Mara Dubacher won her first District 11 Class 2A girls golf championship in 2022 with a set of youth clubs because she still was so petite as a freshman.
The Moravian Academy standout proved throughout her career that it did not matter the size of the golfer or the quality of the clubs.
Dubacher became the fourth District 11 golfer, boy or girl, to win four district titles. She also was either first or second in all four Colonial League tournaments, winning twice and finishing runner-up twice in playoffs.
For her incredible run the last four years capped by her second PIAA medal this fall, Dubacher is The Morning Call’s All-Area female golfer of the year. She left her final state tournament feeling she left nothing in the bag.
“I wanted to end strong, give it all I had,” Dubacher said. “If I look back 10 years from now, I know that I gave it my all. That was my only motivation.”
Dubacher was a model of consistency and improvement at the state tournament. She was 21st as a freshman, 14th as a sophomore, tied for ninth as a junior and tied for sixth this fall.
She joined an exclusive group of District 11 golfers with four titles: Northampton’s Beth Marushak, Allentown Central Catholic’s Franca Hurtado and Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg’s William Mirams.
“There definitely was pressure internally trying to get it done one more time,” Dubacher said, “trying to get that four in a row. There was a lot of pressure.
“As a freshman, I just kind of played my game. There was no expectation. But as I got older, won more, the pressure started building.”
Nazareth’s Holden Sparks, the District 11 Class 3A boys champion and EPC third-place finisher who finished tied for 28th at states, and teammate Dane Mohap, the EPC champion who tied for ninth at states, are The Morning Call’s All-Area male co-golfers of the year.
“I knew I had it in me,” Sparks said about rallying in the final few holes for district gold and nearly coming all the back from a disastrous first 12 holes at EPCs. “If I play my game, I know I can go out and go pretty low.”
Sparks and Mohap were part of a stellar Nazareth squad that is the team of the year after winning the EPC regular-season and tournament titles and capturing the District 11 Class 3A team championship by five shots ahead of Colonial League champion Southern Lehigh.
The Blue Eagles, coached by Morning Call All-Area coach of the year Jarret Hoff, blitzed the field at the EPC Golf Championships. They beat the next closest team by 27 shots with Mohap, Brady Rohn and Sparks finishing 1-2-3.
Nazareth finished the year at 15-0 in the EPC, 19-1 overall.
Tom Housenick/The Morning Call
Nazareth’s Dane Mohap was the EPC champion and tied for ninth in Class 3A at the PIAA Golf Championships. (Tom Housenick/The Morning Call)
BOYS FIRST TEAM
Jr. Holden Sparks, Nazareth
So. Dane Mohap, Nazareth
Jr. Derek Moyer, Northampton
Jr. Evan Walters, Emmaus
Sr. Kyan DeLong, Emmaus
BOYS SECOND TEAM
Fr. Sam Vinc, Tamaqua
So. Anthony Albano, Saucon Valley
So. Drew Patascher, Pleasant Valley
Sr. Landon Benner, Parkland
Sr. Andrew Sundstrom, Parkland
Jr. Beau Thomas, Bangor
Boys co-golfers of the year: Dane Mohap and Holden Sparks, Nazareth
Coach of the year: Jarret Hoff, Nazareth
Team of the year: Nazareth
GIRLS FIRST TEAM
Sr. Mara Dubacher, Moravian Academy
Fr. Alexis Teichman, Emmaus
Jr. Lexi Miller, Southern Lehigh
Fr. Katherine Anthony, Moravian Academy
Sr. Avri Chandler, Northwestern Lehigh
Girls golfer of the year: Mara Dubacher, Moravian Academy
HONORABLE MENTIONS (alphabetical by team)
Bangor: Fr. Landon Romanczuk
Bethlehem Catholic: So. Zach Ostrosky
Central Catholic: Fr. Lily Brigido, Fr. Olivia Lounsberry, So. Logan Tilton, Sr. John Zawistowski
East Stroudsburg North: Sr. Caden McGinley
Emmaus: So. Ella Bloszinsky, So. Anderson Francis, Jr. Silas Wellhoener
Freedom: Fr. Audrina Montesano, Jr. Gianna Ruane
Liberty: So. Andrew Erfle, Sr. Trent Stahley, Jr. Jake Wachinski
Moravian Academy: Sr. Nate Mette
Nazareth: Sr. Jack Beruta, So. Alex DiGiancinto, So. Joey Ellis, Sr. Zak Novak, Jr. Radek Remaley, Jr. Brady Rohn
Northampton: Jr. Andrew Eberts, Jr. C.J. Stumpf
Northwestern Lehigh: Jr. Cole Dynda, So. Skylar Kern, Sr. Gracie Scheffler
Notre Dame-GP: Sr. Liam Gilligan, Fr. Andrew Swercheck, So. Chris Vanicky, Sr. Michael Wachter, Sr. Simon Weed
Palmerton: Sr. Jason Carrelli, Jr. Jared Grammes, So. Joey Solt
Parkland: Sr. Gabe Chase, Jr. Charlie Gold, So. Jacob Rapp, So. Carter Willis
Pocono Mountain East: Jr. Emmett Galucci, Jr. Kevin Gerheart, Jr. Chase Murphy, Jr. Madeline Von Buskirk
Saucon Valley: Jr. Renzo Ochotorena
Southern Lehigh: Sr. Wyatt Adams, Sr. Sean Brogan, Sr. Logan DeRewal, Jr. Avery Martin, Sr. Caleb Walsh
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
