The Warriors Dane Schutter watches the flight of his ball as he chipped from the fringe of the green on the No. 2 hole at Fox Hill C.C.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area took major steps in Wyoming Valley Conference golf last season and returns all the key performers who made that climb possible.
“Our starting lineup is the same as last year,” Warriors coach Gordon Williams said. “I am very excited for this year as these kids have been starting for the team since freshman year and now they’re seniors and juniors.”
When those players were younger, Wyoming Area went 2-10 and 3-9 playing all Class 2A opponents in the bottom division of the WVC’s old three-division format.
A move to Class 3A for this two-year Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association enrollment cycle put Wyoming Area in the top division of the realigned WVC. Playing all large schools, the Warriors’ record jumped to 9-5 and the team finished third out of eight in Division 1 last season.
The improvement in the program’s status does not necessarily need to end after this season.
“In addition, the one sophomore and three freshmen keep right up with the starters, so I’m looking at having good future players,” Williams said.
Jack Mulhern finished 12th in the District 2 Class 3A Individual Tournament last season and Dane Schutter also played in the tournament after getting through the WVC qualifier.
Mulhern, Schutter, Brady Noone, Matt Rusinchak and Anthony Forlenza are the seniors. Jeremy Layland, Kristian Pugliese and Mario Belzo are the juniors. They are joined on the roster by sophomore Rob Yatsko and freshmen Joey Onda, Mitchell Rusinchak, Hunter Hosier.
