Michelle Cox knows she could have played better in Monday’s PIAA East Regional Golf Championships. But she also knows that she accomplished her primary goal and will advance to next week’s state championship tournament.

The Emmaus sophomore shot 7-over par 79 at regionals to finish in a four-way tie for fifth place Monday at Golden Oaks Golf Course in Fleetwood.

“I was fine until the last six holes,” she said. “The last six holes I was six over (par) so that’s never fun. I made myself nervous, but moving on is what matters.

“Just getting to states was more important [than winning]. I missed the cut last year by one.”

Cox, who already owns a league title and a district title in just her second year of high school golf, was hoping to card a score around even par (72). She had shot par at Golden Oaks in the past and knew that would come in well under the cut, which was 81 this year as the top half of the 25-player Class 3A girls field moves on to states, which will be held next Monday and Tuesday at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York.

Playing on a wet course for the second week in a row, Cox was happy with the way she got off the tee Monday. Last year her tee game was the main reason she missed reaching states by one shot.

“I drove the ball extremely well,” she said. “What killed me last year was that I didn’t hit a fairway. Today I only missed three fairways. My chipping struggled, so I’m going to spend a lot of time at the short-game area.

“I want to do well up there so I have to get parts of my game in order, but I’m very excited.”

Cox was one of three Emmaus golfers at regionals.

District 11 boys champ Mitch Machulsky finished off a stellar senior season with a 79 Monday. It left him two strokes back of the cut line, which was drawn at 77 in boys Class 3A. Hornet teammate Matt Zerfass shot 82 at regionals.

“It was kind of a grind out there,” said Machulsky. “I didn’t play very well. I shot 40 on the front and 39 on the back. I just left a lot of shots out there.”

Machulsky, who started on hole No. 1, was four over par through 15 holes, but he bogeyed No. 14 then four-putted No. 15 for double bogey. He made another bogey at 16. A birdie on his last hole brought him in at 7-over par.

He capped districts with a playoff win and finished out regionals with a birdie to finish his round the way he finished his high school career - by saving his best season for last.

“Overall it was a really successful season,” he said. “My goal this year was to make it to districts. I had never even made it to districts (before this season) and this year I won the whole thing. I’m very happy.”

Zerfass, a freshman, had some tough breaks during his round. He battled back from a first hole that saw him go out of bounds with his tee shot and make double bogey. He parred his next five holes but made four bogeys and one birdie over the next nine holes.

Zerfass’ round started on hole No. 3, so he came to Golden Oaks’ par-5 18th hole at 5-over par with three holes to play, still very much in contention to make the cut for states.

While playing the 18th, Zerfass took a drop to get relief from a cart path. Upon dropping his ball, it came to rest on a stick. He put his next shot in a water hazard and went on to make triple-bogey 8 on the hole.

“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I think I got unlucky on the 18th hole. I was playing really good. I hit my driver really well. My irons were also well. I had a couple mistakes putting. Other than that I think everything was good.

“I played the best I could. I left a couple shots out there, but I played the best I could and I’m satisfied with that.”

Central Yorks Carson Bacha won the East Region boys Class 3A title with a 3-under par 69, two shots ahead of a three-way tie for second place. Northampton’s Andrew Hozza, the player Machulsky beat in a playoff for last week’s district title, was the only District 11 player to advance in Class 3A boys.

In girls Class 3A, Jade Gu of Pennsbury took first place with a 1-under par 71.