Mid-Penn Golf: 5 Sentinel-area storylines to pencil ahead of the 2024 championships

The 2024 high school golf postseason tees off with the Mid-Penn championships Wednesday at Dauphin Highlands Golf Course.

A multitude of Sentinel-area golfers will hit the links. Many look to obtain their first career medals while others defend titles and vie for a District 3 tournament berth.

Ahead of the first swings, scheduled for a 9 a.m. shotgun start, here are five local storylines to circle.

De-Fenton her title

Cumberland Valley senior Megan Fenton returns to the Dauphin Highlands track as the reigning Mid-Penn girls champion. She shot a 6-over par 78 last year, outlasting Central Dauphin's Eva Moawad by two strokes.

Fenton will have a long list of challengers gunning for this fall's top nod. The Eagle captain holds the second-best scoring average in the conference (75.71), only trailing Chambersburg's Emily Rensch (75). Moawad, Shippensburg freshman Kaydee Beckenbaugh and Trinity junior Addyson Hoover follow Fenton with averages of 78, 79.5 and 83.33.

Fenton rides into the postseason with flying colors, having pocketed back-to-back low-medalist honors in her final regular-season matches. She fired a 70 at Rich Valley Golf Course Sept. 16 and a 71 at Manada Golf Course Sept. 18.

Panthers' eyes on the prize

For the first time since 1993, the East Pennsboro boys have the chance to contend for a conference team title. In its Capital Division regular-season finale at Armitage Golf Club Sept. 19, the Panthers dethroned five-time defending champion Boiling Springs with a team score of 329.

Seniors Mason Smith and Brody Rafferty have ushered in the new era, compiling averages of 80 across seven tournaments. Junior Blake Pasada, who advanced through last week's Mid-Penn qualifier, earned an average of 87. Senior Steel Bayer rounds out the quartet with an 89.3.

The Panthers will wrestle with Commonwealth champion State College, Keystone king Mechanicsburg and Colonial royalty Northern for the team trophy.

Burgin's turn

As a sophomore, Carlisle's Cooper Maschmeyer authored an unprecedented 2023 postseason run, starting at the Mid-Penn qualifier and ending in the second round of the District 3 Class 3A tournament.

Thundering Herd junior Ayden Burgin hopes to follow his teammate's footprint when he attempts to tame Dauphin Highlands Wednesday. Burgin brings an 81.4 average into the fold with low rounds of 77 and 78 during the regular season. He qualified for the conference competition last year but fell a few strokes shy of the district cut line.

Sophomore Mason Gardner will join Burgin Wednesday after securing a tie for ninth finish (83) in his qualifying debut.

Rengen's return

Mechanicsburg's Zach Rengen swiped a silver medal at the 2023 championships, and the senior returns to the conference circuit as the top local boys golfer. He carded an ever par 72 last year, highlighted by three birdies.

Rengen's junior-year leap featured a haul of accolades, including his first PIAA tournament appearance and helping the Wildcat boys to their third straight Keystone Division crown. It's been par for the course this season with the Mechanicsburg standout forging a 74.57 average — standing as the 10th-best in the Mid-Penn — and guiding the 'Cats to an undefeated campaign.

Dylan Andersen will complement Rengen on the boys side Wednesday while Lily Andersen and Josie Gibbons represent the Wildcat girls.

Beckenbaugh bursts onto the scene

Beckenbaugh has conquered courses her debut season. The Greyhound rookie emerged as the boys team's ace — if a school can't field a full girls team, girls' scores can count for the boys squad — and steered Ship to a program-record 34-8 mark.

While maintaining her 79.5 average, Beckenbaugh recorded a career-low 75 at Gettysburg National Golf Club Aug. 29 and hasn't sign off on a score higher than an 86. Beckenbaugh is more battle-tested than any other Mid-Penn opponent this season, having competed in a conference-high 10 matches.

Junior Ben Horgos will also compete Wednesday.

Christian Eby is a sports reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com . Love