Carrollton and Massillon were division champions in the Tri-County Conference in 2023 and will both look to repeat that task. Garaway is always a strong, non-Northeast District contender as well. For the Northeast District teams, Massillon should have a good chance to be on top of their division once again, as they return a team with a good amount of depth and consistency. Dover is a team that will be right up there with the Tigers, as the Tornadoes will be led by senior Miya Downing. Marlington will be competitive if they are able to find a quality fourth scorer. The Dukes will once again rely on superstar senior Zoe Mort to put up low numbers this fall. Canton South brings back a strong top of the lineup, and like Marlington, will need to supplement their top scorers. New Philadelphia, Northwest, Louisville, and West Branch are all in a rebuild but have promise for the future.
Impact Players
Angelina Boyles (SO) Fairless Sadie Compher (JR) New Philadelphia Leah Cramer (JR) Canton South Miya Downing (SR) Dover Hanna Farris (JR) Massillon Mallory Findley (SR) Massillon Hailey Franks (JR) Canton South Alexandria Frey (SR) Massillon Chessie Hatheway (SR) Massillon Olivia Jackson (SR) New Philadelphia Grace McGeehen (SO) Alliance Hayden Mesler (SR) West Branch Mady Misch (JR) Marlington Zoe Mort (SR) Marlington Addison Rey (JR) Canton Central Catholic Isabella Tack (SR) Louisville Tatum Tylke (JR) Dover Sadie Villers (SR) Northwest Natalie Warner (JR) Louisville
Head Coach- David Mullett Last Year’s Results- 3rd at The Pines Sectional, 5th at Good Park District, Canton South Girls Golf had their greatest season in school history last year! A school record 18 wins and only 2 losses! A 3rd Place finish at Sectionals was amazing and it sent us to Districts where we finished 5th! We also won our first two 18 Hole Tournaments ever! We Won The Griffth Cup at Spring Hills Golf Course, and I must give a giant THANK YOU to Laura Traganza from Northwest for inviting us, and SPRING HILLS GOLF COURSE for being the greatest host of a tournament I have ever seen! Me and my girls were blown away by your kindness and hope to see you more often! Thanks again Gary and Greg, and I encourage everyone to go visit SPRING HILLS!!! Coach’s Comments- After an Amazing and School record breaking season last year for the Wildcats, this 2024 team will look a little bit different. We will be led by Juniors Hailey Franks and Leah Cramer!! I think they are ready to lead this team, but they will need some help if we are to make it back to the District Tournament!
Head Coach- Brian Schultz Last Year’s Results- 9th at The Pines Sectional Coach’s Comments- Coming off our best season ever last year, we are excited to get back at it this year as we continue to grow our program!
Head Coach- Shawn Dillon Last Year’s Results- 12th at The Elms Sectional, 10-8 Overall Record 6-2 EBC and 4-2 Tri-County. Zoe Mort made it to Districts. Coach’s Comments- Zoë Mort was Stark County POY and MVP in both Leagues. Hopefully we can get her to State this year. Our team is inexperienced but hopefully we can find our way.
Head Coach- Justin Van Dyke Last Year’s Results- 14th at The Elms Sectional, 14-4 Overall, 12-0 in Tri-County League, 1st in Tri-County Red Division Coach’s Comments- Massillon is going to be lead by plenty of Seniors this year and is hoping to have success this year including another undefeated league play and hopefully get a few individuals close to making it past Sectionals this year.
Head Coach- Laura Traganza Last Year’s Results- 11th at The Pines Sectional Coach’s Comments- Improving your game is a personal responsibility and takes effort.
The Western Reserve Conference could end up being a very competitive two team race in 2024. There are many young players, especially sophomores, to watch as the conference season progresses. Returning champion Kenston will face a significant challenge from the Mayfield Wildcats at the top of the conference. Kenston has a deeper lineup than Mayfield but the Wildcats have a little more star power at the top, especially after the special rookie year of Julie Paradise. Willoughby South could be more of a factor than they have in the past. Chardon is never a team to take lightly but they will need to improve from their effort last season. Eastlake North will have the best player in the conference, senior Lauren Iannetta, who could single-handedly make the Rangers competitive in the league. Another ripple in the conference is the Riverside Beavers, who haven’t had a full team in the past, but are building toward something that could be special. They will be a team to look out for as their program grows.
Impact Players
Sydney Barker (SO) Riverside Cameron Gerlica (JR) Chardon Lauren Iannetta (SR) Eastlake North Stefania Mighton (SO) Kenston Lucy Moran (JR) Mayfield Kaylee Naymik (SO) Riverside Michaela Nocera (SR) Willoughby South Julie Paradise (SO) Mayfield Ava Solak (SO) Kenston
A huge thank you to the many coaches who took the time to send in their team information!
