it counted most, elevated to “unreal.’’

Which is how the Annville-Cleona senior became the District Three Class 2A boys champion.

Flynn shot his second straight round of even-par 72 at Briarwood Golf Club to win by three shots over Aiden Fulkroad of Millersburg, who played alongside Flynn, matched his final-round score and pushed him to the wire.

Four times in the final round, Flynn saved par from 25 to 75 yards after missing greens badly or recovering from trouble.

“It got a little bit funky,’’ Flynn said, “with some of the up-and-downs that I had.’’

The biggest save, though, was for birdie, on the par-5 17th, holding a two-shot lead over Fulkroad, who reached the green in two. Flynn’s second hit a cart path and bounced into, and became embedded in, train tracks on the property.

As Fulkroad studied his eagle putt, Flynn got a drop from the tracks (“I want to thank that rules official,’’ he said). Then he played a delicate pitch and made a 15-footer for a birdie that all but locked up the gold medal.

A Lancaster-Lebanon League golfer has now won the District 3 Class 2A boys title for three straight years, with Flynn joining Lancaster Catholic’s Jack Novis (2021) and Winston Thai of Lancaster Country Day (2022). Novis and Thai are now playing college golf at Scranton and F&M, respectively.

“It’s definitely my biggest win,’’ Flynn said, “especially since I want to play college golf and follow in the footsteps of those guys.’’

Flynn is one of 11 L-L golfers who, with their play this weekend, earned berths in the PIAA state tournament, to be held Oct. 16-18 at the Blue and White courses at Penn State University.

Elle Overly of Warwick (72-79—151) and Piper Smith (74-78—152) of Manheim Township finished second and third in Class 3A girls behind Kayla Maletto of Wilson, who won her second straight district title with a 74-73—147 total, 3-over par at nearby Honey Run Golf Club.

Those three played together, and headed to the back nine locked in a wind-blown duel. Overly and Maletto were tied for the lead with four holes left. Then Maletto chipped in for an eagle at the par-5 15th, while Overly made bogey for a monstrous three-shot swing.

“I was doing fine, but I started hooking my driver on the back nine,’’ Overly said. “That hurt me a little bit.’’

Two of Smith’s Township teammates, who helped win the girls 3A team title Friday, also advanced to states: Sonia Dumasia (fourth, 79-79—158) and Paisley Kappesser (sixth, 78-85—163).

In Class 2A girls, Savannah Miller of Lancaster Catholic is a repeat state qualifier after finishing fourth (87-85—172).

A-C sophomore Logan Francis finished fourth in 2A boys with a 75-77—152. Cole Stoltzfus of Pequea Valley was eighth at 82-80—162. Both made states.

The top L-L guns in Class 3A boys, Jesse Shue of Penn Manor, Andrew Bilson of Manheim Township and Dylan Ramsey of Cedar Crest, bounced around the leaderboard Saturday but all settled in a tie for ninth at 149, 5-over par at Honey Run.

Shue is the Lancaster-Lebanon League champion. Ramsey was last year’s 3A state champion as a freshman.