KC's Preston keeps growing his golf game
CHICORA — Tucker Preston started golfing when he was 5.
It was something he enjoyed as he was growing up, but it also was a way for him to spend more time with his grandmother, Janet Preston, an avid golfer who coached the sport at East Brady High.
"I was out playing with her when she got a hole-in-one," said Tucker, a junior at Karns City. "That's something I will always remember."
Janet coached Tucker's father, Pat, at East Brady. Pat is in his 10th year as the Gremlins golf coach.
Tucker spent nearly every waking hour this summer at St. Jude Golf Course, either working or playing.
"He played a lot this summer," Pat said. "It made him a little more sure about his game. He was around a lot of good golf."
That has translated to the course this fall.
Tucker started the season with a 3-under-par 69 in the first Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference megamatch, turned in a 38 at St. Jude in a match against A-C Valley three days later and has carded only one score over 40 this season.
Off the tee, on the fairway and around the green, Tucker's game has improved.
But the biggest improvement he has shown has been between his ears.
"I'm a lot better at managing a course now," Tucker said. "If I'm not playing well, I know how to keep calm, how to have a short memory and don't let a bad hole bother me on the next one."
As his physical and mental games have improved, Tucker has set his sights on loftier goals.
In 2009, he had a disappointing second round at the District 9 tournament, costing him a chance at the PIAA Golf Championships.
This season, nothing less than a trip to Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York will satisfy him.
"That was my goal at the beginning of the season," Tucker said. "It hasn't changed."
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Hat trick Klaus: Knoch junior forward Klaus Ondrizek is off to a scintillating start for the Knights boys soccer team.Ondrizek, who also is the kicker on the football team, scored three goals for Knoch in a season-opening 7-0 win over Valley.In a 10-0 rout of Kittanning Tuesday, Ondrizek once again found the net three times.•
Coming up aces: Butler senior Calli Johns had a serving night for the ages Tuesday for the Golden Tornado volleyball team.Johns recorded 10 aces in a 3-0 Butler over New Castle.•
Beach days: A summer sand volleyball league is paying big dividends for Freeport.Yellowjackets volleyball coach Tom Phillips works out his players on sand in the summer to give them an added challenge.They displayed the fruits of that work with a tournament win at Slippery Rock High last weekend and a 3-0 win over Burrell Tuesday.
