In championship form: Three teams move on

The stage is no bigger than on the national championship level and three Pennsylvania College of Technology teams will be there this week.

•    The golf team is in Boulder City, Nevada, where play begins Tuesday in the NCAA Division III Championship.
•    The women’s softball team, fresh off winning the United East Championship on Saturday, will play in D-III action Thursday-Saturday at the regional level of the NCAA championships (the selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com at 11 a.m. Monday).
•    Archers will compete Thursday-Sunday in the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals in Statesboro, Georgia.

GOLF
Two weeks ago at the United East Championship, everything came together for Rob Lytle’s Wildcats for the second straight year as they claimed the team crown and a berth at nationals.

“We’ve been to (the NCAA Championship) before, and now we know the routine, so it makes it for a little less anxiety. We’ll know what we’re doing,” Lytle said, adding that his players are getting a feel for the greens and elevation change during practice rounds on Sunday and Monday before tourney play starts on Tuesday.

A seven-shot cushion in the opening round of the UE tournament April 27-28 over eventual second-place finisher Penn State Harrisburg paid off as team scores for more than half of the nine-team field rose in the second round, although Penn College eventually won by nine strokes.

“We built our spring schedule around some really tough golf courses playing against really good competition. It was the longer courses, the difficult courses of the tournaments that we played in, that helped us get to that point,” Lytle said. “Philmont Country Club is a tough course, and we knew that from the UE Fall Preview (also won by the Wildcats), and we prepared for that particular course.

“The whole team stepped up.”

That it did, with junior Peyton Mussina of Montoursville claiming the individual title and being named the conference Golfer of the Year. Mussina and senior Trevor Keaton of Lansdale, who tied for fourth, were awarded UE first-team honors. Junior Will Orwig of Mifflintown tied for sixth and junior Gavin Baer of Bainbridge and sophomore Gunner Redmond of Lock Haven tied for eighth and earned UE second-team accolades. Also, Lytle was named the UE Coach of the Year for the second time in two seasons.

“I’m pretty humbled with the Coach of the Year award because it’s voted on by the coaches,” Lytle said. “It is very humbling.”

Since then, his golfers have had their finals and have been practicing to stay sharp.

At nationals a year ago, they finished 37 of 43 teams, and Lytle hopes that the experience they gained will pay dividends this year.

The tournament will be played on desert-mountain courses at Boulder Creek Golf Club on the Coyote and Desert 9s, 7,377 yards long, and at the 7,077-yard Legacy Golf Club. While longer than most courses his team has played on, it will be tempered by thinner air as the elevation is about 2,000 feet higher than on their home course at Williamsport Country Club.

“On a desert-mountain course, there are going to be a lot of rocky areas. From the pictures I’ve seen, there are a lot of waste areas. If you hit it off the fairway, it’s going to be sandy, cactus and rocky areas,” Lytle said, and his advice is simple:

“Keep it in the fairway,” he chuckled.

The ultimate goal, Lytle said, is to make the cut (top 18 teams) after two days and go from there.

“The more we do this (earn trips to nationals), the more opportunities we have to make the cut. I just want them to go out and play their best golf. It’s a business trip,” Lytle said.

The team and individual champions will be determined after 72 holes of play or the conclusion of the final fully completed round. Forty-three teams and six individuals not on one of those teams will participate in the championships. After 36 holes of competition, the field will be trimmed to the top 18 teams and the top six individuals not on one of those teams.

In all, there are 221 golfers in the championship. According to the NCAA website, Division III has 298 men’s teams this season.

NCAA Division III Championship at Boulder City, Nevada
Schedule
Sunday, May 12 — Practice round The Legacy Club, 10 a.m.
Monday, May 13 — Practice round Boulder Creek, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, May 14 — First Round Boulder Creek, 12:55-1:35 p.m. starting on the 10th tee
Wednesday, May 15 — Second round The Legacy Club, 8:35-9:15 a.m. 1st tee
Thursday-Friday, May 16-17 — Top 18 teams and top six individuals not on those teams compete, TBA

SOFTBALL
After seven scoreless innings in the UE Championship playoff opener on Saturday, Wilson took advantage of two Penn College errors in the top of the eighth to score an unearned run for its 1-0 win. Wilson pitcher Rylee Piper limited the Wildcats to four hits. Mackenzie Weaver of Montoursville struck out seven and didn’t issue a walk during her eight innings in the circle.

Fighting for its playoff life in Saturday’s second game in the best-of-three series, Penn College broke open a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth when Madison Shaffer of Trout Run had a two-out double to left field and scored on a single to right by Madison Herriman of Danville. The Wildcats added an insurance run in the seventh on a double by Grace Lorson of Jersey Shore for a 2-0 win behind the four-hit pitching of Fayth Anderson of Lykens, setting the stage for the decisive third game.

