Smithco repeats as PIAA champ
YORK — The odds seemed stacked against Madie Smithco.
Not only was the North Catholic junior and Cranberry Township resident four strokes off the lead entering the final round of the PIAA Class AA Girls Golf Championship on Tuesday at Heritage Hills Golf Resort, but she nearly had to withdraw from the competition due to health issues.
“I suffered several concussions when I was younger and ever since have been prone to getting them,” she said. “Back in February, I was just messing around and hit my head and started having symptoms again.”
Those symptoms returned Tuesday. After eight holes, Smithco began having a migraine headache that caused her to lose her vision and she became dizzy and nauseous.
With 10 holes left to play, it appeared as though Smithco's chance at defending her state title from last year was gone.
“I sat down and thought to myself, 'I can't do this',” she said.
Fortunately, the PIAA rulebook allows for a 15-minute timeout in case of medical issues.
“That helped a bit, but I still had to play through a lot of pain the rest of the way,” Smithco said.
But play she did.
This is an excerpt — read the full story in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.
