Golf: LL Section 1 – Five Falcons Shoot 75 or Better in Section 1 Sweep

 

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Five Falcons Shoot 75 or Better in Section 1 Sweep

Cedar Crest needed just three strokes to secure its first Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 victory of the season.

A week later, the Falcons created considerably more breathing room.

Cedar Crest fired a 296 on Tuesday at Ephrata’s Fox Chase Golf Club, finishing 11 strokes ahead of Hempfield as the Falcons swept the Section 1 field for the second consecutive match.

After opening the season with a 304 at Sunset Golf Club, Cedar Crest was eight strokes better in its second trip around the section and improved to a perfect 10-0.

Even more impressive was how the Falcons got there.

Sophomore Bryn Brandt led a group of five Cedar Crest golfers who shot 75 or better, carding a one-over-par 73. Brandt tied Manheim Township’s Charlie Sheehan and Joe Bilson for second overall, one stroke behind Ephrata’s Makenna Heckman, who earned medalist honors with an even-par 72.

For Brandt, it continued an impressive beginning to her sophomore season. After winning the Section 1 opener with a 71, the reigning eighth-place finisher at the PIAA Class AAA Girls Golf Championship followed with a 73 at Fox Chase.

And once again, Cedar Crest’s sophomore class provided plenty of support.

Rory Smyth and Drew Gebhard each fired a 74 to tie for fifth overall. Both qualified for Districts as freshmen last season and have now helped the Falcons sweep each of the first two Section 1 fields of 2026.

This time, however, the Falcons’ depth went well beyond their three sophomores.

Seniors Jackson Seidel and Davin Kolter each shot 75, tying for eighth overall. With four scores counting toward the team total, Brandt’s 73, the matching 74s from Smyth and Gebhard, and one of those 75s combined to produce Cedar Crest’s 296.

Junior Luke Usinger completed the Falcons’ lineup with a 78, tying for 12th overall.

The result was an even stronger follow-up to Cedar Crest’s opening performance.

At Sunset, the Falcons edged rival Manheim Township by three strokes, 304-307. At Fox Chase, Cedar Crest became the only team to break 300, finishing 11 strokes ahead of Hempfield’s 307 and 13 ahead of Manheim Township’s 309.

The back-to-back wins have also given Cedar Crest some early separation in the Section 1 standings. The Falcons sit alone at 10-0, while Hempfield and Manheim Township are tied behind them at 8-2.

Through two matches, Cedar Crest’s young core has been particularly consistent near the top of the leaderboard. Brandt has opened with rounds of 71 and 73, Smyth has gone 76 and 74, and Gebhard has posted a 77 and 74.

Add Tuesday’s matching 75s from Seidel and Kolter, and the Falcons showed at Fox Chase that their early success is coming from throughout the lineup.

Two matches into the season, Cedar Crest remains perfect in Section 1.

 

 

 

 

Team Results

Place	Team	Score	To Par
1	Cedar Crest	296	+8
2	Hempfield	307	+19
3	Manheim Township	309	+21
4	Penn Manor	334	+46
5	Ephrata	345	+57
6	Elizabethtown	348	+60

Cedar Crest Results

Bryn Brandt (So.) – 73 (+1), T-2nd
Rory Smyth (So.) – 74 (+2), T-5th
Drew Gebhard (So.) – 74 (+2), T-5th
Jackson Seidel (Sr.) – 75 (+3), T-8th
Davin Kolter (Sr.) – 75 (+3), T-8th
Luke Usinger (Jr.) – 78 (+6), T-12th

 

Top 10 Leaderboard

Place	Golfer	School	Score
1	Makenna Heckman	Ephrata	72
T-2	Charlie Sheehan	Manheim Township	73
T-2	Bryn Brandt	Cedar Crest	73
T-2	Joe Bilson	Manheim Township	73
T-5	Rory Smyth	Cedar Crest	74
T-5	Drew Gebhard	Cedar Crest	74
T-5	Chase Gergal	Hempfield	74
T-8	Jackson Seidel	Cedar Crest	75
T-8	Phoenix Thomas	Elizabethtown	75
T-8	Davin Kolter	Cedar Crest	75

Section 1 Standings

Place	Team	Record
1	Cedar Crest	10-0
T-2	Hempfield	7-3
T-2	Manheim Township	7-3
4	Penn Manor	4-6
5	Ephrata	2-8
6	Elizabethtown	0-10