BLAIRSVILLE — Sitting at 6-over par with one hole to play at the PIAA Class AAA Western Regional Boys Golf Championships on Wednesday, Josh Bartley felt he needed a birdie to make the cut for a trip to states.

The Mars senior confidently stepped into the tee box and let it rip — right into the trees.

Potential disaster was averted, though.

“I was all pumped up and excited to get that one stroke back,” said Bartley. “I pushed a drive way in the left trees, but it hit a tree and it bounced out, so I still had a chance.”

His approach landed about 20 yards short of the green, but he desperately wanted that birdie.

“I figured, what the heck,” said Bartley. “I went up and pulled the pin.”

The following shot was one he might never forget.

“I chipped it and I rolled it in and holed out for birdie,” Bartley said. “It landed right where I wanted it and it rolled right in the hole. It was awesome.”

Still, Bartley had no idea if a 77 would be enough to advance and had to wait for the rest of the field to finish before learning his fate.

“It was a really, really long wait. It hurt,” he said. “It had to have been a half hour or 45 minutes. It was rough.”

As it turned out, a par would have been just fine.

Bartley finished in ninth place at Tom's Run Golf Course, two strokes clear of the 12-golfer cutoff to become the first boy in Mars history to reach the PIAA Golf Championships.

“It's uncharted territory. He's a three-time WPIAL finalist and he's the first in the program to do that, too,” said Mars boys golf coach Tim Tyler. “He's one of 12 kids in the whole western side of the state. For how many golfers there are, that's a pretty big accomplishment.”

“It was my goal coming into the year and it feels pretty good to reach it,” said Bartley. “To be the first from Mars makes it that much better.”

He'll have some company, too.

Mars sophomore Bridget Merten birdied four holes en route to a 79 and third-place finish in the PIAA Class AAA Western Regional Girls Golf Championships. Freeport sophomore Audrey Clawson also qualified for states by tying for seventh in the Class AA championships with an 81.

Third place was a bonus, but for Merten it was all about placing in the top six to assure the trip to states.

“I was more excited to find out I had made it to states,” said Merten. “I was ecstatic. I was so happy.”

While Bartley's key sequence occurred on the final hole, Merten was tested after her initial swing.

“It was a par 3 and I ended up plugging the ball. I had to pull it and it was a good 25 yards from the pin. It wasn't the best way to start the round,” she said. “I ended up chipping it up not even a foot away and made a par. That gave me some confidence.”

Overcoming the rain with excellence on the greens was a common trait for the Mars duo.

“The conditions were pretty tough,” said Mars girls golf coach Ralph Jockel. “The greens were fast in the morning and the rain softened them in the afternoon. That made it tough for a lot of girls.

“Her strength today was her short game,” he added. “She birdied three of the four par 3s.”

Steady rain likely affected some golfers, but Bartley and Merten persevered.

“It's just something you have to adapt to,” said Merten. “If you're a good enough golfer, you should be able to do that.”

“It wasn't too heavy, it was just a drizzle — just enough to be annoying,” said Bartley. “You just have to deal with it, nothing you can do except keep your head.”

Improving touch around the greens has been a focal point for Bartley throughout his high school career.

“My game used to be that I could just hit it farther than everybody, which is good and all, but I have a short game now. Before, I couldn't really say I had a short game,” Bartley explained. “It has definitely made me into a better golfer. Today, I made tons of putts. It's the only reason I was even in the competition.”

“Josh works at the game,” said Tyler. “He plays a lot of golf and that's what it takes.”

Merten practices up to three hours per day and reaped the benefits on Wednesday.

“Whenever you go out, there are certain things you don't have down pat,” said Merten. “Whatever I don't have down that day, I just take it to the range or wherever I need to and practice it so I can get it right.

“I felt like what I worked for actually paid off,” she added. “It makes me want to go back out there and work some more.”

The PIAA Championships will take place Monday and Tuesday in York at the Heritage Hills Golf Resort and Conference Center.

It will mark the end of Bartley's golf career with Mars, but he doesn't want to stop there.

“I definitely want to play in college,” he said. “I'm just waiting for a chance.”