Alliance Aviators
Coach- Jeff Graffice Conference- Eastern Buckeye Conference Home Course- Sleepy Hollow Team Website Schedule Last Year’s Results- 0-10
Returning Players Ben Craig- 12th Cade Blatt- 12th Adam Burse- 12th Evan Winans- 12th
Potential New Contributors Cainen Baker- 11th
Coach Comments- We are trying to improve each day out to be competitive
Amherst Comets
Coach- Mitch Gillam Conference- Southwestern Conference Home Course- Fox Creek Golf Club Team Website Schedule Last Year’s Results- 7-0 in dual matches. Southwest Conference Champions, SWC Tournament Champions, SWC Mid Year Tournament Champions, Midview Invitational Champions, Bellevue Invitational Champions, Ravenna Yank Heisler Champions, Keystone Invitational Champions. Sectional Runner-Up, Edison Invitational Runner-Up, Norwalk Jim Denos Runner-Up, SWC Preview Runner-Up, Elyria Catholic Invitational Runner-Up.
Returning Players Prince Tran- 12th Jacob Sprinkle- 12th Alek Kissane- 11th
Potential New Contributors Michael Haddix- 12th Jordan Miller- 11th Landon Wolf- 11th Jaxson Yoder- 10th
Coach Comments- Returning three all conference players. Prince Tran SWC POY, Alek Kissane 2nd team and Jacob Sprinkle an honorable mention selection. Several solid newcomers will be counted on for scoring depth. Posting a solid 4th score will be the key to the season.
Aurora Greenmen
Coach- Gus Mehallis Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Walden and Barrington Last Year’s Results- 3rd in Suburban League- American
Coach Comments- Strengths – our experience and depth and our desire to practice and improve. Keys to Success – getting off to a good start, staying positive, and making good decisions.
Barberton Magics
Coach- David Kaser Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Pine Valley Team Website Schedule Instagram- @magics_golf Last Year’s Results- Record was 8-3, League finish was 6th place
Returning Players Marco Silva- 12th Cole Macko- 12th Maverick Oktela- 12th Tony Arthur- 11th
Potential New Contributors Braylon Trout- 12th Vincent Wieland- 12th
Coach Comments- Our top 2 golfers have been improving every year and look to do the same for their senior seasons. Marco Silva has advanced to districts the last two years.
Bay Rockets
Coach- Rick Manderine Conference- Cleveland West Conference Home Course- Legacy Last Season’s Results- Overall Record 81-27 Great Lake Conference 27-6 Dual Record 11-3, Tournament Results: 1st: Pioneer Classic, 3rd: GLC Championship, 3rd: GLC Preview, 3rd: Keystone Classic
Returning Players Ian Williams- 12th Jack Chalmers- 12th Travis Ropelewski- 11th Ryan Reed- 12th Ben Shuster- 12th Jayson Miller- 11th Trevor Ormsby- 11th
Potential New Contributors Tommy Mack- 12th Ben Wagner- 11th Jayden Perrine- 11th Matthew Mileti- 10th Emmitt Naughton- 10th
Coach Comments- The Bay Village squad is returning three high level players from last season. Our team goals are high. (Sr.) Ian Williams will be a force for the up-coming season. He is one of the elite players in the area. Ian’s been an integral player the past two seasons earning 1st GLC honors both seasons.
(Sr.) Jack Chalmers will join forces with Ian to be the catalysts of the squad. Jack earned 2nd team GLC honors last season. He’s played all summer and is ready to take the next step. Jack is a smart player that grinds out pars.
(Soph.) Travis Ropelewski will round-out the top three. He gained valuable experience at the varsity level last season, earning 2nd team GLC honors. Travis plays with power. He’s a high level competitor. His short game is improving.
All three are strong iron players. With improved consistency and decision making, they can all become elite players in the area. They are putting in the work and are ready to make some noise @ D-2.
We are looking forward to a competitive season. Our goal is to compete with the high level teams in the area, win the GLC Championship and make a run deep into the Division II tournament. It will be an exciting season for the Rockets.
Berea-Midpark Titans
Coach- Jim Cook Conference- Southwestern Conference Home Course- Royal Crest Golf Club
Returning Players Andrew Greger- 12th Luke Nedoma- 11th Oliver Marcelo- 10th LJ Krek- 12th Luca Santori- 12th
Potential New Contributors Leo Smith- 12th Gavin Wagner- 10th
Coach Comments- Our team had no seniors last year but was a mix of players with varsity experience added by a couple of hungry Freshman players. I look forward to the team taking the next step in conference & tournament play.
