Methacton’s Thomas gets senior sendoff at districts

The 2020 high school season, the last of her scholastic career, was already going to be a special one for Methacton senior Riley Thomas.

Thomas doesn’t have plans of golfing in college next year — her rounds will mostly consist of friendly competitions with her family — so each accomplishment this season holds a little extra meaning.

After helping the Warriors to an unbeaten Pioneer Athletic Conference record and shooting her best round and notching her best finish at the league tournament, Thomas added one last highlight this week when she reached the second day of the District 1-3A Girls Golf Championships for the first time.

“It was nice to have (this season), and I’m proud of what we did this year,” Thomas said. “Matches we won, going undefeated as a team in the PAC. I’ve did the best I’ve ever done in the PACs and made it to the second day of districts, so it was great.”

Thomas did not qualify for the district tournament as a freshman, finishing 17th in the PAC. She came back as a sophomore and improved her standing to fifth in the PAC to become a district qualifier for the first time.

In 2018, Thomas shot an 87 in the district tournament as a sophomore and followed in 2019 with an 89 as junior after once again placing fifth in the PAC. She missed the first-day cut line at districts by seven strokes in 2018and 10 strokes in 2019.

Thomas shot the best round of her life in any type of competition when she carded a 75 at last Wednesday’s PAC Girls district qualifier at Gilbertsville Golf Club.

The personal-best score, which was eight strokes better than any round she’d posted during her career at the league championships, gave Thomas a second-place finish at the PAC Girls District 1 Qualifier, her highest ever at PACs and gave her confidence to shoot for another milestone.

“Every year I qualified (for districts), but never qualified for the second day so that’s what I’m trying to do,” Thomas said after the PAC tournament last week.

Even after her sparkling round at the PAC district qualifier, Thomas wasn’t certain she would be able to be one of the top 16 girls to get to the second day in a tough District 1 field.

She was five-over through five holes Monday in the first round of the district tournament at Raven’s Claw Golf Course, including two double-bogeys.

Thomas rallied with six straight pars, helping her on the way to a career-low 82 at districts, which was two shots below the cutline and five better than either of her previous two appearances at Raven’s Claw.

“I did not think I was going to (make the cut) when I got here the first day, so I was happy that I did,” Thomas said. “I started out kind of rough, but I tried to stay with it because I knew this year the cut could be higher, so I had a chance. I just wanted to stay solid the whole time.”

Thomas (+20) finished 12th at the District 1 tournament, 17 strokes behind winner Ava O’Sullivan (+3) of Downingtown East and 10 strokes behind Owen J. Roberts’ Stefania Fedun (+10), who grabbed the district’s sixth and final spot in the PIAA tournament.

Though her 12th place finish at districts didn’t qualify her for the state tournament, Thomas added one last highlight to her career in Tuesday’s second round of districts at Turtle Creek Golf Course

In her first time playing on the second day of districts, Thomas shot a stroke lower than her first round score, finishing with an 81.

“It was good,” Thomas said of her first experience of Day 2 of districts. “I liked the girls I was playing with and this was harder than yesterday, but I ended up shooting a better score.”

“I’m not playing next year, so it was really nice to be able to make Day 2 after trying every year,” she added.