North Schuylkill's Justine Paul and Tamaqua's Mike Weinert reached new heights in 2012.
The season was also a learning experience for both.
For the first time in their high school golf careers, Paul and Weinert qualified for the PIAA East Regional Golf Championship at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood.
Both were on the cusp of qualifying for the PIAA Championship in Class AA.
Both came up short.
Paul finished second in a three-way, sudden-death playoff for the eighth and final spot for states after a 98 in regulation.
Weinert shot an 83, two strokes shy of getting into what turned out to be a five-way tie for the last two spots and a trip to states.
Paul and Weinert are now seniors, and both have their sights set on doing what no golfer from the Schuylkill League has done in seven years: Qualify for states.
The last male from the league to make it was Mahanoy Area's Randy Kurzinsky in 2006. The last female was Marian's Amanda Eckhart in 2005.
The big lesson Paul learned in 2012 was how important the mental approach is in golf.
"If you put the work in and you really want to get good at it, you can honestly get to where you want to be. It just takes time and commitment," Paul said. "Golf is definitely more than just a physical game. It is definitely mental, obviously after the two playoff holes. It all came down to who's head was into it more than the other."
Paul is referring to the playoff at regionals with Boiling Spring's Rebecca Graham and Loyalsock's Taylor Daskivich. After Graham and Paul parred the first hole of playoff, Graham won the playoff with a par 3 on the next hole, while Paul had a bogey.
Paul didn't have difficulty getting to regionals.
She won her second Schuylkill League girls' title last season - Paul's first came as a freshman - with an 8-over 76 at Rolling Meadows Golf Course, beating Pottsville's Katie Burke (94) by 18 strokes.
At districts at Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, Paul finished with a 27-hole total of 26-over par 134. She was 8 strokes behind champ Franca Hurtado (126) of Allentown Central Catholic but 28 ahead of ACC's Emily Rodgers (162) to earn one of the two spots for regionals.
This summer, Paul spent the majority of her time working on her short game at the Schuylkill Country Club with assistant pro Scott Murphy. Out of the 4-5 days she worked at her game, Paul figured 70 percent of her time was spent around the greens.
Paul didn't play much competitive golf, but she did win the Schuylkill C.C. Ladies Club Championship last Thursday.
In her first round of the season Monday at Hidden Valley against Pottsville, Paul shot a 84.
"I want to get to states, but it is going to be hard just to get to regionals because districts isn't easy," Paul said of her goals this season. "You got to take it a step at a time and just really try to succeed in each tournament the best you can."
Last year was the first time Weinert got serious about golf, spending his previous summers racing 358 modifieds at Big Diamond Speedway. Still, it was a breakout season.
He learned about nerves, too.
"I wasn't as good as a golfer last year as I am this year, but I knew I had the ability to make shots when I needed to because every once in a while I would hit this crazy shot and it would show me I have the ability to pull shots off and shoot low scores," Weinert said. "It is just shooting low scores. It is very hard to do that because once you start going low, you start getting jittery and stuff. You just have to get used to it."
He ended up third at the Schuylkill League Individual Boys' Championship, shooting a 79 and beating Blue Mountain's Jimmy Dietz on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. Weinert was three strokes behind champ Mike Gottstein (76) of Marian.
Weinert then finished in a five-way tie for sixth at the district qualifier with an 85 at Woodstone Golf Club in Danielsville. He also finished fifth at districts with a 27-hole total of 13-over 121, making the cut for regionals by 2 strokes.
At regionals, Weinert struggled with the driver.
"I was hitting good shots," he said. "I would hit the greens, but I struggled off the tee and on the greens. I definitely needed to work on that coming out of there. But I made some incredible shots from everywhere to get it on the green. I couldn't convert."
Those two areas were the focus of Weinert's work this summer. Like Paul, Weinert is a member of the Schuylkill Country Club. He also traveled to Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, N.J., to work with instructor Brent Jones every 2-3 weeks.
In addition, Weinert played in six tournaments on the Lehigh Valley Junior Golf Tour. He had two second-place finishes in the 16-19-year-old division: The Spring Classic at Iron Lakes Country Club in Allentown on June 15 and at Willowbrook Golf Course in North Catasauqua on July 26.
Weinert opened his season with a 74 against Jim Thorpe last Thursday and shot a 69 against Blue Mountain on Monday. Both matches were at Villas Crossing Golf Course.
Weinert's goal is simple: Get to states.
"Put it on the fairway; put it on the green," he said. "It is fairly simple. Just keep working on the game and getting more confident. The more confidence, the better."
