Northampton senior Kevin Kunkle knew what to expect when he began play Monday morning in the PIAA Golf Championships at Heritage Hills Golf Course in York.

Kunkle, who made it to states as a junior last year, set his goal to better the score he had on the par-71 course he shot 12 months earlier. Shooting 21 over par with a 79 and 84 in the two-day tournament last year, that was definitely within reach.

It wasn't as good a two-day total that Kunkle wanted this time around, but he was consistent in firing two rounds of 80 for a 160 and a score of 18-over, which tied for 23rd in the Class 3A competition.

Upper St. Clair's Grant Engle won the 3A Championship with a two-day total of 147 which was five-over par.

"I struggled on three holes (No's 5, 6 and 8), otherwise it would have been a pretty good day," Kunkle said after Tuesday's round.

He bogeyed holes 5 and 8 and double bogeyed 6 to spoil a pretty good round. Starting on Hole No. 10, Kunkle was just two over after nine holes on a cool, chilly morning. He had bogeys on No. 3 and 4, but regained his composure with three straight pars. His lone birdie of the day came on the par-5, 7th hole.

Oddly enough, Kunkle played a practice round on Sunday and actually had a hole-in-one on the No. 8 hole (207 yards) that gave him trouble Tuesday. It was the highlight of his trip to states and will be something he'll never forget.

He started off with a birdie on Monday and ended with a birdie at the turn. But three bogeys and a double bogey in between prevented him from getting on a roll. Three more bogeys and a double bogey on his second nine left him nine-over par and eight strokes behind the leader.

Kunkle had to play two playoff holes last week at regionals just to be able to make it back out to the PIAA Championships.

"I'm happy just to be here," he said. "It would have been nice just to play the way I know I can and have a good showing and see how I compared to the players in the state."

Northampton second year head coach Brian Davies was proud of Kunkle, not only for his play, but what kind of leader he was on one of the top teams in the Lehigh Valley Conference this year.

"Kevin's wrapping up a great career," said Davies. "We were lucky to have him at Northampton and he's got a bright future ahead of him.

"I'm glad he made it out here twice. Sometimes you make it out here as an underclassman and you don't realize that you may never get back. Being out here for the second time representing District 11, with how good the golfers are in our district, is also an accomplishment.

"He's been a great role model for some of the kids coming up through the program and he's played a big part of the success of Northampton golf. He was a part of our first district championship and he'll be missed next year when he's gone."

Emmaus' Grant Schumaker, District 11's other 3A golfer to make the field, finished right behind Kunkle, tied for 24th, with a two-day total of 161 (19-over).