View full sizeVictoria Long of Northampton Area High School. The Parkland High School
team sent a message Monday to the rest of the Lehigh Valley Conference -- the Trojans are the team to beat.
Led by tournament medalist Luke Vadas, a senior who shot an even-par 34-38--72, the Trojans won their sixth consecutive Lehigh Valley Conference Golf Tournament title with an impressive five-player score of 376 (75.2 strokes per player) in windy conditions at Allentown Municipal.
Parkland finished a whopping 26 strokes better that a talented Northampton squad.
Emmaus junior Kyle Wambold was second at 73. Parkland sophomore Chad Hess finished third with a 74.
The low regional golfer was Liberty junior Mitch Racosky, who shot a 76 to tie for fourth place with Parkland sophomore Michael Perkins. Nazareth sophomore Bret Howey tied for sixth place at 77.
Defending District 11 champion Gabrielle Weiss, an Emmaus sophomore, won the girls title with an 82.
was second at 86.
Parkland, which took five of the top seven places, has plenty of momentum entering Thursday's blockbuster LVC tri-match at the Bethlehem Golf Club against host Bethlehem Catholic and defending league champion Emmaus.
Vadas -- known best for his clutch 74 as a sophomore that helped Parkland win the 2009 District 11 team title -- said his main motivation to win Monday was to help the team and gain an exemption into the District 11 tournament.
Holding a two-stroke lead with four holes to play at 1-under-par, Vadas bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes to fall back into a tie for the lead with Wambold. Vadas sank a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole to take a one-shot lead then secured the victory by making a 15-foot par putt on the first hole.
Although his young team finished in sixth place at 426, Liberty coach Steve Bradley had reason for optimism. He was pleased with the scores turned in by Racosky and sophomore Aaron Zakszeski (79).
Wambold, who was fourth in the 2010 LVC and District 11 tournaments, hit 15 greens in regulation.