Here are 63 golfers, girls tennis players to keep your eye on this YAIAA season

Posted by Admin August 15, 2024 Golf

Most fall sports don’t start playing official games until Aug. 23, but golf and girls tennis get a head start on the rest.

Golf matches kick off on Aug. 15, and tennis follows on Aug. 19.

Here is a look at what fans can expect to see in both sports this fall.

YAIAA golf 2024 outlook

Olivia Kury is the only YAIAA individual champion back to defend their title this year. The York Catholic senior won the girls’ Class 2A title and finished third in the District 3 tournament.

Defending division champions Central York, York Suburban and Delone Catholic might not have league champions on their rosters, but they have plenty of players back to retain their titles.

Junior Dallas Inch, who finished second in the boys’ Class 3A tournament, leads a Panthers’ contingent that returns two players who also finished in the top 20.

Dallastown brings back a pair of players who finished in the top 20 last year and gave Central York a run for the division title.

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York Suburban will lean on juniors Callahan Harrell and Andrew Ekstrom to lead the defending Div. II champs. The Trojans also return sophomore Vivienne Powers, who is the top returning finisher in the girls’ Class 3A league tournament.

Dover, led by junior Lawson Leeper, returns a strong group to challenge the Trojans.

York Catholic boasts six golfers who finished in the top 20 in last year’s league tournaments and puts them in great position to challenge Delone Catholic for the Div. III crown. Kury leads the way, but junior Brycen Hissong and senior Ben Adams finished in the top 10 in the boys’ tournament.

Senior Austin Greg is the only top-10 league tournament finisher Delone Catholic brings back to defend their division title. He finished seventh last year.

YAIAA golfers to watch in 2024

Ben Adams, York Catholic, sr.
Nash Bostdorf, Central York, sr.
Taylor Cavanaugh, Kennard-Dale, so.
Logan Christine, Northeastern, sr.
Addison Ciletti, Susquehannock, jr.
Braxton Deardorff, Dover, jr.
Brennan Dewitt, West York, sr.
Andrew Ekstrom, York Suburban, jr.
Elliot Evans, Central York, sr.
Jayden Ferrell, Spring Grove, so.
Derek Freeman, Bermudian Springs, sr.
Jacob Gerrick, Central York, so.
Drew Gilbert, York Catholic, sr.
Gino Giraffa, Delone Catholic, sr.
Tate Greenplate, York Suburban, sr.
Austin Greg, Delone Catholic, sr.
Callahan Harrell, York Suburban, jr.
Everett Harrold, Central York, so.
Ryan Hilyard, South Western, sr.
Brycen Hissong, York Catholic, jr.
Grady Hoffman, West York, sr.
Luke Hoffman, West York, sr.
Dallas Inch, Central York, jr.
Patrick Knaub, Dover, so.
Reed Krosse, Dallastown, sr.
Olivia Kury, York Catholic, sr.
Lawson Leeper, Dover, jr.
Sam McKim, York Catholic, jr.
Sophia Moores, New Oxford, jr.
Joe Murphy, Spring Grove, sr.
Ryley Nade-Bishop, Northeastern, sr.
Sara Piccolo, York Catholic, sr.
Vivienne Powers, York Suburban, so.
Alder Stine, South Western, jr.
Mason Tucker, Dallastown, sr.
Niko Walker, Dallastown, jr.
Colby Yohe, Dover, sr.

YAIAA girls tennis 2024 outlook

People might look at the players New Oxford graduated last year and think the defending Div. I champions are ripe to be dethroned.

But there are plenty of Colonials who have something to say about that, starting with coach Travis Martin.

“We lost four from the top, but I think we are still the team to beat,” he said. “We go nine to 10 deep, and these girls have the drive.”

It all starts with senior Anya Rosenbach. She is the three-time YAIAA Class 3A singles champion and the defending District 3 champion.

The Colonials also have senior Kaelyn Balko, who paired with graduate Allison Horick to win the district doubles title last year and qualified for the district singles tournament. And throw seniors Anne Socks and Emory Millar-Kellner into the mix, and New Oxford has a strong core to build on.

Dallastown brings back senior Elizabeth Tony to lead the Wildcats’ charge against New Oxford.

Sophomore Paytyn Plank returns to help Biglerville close the gap on Delone Catholic in Div. II. Plank won the Class 2A singles title last year. The Canners also return junior Kiersten Englebert, who paired with Plank to reach the District 3 doubles quarterfinals.

Delone returns three all-stars to defend their division title.

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