Weinert is 1-of-7 returning golfers who finished in the top 10 at the league meet last season. Those returning include: Marian's Mark Postupack (5th), Blue Mountain's Ben Zwolan (6th), Pottsville's Joe Drasdis (tie for 8th), Mahanoy Area Nick Scicchitano (tied for 8th) and Colin Casserly (tied for 10th), and North Schuylkill's Hunter Mickatavage (tied for 10th).
Here's a breakdown of the divisions:
Division I
Blue Mountain's 14-year run of overall league titles came to end last season after it finished third at the league team championship. The Eagles also finished second to Pottsville in the division. Those two teams, along with North Schuylkill, will likely battle for the division title.
Blue Mountain lost just one key senior to graduation in Dietz. In addition to Zwolan, a senior who played in the district qualifier last year, the Eagles also return key performers in sophomores Bailey Sophy and Tanner Cook, and junior Lyle Luckenbill. Blue Mountain's doesn't have a standout No. 1 ye,t but four solid players who will shot in the 80s.
The Tide, who finished second at the league meet last year, lost not only Roos but Randy Rubright. Their top three golfers will be Dradis, a senior, along with junior Kory McElveny and sophomore Mike DeColli. Pottsville needs to develop depth behind those three to challenge for the division.
Paul and Mickatavage, a sophomore who also played in events on the Lehigh Valley Junior Golf Tour this summer, will lead the Spartans. Seniors Jake Damiter and Brett Ennis also have varsity experience.
Division II
Marian had a magical season in 2012, as the senior-laden Colts won the division and league title, and were second in Class AA at the District 11 Team Championships.
Josh Green and Chris Postupack, two district qualifiers, have graduated, leaving senior Mark Postupack as the only returning player with varsity experience.
The Colts will be competitive, but the favorite is Mahanoy Area, last year's division runner-up. Scicchitano and Casserly both competed in the district qualifier in 2012. The Golden Bears are off to a 3-0 start, including a 348-367 non-league win over Pottsville on Friday and a 358-364 victory against Marian on Monday.
The loss snapped the Colts 49-match division winning streak.
DIVISION I
Blue Mountain
Head coach: Larry Borden Jr. (15th season)
Last year: 10-4 overall, 8-2 Division I (Division runner-up, 3rd at league meet)
Home course: Schuylkill Country Club, Orwigsburg
Returnees: Ben Zwolan, sr., Ryan Wood, sr., Nick Benulis, sr., Jonthan Ferrar, sr., Tyler Moszcienski, sr., Lyle Luckenbill, jr., Bailey Sophy, soph., Tanner Cook, soph., Reese Keitsock, soph.
Newcomer: Austin Boyer, fr.
Outlook: The Eagles lost only one key player to graduation and return plenty of experience. They don't have a dominating player but four or five who will consistently shoot in 80s, making them one of the teams to beat again in the division and the league.
Jim Thorpe
Head coach: James Hauze (3rd season)
Last year: 1-10, 0-10 D-I
Home course: Villas Crossing Golf Course, Tamaqua
Returnees: Alex Heydt, sr., Michael Helmer, sr., Kaitlyn Wagner, sr. Joshua Abbott, jr., Luke Eggert, jr., William Kovolenko, jr., Brett Luicana, jr., James Marks, jr.
Newcomers: Rachel Montelius, jr., Anthony Shorten, jr., Sophie Monboussin, soph., Declan Behan, soph., Tyler Benson, soph., Patrick Byrne, fr., Logan Farnell, fr., Jesse Perri, fr.,
Outlook: The Olympians lost their top scorer from last season when Jake McGeehan decided to concentrate on cross country. Still, experience returns with Luicana, who played in the 2012 District 11 qualifier in Class AAA, Heydt and Helmer expected to lead the way. Should improve but probably aren't ready to compete with the powerhouses in the division.
Lourdes
Head coach: Bill Chensey (1st season)
Last year: 2-8, 2-8 D-I
Home course: Indian Hill Golf and Tennis Club, Paxinos
Returnee: Bryce Fiamoncini, sr.
Newcomer: Matt Avellino, soph.
Outlook: Fiamoncini was a District 4 Class AA qualifier in 2012 and will be a golfer to watch this season. With only two on the roster, the Red Raiders won't win any meets so individual improvement is the main goal.
