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It’s the time of year every qualifying golfer has waited for since the high school season started in August.

Perhaps the most anxious is Coughlin’s Ryan Keyes. The senior has experienced one of the best regular seasons for any golfer this year as he looks to advance to the District 2 Class 3A Tournament with a strong showing at Monday’s Wyoming Valley Conference pre-district Tournament at Wyoming Valley Country Club.

The reigning Times Leader Golfer of the Year, who also advanced to regionals last season, has been on a roll in 2016. He’s racked up numerous medalists honors for the Crusaders, but also shot a phenomenal 5-under par 30 at Wilkes-Barre Golf Club earlier this season. That performance followed a round at Fox Hill Country Club when he won the Tryba Invitational firing an under-par score and being just the third player in the history of that event to score under par.

Keyes isn’t the only golfer returning to Monday’s tourney looking to get to next week’s district event in consecutive years. Lake-Lehman’s Adam Motovidlak won the 2A portion of the pre-district event last year and the senior returns looking to repeat. Crestwood’s Shane Angle and John McGroarty are returning district qualifiers in Class 3A along with Dallas’ Colin Bowanko, Hazleton Area’s Frank Seratch and Wyoming Area’s Nik Athman and Ryan Wrubel. Also in Class 3A for the girls, Pittston Area’s Allie Craig and Tunkhannock’s Brittany Zamber. They were district qualifiers in 2015 and are looking for a return trip starting on Monday.

In Class 2A, Motovidlak is joined by teammates and fellow district qualifiers from 2015 Tyler Scharff and Mike Sikora. Wyoming Seminary, which defeated the Black Knights in last week’s WVC Team Playoffs by just one stroke, has four returning district qualifiers in Noah Munley, Liam Gilroy, Dan Rogers and Bobby Wilson. Holy Redeemer’s sophomore duo of Connor Maloney and Derek Answini also made districts in 2015.

A total of 80 boys from the WVC and Lackawanna League will participate at districts, on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Elmhurst Country Club, consisting of 18 from the WVC in Class 2A and 16 from the conference in 3A — provided they shoot a score of 93 or better in Monday’s event. In the event of a tie for the last spot on Monday, a playoff will be held to decide who moves on.

In the girls districts, any golfer who records a score of 100 or better in the pre-district tourney will advance to districts, which will also be held on Oct. 11 at Elmhurst.

Once at districts, the top six boys and three girls in each classification will move on to the regional tournament on Oct. 17 at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood.

Coughlin’s Ryan Keyes, teeing off last month in a match with Pittston Area, looks to continue his strong season in Monday’s pre-district tournament at Wyoming Valley Country Club.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_coughlinpittsgolf02.jpg.optimal.jpgCoughlin’s Ryan Keyes, teeing off last month in a match with Pittston Area, looks to continue his strong season in Monday’s pre-district tournament at Wyoming Valley Country Club.

By Dave Rosengrant

For Times Leader

Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLSports