The summer season has arrived, and for most that means beach vacations, trips to the pool and perhaps an outdoor concert or two.
But for the dedicated sportswriter… we get a few moments to catch our breath before it’s back to the grind typing up fall schedules and taking stock of our coverage area for the upcoming season.
With less than two months until the fall season kicks off, there is still plenty of work to do and the clock is ticking. The good news for you, the reader: We’ll be sharing a “Sneak Peek” of our work this summer as we prepare for the 2026 campaign.
For our first “peek” at the fall season, we’ll take a quick look at our top golfers when area high schools begin teeing off in early August. There were 16 golfers that caught our attention, but one that really stood out: Delaney Fuss. The North Hagerstown star is primed for a big senior year after making a deep postseason run last fall.
Fuss is joined on our list by teammates Sadie Morton and Tristan Stiffler, meaning the Hubs could be in for a monster season this fall.
In the weeks to come we will continue to share “peeks” at the fall season before we eventually transition to full team previews.
Below is a golfer-by-golfer look at our Top 16 area golfers in 2026:
Delaney Fuss, Senior, North Hagerstown
Fuss is back for her final season of high school golf following a junior campaign that saw her lead the Hubs to a 31-19-1 record and leave an impression in the postseason.
Carrying a 38.3 scoring average, Fuss shot the best full round of her career, a 79, at the Washington County Championships to finish as the girls runner-up. With Fuss spearheading the attack, North Hagerstown finished second in the team standings.
Fuss went on to shoot an 81 at the District 1 4A-3A Meet, before her season wrapped with a 91 at states.
With the graduation of Boonsboro star Piper Meredith — a four-time district and county champion who won a state title in 2024 — look for Fuss to pick up the mantle as the Washington County golfer to beat in 2026.
Sadie Morton, Senior, North Hagerstown
It’s hard not to get excited for the senior season of Morton, who demonstrated a knack for performing well in big moments last fall.
Morton posted a 42.2 scoring average and was a girls podium finisher at the Washington County Championships, which saw her shoot an 84 to claim third place. She went even lower with an 83 at the District 1 4A-3A Meet.
Morton capped off her sharp season by carding an 86-87-173 for a 17th-place finish at the MPSSAA Class 4A-3A tourney.
Tristan Stiffler, Junior, North Hagerstown
If Sadie Morton is considered the No. 2 golfer for the Hubs, consider Stiffler as North Hagerstown’s No. 2-A
Stiffler, who shot an 85 at the Washington County Meet last fall, held a 42.4 scoring average.
Camden Eby, Senior, Greencastle-Antrim
Eby is projected to return for his 12th-grade season after guiding the Blue Devils to a 20-win campaign in the Mid-Penn Colonial Division last fall.
Last season, Eby led the LocalNews1.org coverage area with a 79.33 scoring average.
Caiden Shacreaw, Senior, Waynesboro
Shacreaw is expected to return this fall after a 2025 season that saw him finish among area leaders with an 81.71 scoring average.
Shacreaw, who guided the Tribe to 15 wins in Colonial Division play, shot an 87 at the Mid-Penn Conference Championships Qualifier.
Bryce Davidson, Senior, Greencastle-Antrim
Davidson’s name is still very fresh in our minds after he helped guide the Blue Devils baseball squad to their first state championship in school history.
He’s also pretty good at golf.
Davidson, who carried an 84.0 scoring average last fall, shot an 85 at the Mid-Penn Conference Championships Qualifier.
Ben Kirchner, Sophomore, Smithsburg
The Leopards couldn’t have asked for a better debut season than the one they got from Kirchner last fall.
A CMC Small School First Team selection, Kirchner recorded a 43.2 scoring average and was Smithsburg’s top performer with an 84 at the Washington County Championships.
He went on to fire an 87 at the District 1 2A-1A Meet.
Jack Burns, Senior, South Hagerstown
South Hagerstown landed a third-place team finish at the 2025 Washington County meet, and Burns was partially to thank after shooting a 93.
Burns, who posted a 44.8 scoring average, took his game to another level by carding a 78 at the District 1 4A-3A Meet.
Aden Frank, Junior, Fairfield
Fairfield is counting on Frank to once again lead the way after he guided the Knights to a 16-9 record last season for second place in YAIAA Division III.
Frank showcased his talents at the District 3-2A Championships, shooting a 79-84-181 for 11th place.
Isabelle Studli, Junior, Fairfield
The sky is the limit for Studli, who enters this fall with plenty of confidence after a strong showing in the 2025 postseason.
Studli was the runner-up at the District 3-2A Championships with an 83-82-165. She dropped one stroke off of that score at states, where she shot an 83-81-164 for 18th place.
Abby Byers, Senior, Waynesboro
Byers, who doubles as the starting goalkeeper for Waynesboro’s girls soccer team, is primed for a breakout season on the golf course.
A multiple-time District 3-3A qualifier, Byers is coming off a junior season that saw her land fifth at the Mid-Penn Championships with an 85 and tie for 13th at districts with a 92-89-181.
Ty Cobb, Sophomore, Smithsburg
Cobb is expected to return after a freshman campaign where notched a 45.6 scoring average and picked up some valuable postseason experience.
After posting an 88 at the Washington County Championships, Cobb ended his season strong with an 83 at the District 1 2A-1A Meet.
Charlie Sweeney, Sophomore, Fairfield
A breakout soccer star for Fairfield who earned YAIAA III First Team honors as a freshman, Sweeney is also known to dabble in golf.
She claimed sixth at the District 3-2A Meet last season after carding a 97-101-198.
Kole Peiffer, Junior, Chambersburg
Look for Peiffer to be a leader for a Trojans squad hungry to improve upon a three-win season.
Peiffer, who carried an 84.83 scoring average, shot a 79 at the Mid-Penn Conference Championships Qualifier.
Landon Crable, Senior, Waynesboro
Crable is hoping to be a difference-maker for the Tribe after posting an 83.57 scoring average in 2025 and shooting an 82 at the Mid-Penn Conference Championships Qualifier.
Rylan Nichols, Senior, Waynesboro
With regulars like Nichols set to return to the Waynesboro lineup, the Tribe could be in for improvement in the win-loss column this fall.
Nichols, who owned an 85.86 scoring average last season, shot an 80 at the Mid-Penn Conference Championships Qualifier.
