Polanski, Vetica Help Lions Capture Behrend Invitational

FINDLAY LAKE, NY – Zack Polanski (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep) won the Penn State Behrend Fall Invitational, shooting even for the Peek N' Peak lower course and helping the Lions take first out of 12 teams on Thursday afternoon.

Polanski shot par for the first time this season with a 72, followed by teammate Dante Vetica (Hermitage, PA/Kennedy Catholic) who carded his best round of the fall with a 73 to tie his cousin Jared Vetica from La Roche for second place. The Lions fired a 303 to capture their invitational, marking their best score so far this year with a 15 over par.

La Roche was two strokes behind as a team to take second with a 305. Grove City and Thiel were tied for third, scoring a 311 for 18 holes.

Polanski and Vetica were the top two medalist for the second time this season. Polanski carded a 35 and then 37 on the back to take home the individual title. Vetica had a 37 on the front nine and finished with a 36 for a 73.

The third golfer for Behrend, Nicholas VanDamia (Erie, PA/Fort LeBoeuf), shot two over par with a 74 to finish in fourth place. He tied Vetica on the back nine with a 36 and tallied a 38 on the front.  Dakota Tabar (Conneaut Lake, PA/Conneaut Lake) was the fourth on the team and tied for 41st, firing an 84 (41-43).  Dan Corbin (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) rounded out the top five with an 86 (44-42).

The Lions had a second team compete at the invitational, placing 10^th with a 332. They were led by Anthony Mangano (Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland) with a 79 (38-41). He finished tied for 21st for shooting seven over par.

Alex Italiano (Greenburg, PA/Hempfield) and Dean Rainville (Erie, PA/McDowell) both had their best outing of the fall, each carding an 82. Italiano had a 41 in and 41 out, while Rainville posted a 40-42 on the day.  Dan L'Herbier (Gibsonia, PA/Deer Lakes) finished with an 89 for the Lions.

Behrend returns to action on Saturday at the Medaille Invitational, beginning at 12 p.m.