The goal Tuesday was simply to advance. Joey Solt made sure there was no doubt about it.

The Palmerton golfer overcame some early trouble to shoot a 75 and finish atop the Class 2A field at the District 11 Golf Qualifier at Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort.

Solt played his final 13 holes at even par, including an even-par 36 on the back nine, to finish one shot ahead of Salisbury’s Jackson Skeans and lead a group of seven Times News-area golfers who advanced from the qualifying round.

“Joey played very solid and steady for his round,” Palmerton coach Alex Knoll said. “He knew this was just about qualifying for districts and played smart throughout the round. He has a lot of experience playing in big tournaments and will be ready for districts next week.”

Solt’s round featured three birdies and a steady response after an uneven opening stretch.

He bogeyed the first hole before getting the shot back with a birdie on the par-5 third. A double bogey at No. 4 and bogey at No. 5 followed, but Solt answered immediately with another birdie on the par-5 sixth.

A bogey at No. 9 sent him to the back nine with a 39.

Solt made pars on Nos. 10 and 11 before a bogey at No. 12. He followed with three consecutive pars and birdied the par-3 16th before closing with pars on the final two holes to finish with a 36 on the back.

Skeans made a charge after opening with a 41. The Salisbury golfer birdied Nos. 12 and 15 on his way to a 35 on the back, but a bogey on the par-3 18th left him with a 76.

Marian’s Carter Grant was the next-highest area finisher in Class 2A, tying for fifth with a 79.

Grant had extra motivation after missing a chance to advance by the narrowest of margins a year ago.

“Carter is a determined and talented golfer,” Marian coach Tom Jones said. “Last year he missed moving on to the district finals by one shot. He was not going to allow this to happen again this year.”

Jones said Grant had some issues with his putting during the league championships and, according to Grant’s father, spent hours working on it over the weekend.

“He put in the effort to get the results,” Jones said.

Grant opened with a bogey and double bogey before settling in. He played Nos. 3 through 13 in 1-under, making birdies at Nos. 6 and 12, and shot a 39 on the front and 40 on the back.

“Carter is an aggressive player that can serve him well or cost him a shot or two,” Jones said. “I could only guess that early on during his round he was a little too fired up and this was a contributor to his slow start. Once settled down, he played the way that he is capable of.”

Northwestern’s Jake Kozlowski also advanced after shooting an 83 to tie for 11th.

Tamaqua’s Brody Boyle and Northwestern’s Skylar Kern each shot 87 to tie for 18th and earn the final qualifying positions in Class 2A. Boyle shot a 45 on the front before improving to a 42 on the back, while Kern posted rounds of 44 and 43.

For Boyle, advancing came in his first appearance in a District 11 qualifier and his first time playing at Shawnee.

“After a great season, Brody didn’t get the results he was striving for at leagues, but I’m so very proud of him for grinding out that round today,” Tamaqua coach Matthew Stine said.

“It was his first time playing Shawnee and first time playing in a District Qualifier, and I thought he carried himself with poise and perseverance throughout the day. He will join his fellow sophomore teammate, Sam Vinc, in representing our school at the District Championship, which will be an excellent experience for them both.”

In Class 3A, Pleasant Valley teammates Drew Patascher and Noah Conklin matched each other with rounds of 77 to tie for ninth and advance. The Bears finished just two shots behind co-leaders Brady Rohn of Nazareth and Kolby Szarawarski of Southern Lehigh, who each shot 75.

“It was really fantastic to see both of them shoot 77 and make it to the district finals,” Pleasant Valley coach Steve Krechel said. “They have worked so hard all summer long, and to see it pay off means so much to them and the team.”

Conklin opened with a 37, highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 ninth. He added another birdie at No. 12 before a double bogey on the par-3 14th and bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 contributed to a 40 on the back.

“Noah was so thrilled with his round and had a huge smile the whole day,” Krechel said.

Patascher shot a 38 on the front and birdied the par-5 11th. A double bogey at No. 13 and bogey at No. 14 followed before he answered with a birdie on the par-3 16th. Bogeys on the final two holes left him with a 39 on the back.

“Drew was happy, but disappointed with his finish,” Krechel said. “Bogeys on 17 and 18. I knew Drew would play well after his 10th-place finish in the league tournament last week.”

Patascher shot an 82, and tied for 10th at the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Championship at Great Bear Golf Club last week.

The seven area golfers who advanced Tuesday will join those who earned exemptions into the District 11 Championships, including Vinc.

The boys Class 2A and 3A championship rounds are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 8:30 a.m. at Steel Club in Hellertown. Scores from the qualifying round do not carry over to the district championship.