Leading off today: Many students will be writing the requisite "how I spent my summer vacation" essay when school resumes next month. Yarik Merkulov's scribblings will more likely resemble a book.

   Merkulov, a rising senior at Penfield, carded eight birdies, an eagle and no bogeys en route to a final-round 61 yesterday to repeat as New York State Golf Association Junior Amateur champion at Skaneateles Country Club. His two-round total of 134 beat Andrew Lane and Auburn's Eric Edmunds by 10 strokes, and the 61 destroyed the club's competitive-round record of 67.

   The non-competive record on the 6,424-yard layout is believed to have been a 62 or 63 by longtime PGA professional Tom Scherrer, who grew up playing the course.

   "I was just in a zone today," Merkulov told The Post-Standard. "I felt like over every shot today that I was going to hole it — even if it was a tee shot. ... It was kind of an unusual sense of confidence that I had out there today."

   Merkulov trailed Lane and Ben Kircher, both members of the McQuaid golf team, by one shot entering the final round. He was coming off a victory at the state amateur and also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur last month. Merkulov tied for fifth last month at the Rochester District Golf Association championship, which was won by Pittsford Mendon's Gavin Hall, 14.

   Hours before Merkulov tore up the course, Hall shot a 6-under 65 to win his second straight Boys Amateur crown (an event captured by Merkulov in 2006) by 13 shots over Danny Drummond of C.G. Finney. Hall finished with a 133 score for 36 holes.

   Merulov was second and Hall 13th at the NYSPHSAA tournament in the spring.

   Catching up with the Harris brothers: Rising senior Tobias Harris, NYSSWA Class A basketball co-player of the year as a junior, has become a consensus top 20 player in his recruiting class and is drawing raves for his offensive skills according to Newsday.

   Harris, who led Long Island Lutheran to the Federation title in March before transferring back to Half Hollow Hills West, is being pursued by just about every major college a fan of the sport can name. He expects to narrow his college list to five this month and announce a final choice in November. He could sign then or wait until the spring.

   Meanwhile, rising junior Tyler Harris, 15, who also transferred back to HHHW, will reclassify after graduating in June 2011, NYCHoops.net reported.

NYSSWA All-Sport Championship MAIN | 2008-09 top overall school scores Class-by-class boys | Class-by-class girls More about the NYSSWA All-Sport Championship

   The site said the disclosure came via e-mail from the players' father, Torrel Harris.

   Torrel Harris said Tobias and Tyler both started school a year early, in part to cut the expense of day care.

   "We have decided as a family that after graduation from high school at Half Hollow Hills High School West he will enroll as a post grad at an undecided prep school; re-classifying as a graduate of his actual class, 2012," he stated in the e-mail.

   More hoops developments: DaJuan Coleman, a rising soph at Jamesville-DeWitt, has been added to the roster for the Boost Mobile Elite 24 basketball game Aug. 21 at Rucker Park in New York City.

   The 6-foot-8 center helped J-D win the NYSPHSAA Class A championship with 18 points and 18 rebounds in the epic OT final vs. Peekskill.

   Can rivals unite? It may not happen soon — or at all for that matter. But there is merger talk in the air in Section 2 as CBA and LaSalle mave been pondering ways to cut costs and boost enrollment during these tough economic times.

   CBA in Colonie and La Salle in Troy, both all-male and more than 150 years old, are spirited rivals in many sports. That will make for some very emotional debate if the schools do go down the path toward a merger.