Meet the 12 boys and girls golfers to watch during the 2026 PIAA golf season
The PIAA golf season tees off Thursday, Aug. 13, jump-starting a two-month quest for local golfers and teams to bring home big wins and maybe district and state tournament hardware.
Last year’s boys and girls golfers of the year are back and have big expectations in 2026. And the boys scene includes several other 2025 Butler Eagle first-team picks. But there are some new names who could have breakout seasons, too.
Here’s who to follow on the links this season, boys then girls, listed in alphabetical order:
Christopher Faber, sr., North Catholic: Faber was a Butler Eagle first-teamer last year after he tied for 12th, twice, at the WPIAL Class 2A and PIAA championships. He shot 16-over at WPIALs and 6-over at states. As of Wednesday, Aug. 5, he was the highest-ranked local golfer on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour at 17th after four top-five finishes this summer.
Jackson Geiger, sr., Mars: After averaging 35.61 per nine holes last season, tying the single-round program record with at 32 at one point and making the WPIAL Class 3A individual tournament, Geiger secured multiple top-five finishes on the HJGT. He’s a returning Butler Eagle first-teamer going through the college recruiting process.
Brennan Kelly, sr., Moniteau: The four-year starter averaged 42 per nine holes last season and will be the Warriors’ top golfer this season. Head coach Sean Morrow has been impressed with his work this summer, which saw Kelly lower his handicap into single digits.
Josh Marquardt, sr., Seneca Valley: Marquardt returns to a team that made the WPIAL Class 3A team tournament semifinals, finishing in a logjam for 16th in the WPIAL individual tournament first round with a 76. He averaged 37.1 per nine holes last season and placed top-three multiple times on the Hurricane Tour.
Levi McClellan, sr., Butler: McClellan has qualified for the WPIAL individual tournament all three seasons and brings a 36.5 average per nine holes into his seinor year. He helped Butler finish second in the district team tournament two years ago.
Eric Proie, sr., North Catholic: The final returning first-team pick, Proie finished 10th at the WPIAL 2A individual championships with a 15-over to qualify for states, where he tied for 34th at 12-over.
Joe Rapp, sr., A-C Valley/Union: An easy one. The returning Butler Eagle Boys Golfer of the Year won the District 9 Class 2A championship, KSAC MVP and finished tied for 20th at the PIAA Individual Golf Championships with an 8-over. He’s planning to attend Embry Riddle University (Fla.) next year and won twice on the Hurricane Tour.
Max Zigo, sr., Freeport: Zigo is a three-year starter who made it to the final round of the WPIAL 2A championship last year after shooting a first-round 83 but struggled on Day 2. He averaged 40.35 per nine holes.
Juliette Brown, sr., Moniteau: Brown, who averaged 49 per nine holes last year, returns trying to make the District 9 Class 2A individual tournament for the third time. She finished fourth (119) last year at the District 9 Class 2A Individual Championship.
Hayden Hilliard, sr., Moniteau: Hilliard, like her classmate Brown, returns trying to make it to districts for the fourth and final time after averaging 49 per nine holes last year. She finished tied for sixth (123) last year at the D9 meet.
Riley Kontul, jr., North Catholic: Last year’s Butler Eagle Girls Golfer of the Year is back after she placed fifth at the WPIAL Class 2A Individual Championship and 10th in the PIAA championship (13-over). That came after she led the Trojanettes to their first district team championship. Head coach Jennifer Campbell has even bigger expectations this year for Kontul, who this summer won a tournament at Penn State on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and had multiple top-five finishes.
Elise Wadas, jr., Mars: The lone Butler Eagle first-team pick back this year, Wadas finished 15th at the WPIAL Class 3A championships as just a sophomore and is expected to take on a leading role with the Planets this year. She placed top 10 in multiple Hurricane Tour events this summer.
