ADAMS TWP — The event was a fundraiser for her team.

So it was only fitting Sophia Maestra raised her game.

The incoming Mars sophomore secured the first hole-in-one of her life on the No. 3, 108-yard hole during the annual Mars Girls Golf Outing recently at Connoquenessing Country Club. She used a pitching wedge.

“We've never had a girl on the team get an ace during this outing,” Mars girls golf coach Ralph Jockel said. “In my 14 years as coach, we've never had a girl get a hole-in-one at any team competition or event.”

Sophia was golfing with her father, Marc Maestra, and neighbors Troy and Tavian Nunes.

“There were 112 golfers out there, all helping and supporting our team,” Sophia said. “It was an amazing day.”

Mars girls golf is able to pay for its uniforms and greens fees for the season through funds raised at the outing.

Sophia learned the game as a little girl. Her family lived in Johnstown and her parents were members at Sunnehanna Country Club.

“My pappy (grandfather) used to take me out there every Thursday morning to play three holes,” Sophia said. “He always pushed to get me out there.

“That's how I started to love golf. I wound up joining my junior high team.”

Her family moved to Houston, Texas, for two years, then relocated to Mars just before the beginning of her freshman year.

Sophia joined the Planets' girls golf team to get to know people as much as play the game.

“That's how I met my first friends here,” she said. “Tryouts were going on just when we were moving into our house.

“If it wasn't for that golf team last year, I'd have been lost. It was a great way to meet kids and become part of the community.”

Jockel described Sophia as “an outgoing, friendly girl.

“She hits the ball well off the tee and she has an excellent short game,” the coach said.

Sophia expanded her game further this summer, playing in Southeastern Pa. Junior Golf Tournaments and some Isaly's Tour events. She finished as high as fifth in an Isaly's Tour event.

Her best score in the SE Pa. Junior tournaments was a 94.

“I played in a lot of tournaments around Pittsburgh and got to know a bunch of the courses around here,” Sophia said. “It was fun and I know it helped my game.”

She proved that at her team's golf outing.

The No. 3 hole at Connoquenessing plays over a bunch of weeds.

“I knew I had to hit my wedge hard and I did,” Sophia said. “I saw the ball land on the green beyond the hole and felt good about my second shot.

“As I was approaching the green, Troy said the ball was in the hole. When I turned to look and didn't see my ball on the green, I was like ... Wow!”

She even got a couple of bonuses out of the hole-in-one.

Because there was an award for closest to the pin on Hole No. 3, Sophia won a dozen golf balls. She also won some satisfaction.

“Lucas Kuremsky, a good friend of mine who I could never beat, had his name on the board for closest to the pin before my shot went in the hole,” she said. “He was standing nearby and saw that I beat him. That felt pretty good. We had a lot of fun with it.”

She figures to have fun with her team this fall as well.

“We lost eight seniors from last year,” Jockel said. “Things weren't looking real promising. But Sophia and (senior) Victoria Witouski are anchoring the team this year and we had a nice win over Pine-Richland in our opener.

“Sophia has a chance to be a really good golfer. I think she's got scholarship material down the road.”