Thanks, guys. PSUTuna, you’re correct – it wasn’t a true fit… More of a height match + which felt better between the two. I can’t fault the guy… I’m not dropping a ton of coin on the more serious stuff and I’m sure he did the best he could with the tools and training given to him. It’s a great shop (I worked there 20 years ago when I was 14) with outstanding service. He did a lot better than I did when I was in his shoes!
I’ll look into some stem options… I think a longer stem might have made the 17.5 a better fit, as I felt too upright and like I was pedaling straight down as opposed to "pushing" the bike from a more aggressive position.