Ben Boyanoski shot 1-under-par, 71 Wednesday on the Penn State Blue Course to lead the way as Scranton Prep captured the Class 2A boys title at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Team Golf Championships.
The Cavaliers moved into the lead late on the front nine, then separated themselves from the pack for a nine-strike victory over second-place Erie Cathedral Prep.
Brendan Bell and Cole Powell each shot 74s while Jack Pavuk added a 77 for Scranton Prep’s team score of 296 in the format, which takes the top four scores out of a five-player lineup. Ben Walsh shot an 83.
After finishing third a year ago, Scranton Prep gave District 2 its third state Class 2A boys team championship in the last five years. The Cavaliers won it all in 2020 and Lake-Lehman won it 2022.
Before the first of its two state championships, Scranton Prep had finished second four times – 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Boyanoski was 1-under on the front nine where Powell shot even-par, 36.
Bell went 1-under on the back.
Boyanoski’s even-par, 36 on the back allowed him to finish tied for the third-best score among the 40 players in the field.
The Cavaliers were the only team to manage four scores in the 70s.
Devon Prep was only one stroke behind Scranton Prep at the turn and wound up third with a 310.
Greensburg Central Catholic was fourth with 313, followed by West Shamokin 316, Pittsburgh North Catholic 316, Pequea Valley 320 and Saegertown 323.
Saegertown’s Mason Gjovik shot a 69 for the best of the four under-par scores in Class 2A.
CLASS 3A BOYS
Abington Heights improved one place on its finish from a year ago, taking fourth in the eight-team field Wednesday on the Penn State White Course.
Robby Lucas and Cade Kelleher each went under par on the back nine to finish even with 72s to lead the Comets.
North Allegheny, which had two players under par and one even, had the day’s only under-par team score, winning with 2-under, 286.
South Fayette (290), State College (291), Abington Heights (294), West Chester Rustin (297) and Central York (297) were in a tight pack from second through sixth place.
Luke Swank had a 74 and Robert Munley a 76 to complete the Abington Heights team score.
Robert Bingham shot an 82.
Lucas, who posted a 35 on the back nine, and Swank were two of the team’s top three players in the team tournament after not qualifying for the individual tournament, which had also included four Comets.
Kelleher, who tied for 12th individually Monday and Tuesday, had four birdies on the back nine for the second straight day. He came in with a 33.
Ravi Desai shot 68 to lead North Allegheny to the win. State College also had two players break par.
Sam Bishop from South Fayette birdied half the holes to finish at 8-under, 64 for the day’s best round.
CLASS 2A GIRLS
Scranton Prep finished fifth in the state.
The Classics landed one of two at-large berths in the new state format, which expanded each field from six to eight teams.
Tunkhannock, which beat Scranton Prep out of the District 2 team title, finished second. The Lady Tigers shot 254, 20 shots behind Fairview.
Hickory was third at 257, Shady Side Academy shot 273, Scranton Prep 284, Trinity 285, Greensburg Central Catholic 285 and Oswayo Valley 318.
The girls format uses the best three scores out of five.
Chloe Lynch and Sophia Galko led the Classics with 93s and Maeve Haggerty added a 98. Leah Skudalski shot 102 and Zoe Galko 105.
Cora Hirz led Fairview to the title with a 76 and the champs used three scores of 81 or better.
The best round was turned in by Shady Side’s Alyssa Zhang with a 73.