In a win-or-stay-home situation later Saturday, Penn College bats came alive in a 21-hit, 13-3 title-clinching victory. Harriman went 4 for 5 at the plate with one RBI and two runs scored, Weaver went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and won her 16th game in the circle, and Lorson, Shaffer and Lexi Snyder of Hegins drove in two runs each, with one of Lorson’s hits a solo home run.

Weaver was named the tournament MVP.

Going into the series, Penn College coach Angela Stackhouse felt her team had a pitching advantage and said it would be successful as long as players stayed composed, showed up and played the game at their level.

“After we got over the Game 1 hurdle, we accomplished all of those things,” Stackhouse said.

“I think that we did a great job of staying composed and pushing through. As I said before, ‘my team is hard to beat once, let alone twice,’ ” Stackhouse said.

By the third game, the differences between the Volt Division champ Wildcats and UE Skye Division winner Wilson were evident.

“I said I think my bullpen is deeper, and I think we just had a lot more gas in the tank than they did and it really showed in Game 3,” the fifth-year coach said.

In winning its first conference title since 2021, Penn College reached the 30-win mark for the second season in a row after last year’s record 31-win campaign.

Now, it awaits Monday’s selection show.

“It’s definitely going to be a whirlwind. We’re extremely excited to see where we’re headed. Right now, we’re in celebration mode, but come Monday, we’ll be back to work,” Stackhouse said.

Following Monday’s announcement of the 62-team field, competition will begin with regionals on May 16-18, super regionals on May 23-24 and the finals on May 30- June 5 at Bell Park at Taylor Field in Marshall, Texas.

Schedule/Record
Overall: 30-10
UE Volt Division: 20-6 (15-5 regular season)
UE (best of three) Championship
Saturday, May 11 — Penn College vs. Wilson College, L, 1-0
Saturday, May 11 — Penn College vs. Wilson College, W, 2-0
Saturday, May 11 — Penn College vs. Wilson College, W, 13-3
Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18 — NCAA D-III Regionals, TBA
Thursday-Friday, May 23-24 — NCAA D-III Super Regionals, TBA
Thursday, May 30-Wednesday, June 5 — NCAA D-III Championship at Bell Park at Taylor Field in Marshall, Tex., TBA

ARCHERY
Although the trip to Statesboro, Georgia, for action Thursday-Sunday in the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals is only their third competitive meet of the season, coach Dustin Bartron is optimistic.

“The archers have grown into competitors this year. They have had to overcome some unforeseen last-minute equipment issues and fight to get to the podium,” Bartron said. “I believe both of our teams are top 10 teams.”

Representing the college in the men’s compound discipline are Matthew Byrnes of Manahawkin, New Jersey, Emery Gunsallus of Mill Hall and Alex Edwards of Kutztown. Entered in men’s fixed pins are Aydan McLain of Newmanstown, Atley Cooper of Coatesville and Ben Malehorn of Selinsgrove.

“Byrnes has been shooting well. He has a little room to make up but is in contention for a spot on the All-American team,” Bartron said. “Gunsallus has proven to be a fighter in matches and Edwards will prove to be a strong anchor for the compound team.

“Atley will lead the fixed pins men’s team with his experience. He has been on this stage before. Aydan shot well at regionals and learned a lot as a competitor. Ben has made a few changes in equipment and his shot that will allow him to be more consistent under pressure and in the wind.”

Practice is set for Thursday, with qualifying on Friday, individual eliminations and team rounds on Saturday and finals on Sunday.

Earlier this season, Byrnes placed seventh and Edwards was 10th in men’s compound at the 55th USA Archery Indoor Nationals, where poor lighting conditions took a toll on competitors.

Last month, at the East Region Outdoor Championship, the compound team placed second by one point, the fixed pins team placed third and Byrnes earned All-East Team honors for the second straight year.

Last year at nationals, three Wildcats teams reached the quarterfinals, and overall, Penn College finished 22nd among 49 teams.

Since the sport’s beginning at the college in 1997, 43 archers have earned All-America status 88 times.

Schedule
USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals at Statesboro, Ga.
Thursday, May 16 — Practice, 11 a.m.; Opening Ceremonies, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, May 17 — Men’s qualification, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 18 — Practice and elimination round through bronze medal, 8 a.m.; Team round, 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 19 — Gold medal finals, 8 a.m.; Awards ceremony, 3 p.m.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.
Visit NCAA golf for more information.
Visit NCAA softball for more information.
Visit USA Archery Target Nationals for more information.