Here is a look at the current state of some programs and what they will have coming back in 2024.

Changing of the Guard

The Division 2 Girls Golf landscape may be changing significantly in 2024. St. Vincent-St. Mary and Independence both had dominant runs but will need some young players to step up this fall. Both teams have two significant contributors returning from their state qualifying teams but will have some holes to fill to replace what they lose to graduation. For the Irish, Raygan Hoover and Reese Latta both gave four strong years to the program. Raygan’s younger sister Rylee along with Caitrin Coyle, both who will be juniors, will easily be the first two in St. V’s lineup. For the Blue Devils, Macey McGhee and Maria DeCapua will both be entering their senior seasons as the top players, but will need some help to replace Molly McGreal and Adriann Buyansky.

The uncertainty with the last year’s two dominant programs will open the door to some new blood in D2. One team that is looking to take advantage of that opportunity is the Southeast Pirates. Southeast missed going to the State Tournament by two strokes last year and will look to avenge that in 2024. The will lose one key piece of the 2023 team in Gracie Westover but return a deep, talented squad, which will also get some help from a strong freshman class. Senior Taylor Blazek will most likely stay in the top spot of the lineup. Other returners include juniors Aubree Varga and Adrianna Sloan.

In the far reaches of Northeast Ohio, the Edgewood Warriors will be really looking forward to the 2024 season. Edgewood will return their entire lineup from last season. Although they did not make it to Districts, Edgewood should have some very high goals for this upcoming season. Seniors Avery Vencill and Emma Hart-Wood will once again team up with juniors Annie Johnston and Zoe Naus to look to make something special happen in Ashtabula.

East Canton, like Edgewood will see their entire lineup look exactly the same this fall. With a little improvement over their results last year, 2024 could be the best team the Hornets have had. Senior Mia Steigerwald, her sophomore sister Meghan Steigerwald, senior Elyse Mallette, and junior Charlie Robinson are a group that will be very ambitious once August rolls around.

Columbiana might not have a single superstar player, but they may also be the deepest D2 team in Northeast Ohio. The Clippers regularly rotate their young players into matches and tournaments to give them the most experience they can get. 2024 might be the culmination of that strategy. Sisters Ellie Jackson, who is a senior, and Maddie Jackson, a sophomore will lead Columbiana and will receive assistance from seniors Hailey Muntean, Annaka Patrick, and Mackenzie Day along with juniors Sophia Perry, Sydney Spaite, Hannah Moffet, and Emma Gazzaniga. Sophomore Claire Banner will also contribute to the Clippers this year.

Possibly the most surprising team in the area in 2023 was Orange High School. Freshman Anuja Patel became a household name by the end of the season and will look to build on that success during her sophomore year. Two seniors, Tessa Kemelhar and Bree Turner, will join junior Alex O’Connor to provide the depth the Lions need to compete for a trip to the State Tournament. Orange is yet another school that returns their entire starting lineup and that experience will be crucial, especially when competing in Division 2, where many teams are not exceptionally deep.

A final team bringing back their entire starting lineup and on the verge of being competitive is the Bristol Panthers. They will need to take a big step in 2024 but it is possible to see them making a run to Districts and competing to go even further. Senior Addison Williams will lead the Panthers and will receive some help from sophomore Anistyn Williams along with juniors Kayden Gillin and Ava Stammer.

Time to Get Going

Lorain County has a team to keep an eye on. The Keystone Wildcats have quietly been growing their program to the point where 2024 will be a season where they could compete at the highest level. Keystone has built the foundation needed to be successful with seniors Emma Feakins and Lucy Cook. Junior Alexis Askew will also be a strong scorer for the Wildcats. With these three and some talented freshmen rising up, Keystone will be ready to make a run.

Chagrin Falls has had high hopes over the last couple seasons but have struggled to play well at the right times. That could very well change in 2024 as the Tigers have a talented freshman class coming up to assist the team in fighting for a Chagrin Valley Conference crown. Junior Reagan Burnight and senior Gracie Ryan are the returning contributors and the Tigers will also look for some help from a decent sized roster of experienced players.

Sitting right on the outskirts, looking for a place at the table in the D2 conversation are the Vikings from LaBrae High School. Madison Touart, a strong player, will enter her senior year ready for LaBrae to break through. Junior Mia Sloan and sophomore Riley Rowe will help Touart and the rest of the Vikings look to accomplish all they can in 2024.

Hard to Replace

Alongside Independence and St. Vincent-St. Mary, there are several other schools that will need to replace some key pieces in order to stay competitive. Perry will have to learn to play without graduate Emily Capitosti. They will rely heavily on returners Addie Trefzger and Jillian Peters, a senior and junior respectively. Canton South loses three key parts and will have a very young team, led by juniors Hailey Franks and Leah Cramer. Rootstown, minus Audrey Francis, will be a junior dominant team with several players looking to break out. Lake Catholic is in a similar situation, losing Theresa Lazanich. They will have a young core that will look to build together. Finally, Laurel, coming off a trip to the State Tournament will not be able to replace Siena Maschke, who won the individual state championship. They will need junior Elizabeth Weingart to step up and lead an inexperienced group to improve throughout the season.