North Schuylkill
Head coach: John Cuthie (15th season)
Last year: 6-4, 6-4 D-I
Home course: Rolling Meadows Golf Course, Mowry
Returnees: Alec Bolinsky, sr., Jake Damiter, sr., Brett Ennis, sr., Shawn Houser, sr., Justine Paul, sr., Mark Antalosky, jr., Nikki Harris, jr., Dave Zienkiewicz, jr., Jadyn Anczarski, soph., Adam Isgate, soph., Kenny Marlow, soph., Hunter Mickatavage, soph., Brandon Mueller, soph., Nick Paul, soph., Austin Raup, soph., Noah Swaldi, soph.
Newcomers: Jim Abicunas, soph., Jonathan McDonald, soph., Matt Stever, soph., Jordan Donmoyer, fr.,
Outlook: The Spartans have an experienced top four in Justine Paul, Mickatavage, Damiter and Ennis. They also have good numbers to provide depth. Should in the running for the division title and the very least, the wild-card spot.
Pottsville
Head coach: Howard Merrick (35th season)
Last year: 12-3, 10-0 D-I (Division champs, league runner-up)
Home course: Hidden Valley Golf Course, Friedensburg
Returnees: Joseph Drasdis, sr., Jordan Skosnick, sr., Matt Lescavage, jr., Kory McElvaney, jr., Quinn McPhillips, jr., Trent Williams, jr., Trent Barnes, soph., Hunter Johns, soph., Mike DeColli, soph., David Leymeister, soph., Mike O'Pake, soph.,
Newcomers: Jason Blum, fr., Rachel Brahler, fr., Kayla Drasdis, fr., Jeff Drum, fr., Alex Everly, fr.,
Outlook: The Crimson Tide have the nucleus of a solid team in Drasdis, McElvaney and DeColli. The big question is who will step up and provide the depth in the No. 4-6 spots. Still, the Tide will be a contender in the division and even stronger if younger players develop.
Tamaqua
Head coach: Mike Luna (2nd season)
Last year: 5-7, 4-6 D-I
Home course: Villas Crossing Golf Course, Tamaqua
Returnees: Anthony Rago, sr., Derek Cinicola, sr., Matthew Stanek, sr., Michael Weinert, sr., Anthony Lewis, jr., Nathan MacDonald, jr., Jonathan Tite, jr., Tim Lehman, jr., Dakota George, soph., Dillon George, soph., Jonathan Hadesty, soph., Jonathan Scannell, soph., Michael Lacy, soph., Shane Osty, soph.
Newcomers: Adam Shumgart, fr., Gavin Seip, fr., George Hegedus, fr., Jasper Stocker, fr., Joshua Derrick, fr.
Outlook: Weinert give the Raiders one of the strongest No. 1 players in the league, while there is some experienced golfers behind him. The goal is to improve and how much better the Raiders will be depends on how the others improve.
DIVISION II
Mahanoy Area
Head coach: Bob Killian (21st season)
Last year: 8-3, 8-2 D-II (Division runner-up, 4th at league meet)
Home course: Mountain Valley Golf Course, Barnesville
Returnees: Tyler Davies, sr., Colin Casserly, jr., Nick Scicchitano, jr., Trey Macieunas, soph.,
Newcomers: Josh Shaup, sr., Noah Noon, soph., Chris Davies, fr.
Outlook: The turnout isn't high but the Golden Bears will have plenty of quality in the lineup. The top four have the potential to post scores in the 80s and have been working since March. The goal is to return to the league championship meet and doing that, along with winning the division, is a real possibility.
Marian
Head coach: Len Brylewski (21st season)
Last year: 13-1, 10-0 D-II (Division and overall league champs, District 11 Class AA runner-up)
Home course: Mahoning Valley Country Club, Lehighton
Returnees: Austin Paisley, sr., Mark Postupack, sr., Kyle Stanek, sr., Michael Dino, sr., Travis Martz, sr., Josh Tulanowski, jr., Brad Kozuck, jr., Tyler Martz, soph., Jack Hurst, soph., Tyler Wackley, soph.
Newcomers: Kyle Karbavage, soph., Seth Harkins, soph., Frank Blazosky, fr., Sean Choley, fr., Michael Latoff, fr., Albert McFadden, fr., Jared Paisley, fr., Alec Whitaker, fr., Daniel Simmons, fr., Tim Dando, fr.
Outlook: No team in the league suffered a bigger graduation hit than the Colts with Postupack the only returnee with extensive varsity experience. But the turnout is high again and the potential is there for a solid team. Won't be as dominating as last year but will still be in the running for a division title or wild-card spot.
Nativity
Head coach: Bill Kaczmarczyk (6th season)
Last year: 4-6, 4-6 D-II
Home course: Schuylkill Country Club, Orwigsburg
Returnees: Lucas Moyer, sr., Jeff Yordy, jr., Collin McGovern, jr., Justin Yaneck, jr., Dane Wagner, jr., Kenny Rossi, jr., Derrick Hamilton, jr., Andrew Beldin, soph., Collin Larkin, soph.
Newcomers: Dominic Piccioni, jr., Gabrielle Hamilton, fr., Nicholas Quinn, fr., Tyler Zinerofsky, fr., Ari Keim, fr.
Outlook: The Green Wave are still fairly young with only one senior but plenty of experience returns. The juniors need to improve for the record to improve. If that happens, they could make some noise in the division.
Pine Grove
Head coach: Paul Felty (13th season)
Last year: 7-6, 6-4 D-II
Home course: Blue Mountain Golf Course, Fredericksburg
Returnees: Tristan White, sr., Matt Troxell, jr., Stephanie Kemmerling, soph.,
Newcomers: Kyle Bebelheimer, fr., Brandon Hueston, fr., Kamryn Felty, fr., Jordan Bettinger, fr.
Outlook: White has put lots of work in over the summer and gives the Cardinals a solid foundation. Troxell also has experience. For team success, the freshmen need to come along. They have been putting extra time in to do that and if the Cardinals find some scorers behind White, they could be competitive in the division.
Weatherly
Head coach: Mike Limberg (9th season)
Last year: 2-8, 2-8 D-II
Home course: Mountain Laurel Golf Club, White Haven
Returnees: Josh Reiner, sr., Garrett Titus, sr., Derek Coombs, soph., Luke Figas, soph., Kyle Osifat, soph.,
Newcomers: Devin Berger, fr., Samantha Despirito, fr., Madison Hartz,fr.
Outlook: The Wreckers finally broke through with some victories in 2012 and have good bit of their experience returning. The goal is to grab a few more wins and individual improvement.
Williams Valley
Head coach: Donna Williard (4th season)
Last year: 0-12, 0-10 D-II
Home course: Lykens Valley Golf Course, Millersburg
Returnees: Noah Crisswell, sr., Kent Schaeffer, soph., Roofina Ali, soph.
Newcomers: Damian Solence, sr., J.J. Cox, jr., Paige Picola, fr.
Outlook: Crisswell returns with the most experience for the Vikings, who will struggle win many matches. Their goal is to gain experience, show individual improvement and built the program.
GIRLS
Marian
Head coach: Len Brylewski (4th season)
Last year: 6-6
Home course: Mahoning Valley Country Club, Lehighton
Returnees: Cassidy DeCosmo, sr., Christy Digiandomenico, sr., Emily Fannick, sr., Brianna Kubishin, sr., Rebecca Paulshock, sr., Amanda Srinivasan, sr., Arianna Srinivasan, sr., Alyssa Wagner, sr., Monica Wasik, sr., Ashley Fannick, jr.
Newcomers: Kaitlin Kowker, soph., Katie Blazoski, fr., Sarah Grabosky, fr., Natalia Konitzer, fr., Hannah Zboray, fr.
Outlook: The Fillies girls' program in its fourth season and have a large group of golfers back, including nine seniors. Expect Digiandomenico, Arianna Srinivasan, Wasik, Amanda Srinivasan and Kubishin to be the top golfers for now. The goal for is get better as individuals and to at least equal last season's record. Schuylkill League golf at a glance
2012 individual boys' champ - Mike Gottstein (Marian, graduated)
Returning individual girls' champ - Justine Paul (North Schuylkill, sr.,)
Defending team champ - Marian
Other players to watch - Colin Casserly (Mahanoy Area, jr.), Joe Drasdis (Pottsville, sr.,), Bryce Fiamoncini (Lourdes, sr.,), Brett Luicana (Jim Thorpe, jr.), Hunter Mickatavage (North Schuylkill, soph.), Lucas Moyer (Nativity, sr.,), Mark Postupack (Marian, sr.,), Nick Scicchitano (Mahanoy Area, jr.), Mike Weinert (Tamaqua, sr.), Tristan White (Pine Grove, sr.), Ben Zwolan (Blue Mountain, sr.) Important dates
Monday, Sept. 23 - Schuylkill League Individual Boys' Championship at Mahoning Valley Country Club, Lehighton
Tuesday, Sept. 24 - Schuylkill League Individual Girls' Championship at Hidden Valley Golf Course, Friedensburg
Wednesday, Sept. 25 - Schuylkill League Team Championship
Monday, Sept. 30 - District 11 Qualifier at Mahoning Valley Country Club, Lehighton
Monday, Oct. 7 - District 11 Individual and Team Championships at Blue Ridge Country Club, Palmerton