Parkland’s Landen Benner is medalist at District 11 golf qualifier

Landen Benner has seen the ups and downs this fall of going through a swing change.

The Parkland junior saw more of it Monday at the District 11 golf qualifier at Northampton Country Club.

“My range session was not good today,” Benner admitted.

Benner’s play off the tee good enough once his round started to stay well within the contenders for a berth into next week’s district tournament.

He then stepped to the tee on the 340-yard, par-4 14th hole with five bogeys and eight pars to that point.

Benner saw the best of his swing change from that point on. His short game and putting also was solid, allowing him to finish with three birdies and two pars to earn medalist honors with a 2-over-par 74.

“I put a couple of my approach shots within 2 or 3 feet and made the putts,” he said. “My putting was on today, too. I made a few 20-footers, so it was good.”

All girls who shot 110 or better plus the top seven boys (and ties) in Class 2A and top 22 (plus ties) in 3A advance to the District 11 Golf Championships on Oct. 1, at Steel Club in Hellertown.

Also, Moravian Academy (10-1), Nativity BVM (13-2), Schuylkill Haven (12-0) and Notre Dame-Green Pond (9-2) will compete for the district’s 2A team title. Southern Lehigh (11-0), Nazareth (16-0), Blue Mountain (10-4) and Northampton (15-1) are the four battling for 3A team supremacy.

Benner birdied Nos. 14 and 15 and finished with another on the par-4 18th after hitting his approach shot within nine feet on the two-tiered green.

“Today was a pretty good day,” he said. “I didn’t lose any balls, so that’s good. It’s been up and down [with the swing change]. EPCs was not a good day. Then yesterday I had a good range session and today it clicked.”

Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Simon Weed overcame three bogeys in a four-hole stretch to start his round on the back nine to grab medalist honors in 2A boys with a 77. It was the second year in a row that the junior grabbed 2A medalist honors.

Weed birdied No. 14 then had five consecutive pars before posting a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 second hole. But the Crusader bounced back with a birdie on No. 3 and finished the last seven holes in 1-over-par to win by seven shots over Pen Argyl senior Joey DosSantos.

Nazareth’s Alex DiGiacinto had four birdies on his way to a 76 to finish second in 3A boys. Southern Lehigh’s Colin Sarnoski was third with a 78 thanks to three birdies.

Northwestern Lehigh’s Avri Chandler was the low score among 2A and 3A girls with a 93, including a birdie on No. 14. Emmaus freshman Ella Blozsinsky was the low 3A girl with a 97.

District 11 golf qualifier

Monday at Northampton Country Club

BOYS

Class 3A

1. Landen Benner, Parkland; 74

2. Alex DiGiacinto, Nazareth; 76

3. Colin Sarnoski, Southern Lehigh; 77

4. Logan DeRewal, Southern Lehigh; 79

4. Evan Walters, Pocono Mountain East; 79

6. Kohler Strohl, Northampton; 82

7. Sean Brogan, Southern Lehigh; 83

8. Gavin Pychinka, Northampton; 84

8. Michael D’Amico, Lehighton; 84

8. Nick Hoffman, Freedom; 84

8. Radek Remaley, Nazareth; 84

12. Brady Rohn, Nazareth; 85

12. Karson Krasley, Emmaus; 85

12. Nolan Harriman, Freedom; 85

15. Kyan DeLong, Emmaus; 86

15. Talan Canzano, Southern Lehigh; 86

15. Zach Heller, Emmaus; 86

18. C.J. Stumpf, Northampton; 87

18. David Tervalon, Southern Lehigh; 87

18. Evan Martz, Pocono Mountain East; 87

18. Gabe Gower, Northampton; 87

18. Jeff Snyder, Pocono Mountain East; 87

18. Trent Stahley, Liberty; 87

24. Jayden Bleiler, Northampton; 88

24. Jake Wachinski, Liberty; 88

24. Silas Weilhoener, Emmaus; 88

24. Zak Novak, Nazareth; 88

28. Beau Thomas, Bangor; 89

28. Jake Posocco, Parkland; 89

30. Cde Robbins, Southern Lehigh; 91

30. Matt Heineman, Freedom; 91

32. Connor Sarnoski, Southern Lehigh; 92

33. Wyatt Adams, Southern Lehigh; 94

34. Drew Patascher, Pleasant Valley; 95

35. Ryan Van Dien, Parkland; 96

36. Adam Unangst, Liberty; 98

36. Jacob Hackman, Easton; 98

38. Ryan Kaulfers, Pocono Mountain West; 99

39. Ben Urban, Easton; 100

40. Aiden Ramely, Jim Thorpe; 101

41. Chase Murphy, Pocono Mountain East; 102

41. T.J. Dally, Nazareth 102

43. Jack Lloyd, Whitehall; 103

44. Thomas Lloyd, Whitehall; 108

Class 2A

1. Simon Weed, Notre Dame-GP; 77

2. Joey DosSantos, Pen Argyl; 84

3. Cole Dynda, Northwestern; 86

4. Jacob Martini, Pen Argyl; 87

4. Owen Fogel, Salisbury; 87

4. Ralson Rowlands, Bethlehem Catholic; 87

7. Zach Ostrosky, Bethlehem Catholic; 88

8. Eli Barton, Schuylkill Haven; 91

8. Jared Grammes, Palmerton; 91

10. Nate Mette, Moravian Academy; 93

11. Shane Moser, Pen Argyl; 96

12. Connor Simms, Northern Lehigh; 99

12. Trey Keating, Nativity BVM; 99

GIRLS

Class 3A

1. Ella Bloszinsky, Emmaus; 97

2. Pippa Grigsby, Liberty; 107

3. Gianna Ruane, Freedom; 119

Class 2A

1. Avri Chandler, Northwestern; 93

2. Addison Remaley, Northwestern; 94

3. Gracie Scheffler, Northwestern; 104

4. Anna Figura, Jim Thorpe; 106

5. Mya Conti, North Schuylkill; 120

6. Lexi Sukeena, Minersville; 148

Morning Call senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com