Brunswick Blue Devils
Coach- Colin Smith Conference- Greater Cleveland Conference Home Course- Pine Hills Schedule Twitter- @brunswickhsgolf Last Year’s Results- Shot a season low at Sectionals (Goodpark)
Coach Comments- Really looking forward to another season of growth. The Varsity team has a good core of returning players, and we are excited to see how some of the young players will progress.
Canfield Cardinals
Coach- Michael Kerensky Conference- All-American Conference Home Course- Mill Creek Metroparks Schedule Last Year’s Results- 8-0 Head-to-Head
Returning Players Jake DeLisio- 12th Michael Ambrose- 11th Nathan Miller- 11th Bryce Roberts- 11th Danny Chaplow- 10th
Coach Comments- I am looking forward to working with this group of men as they are first and foremost, team-oriented and all have the same goal on their minds.
Firestone Falcons
Coach- Scott Westphal Conference- Independent Home Course- Good Park Golf Course
Potential New Contributors Eddie Karam- 9th Patrick Arway- 11th Gavin France- 11th
Coach Comments- We will have a mix of some returning experience and some new faces on Varsity. Excited for the incoming freshman class and their potential.
Harvey Red Raiders
Coach- Scott Cummings Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference Home Course- Painesville Country Club Facebook- Harvey Red Raider Golf Team Last Year’s Results- 12-6, 3rd in CVC Chagrin
Potential New Contributors Adam Raphael- 10th Luke Cvelbar- 10th
Coach Comments- We have a good group of return lettermen this year who understand we have an opportunity to win the conference. I will come down to their execution and contributions of our newcomers to be a complete success. They are up to the challenge.
Archbishop Hoban Knights
Coach- Quinn Parker Conference- Independent Home Course- Mud Run Golf Course Twitter- @Hobanboysgolf Last Year’s Results- Division 1 State Runner-Up
Returning Players Brett Bagatti- 12th Ray Dress- 12th Braden Herstich- 12th Chris Pollak- 12th Ethan Cooper- 11th Ben Berridge- 10th Carter Stircula- 10th Thomas Grasson- 10th
Potential New Contributors Ray Koeberle- 9th
Coach Comments- This team will be led by are four seniors. All of the returning golfers have had really good spring/summer tournament season so far. I believe this could be a very special year for this group. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish.
Hoover Vikings
Coach- Scott Snyder Conference- Federal League Home Course- Arrowhead Golf Course Team Website Last Year’s Results- 3rd place in the league, 8th place in the sectionals
Returning Players Dan Gambone- 12th Luke Stutzman- 12th Carter Russell- 12th Joey Stehura- 10th Owen Casper- 10th
Potential New Contributors Anthony Gambone- 9th Carter Hershberger- 9th
Coach Comments- We’re excited about the upcoming season. We have several returning players with quite a bit of experience and a good incoming freshman class.
Hudson Explorers
Coach- Matt Villenauve and Dave Kurtz Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Country Club of Hudson Team Website Twitter- @hudsongolfrocks Last Year’s Results- Suburban League Champions, Windmill Sectional-1st, Pine Hills District-1st, State Tournament-Team 10th, Sam Fauver 9th
Returning Players Sam Fauver- 12th Ben Fauver- 10th Benjamin Matava- 12th Jerry Du- 10th Adam Ruffer- 12th Koen Vanscoy- 11th
Jackson Polar Bears
Coach- Jim Kish Conference- Federal League Home Course- Shady Hollow CC and The Legends of Massillon Last Year’s Results- 1st in Federal League, 1st place sectionals, 5th place district, 9th place state
Coach Comments- We will need several young players that need to step up for us to be competitive this year.
Kent Roosevelt Rough Riders
Coach- Ben Curtis Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Windmill Lakes Golf Course
Returning Players Liam Curtis- 12th Jack Puhalla- 12th Jack Flynn- 11th
Potential New Contributors Owen Puhalla- 10th Deacon Smith- 11th Jackson Turner- 9th
Coach Comments- Returning is 2nd Team All State, POY in Suburban League Liam Curtis and a couple of experienced players in Jack Puhalla and Jack Flynn who both showed signs of improvement last year. Also looking forward to upcoming players Deacon Smith, Owen Puhalla and freshman Jackson Turner. Replacing experienced players who have graduated to new ones is always a challenge but look forward to helping and seeing these younger players develop their golf games and provide a great experience.
Louisville Leopards
Coach- Michael McFerren Conference- Independent Home Course- Sleepy Hollow Golf Club Facebook- Louisville Leopard Boy’s Golf Last Year’s Results- 6-1
Returning Players Michael Filipowicz- 12th Braden Frank- 11th
Coach Comments- We lost our #1, #2, #3, and #4 golfers from last year, 3 of which were 4 year letter winners. We are going to be VERY inexperienced this year. We have a lot of players that are going to be trying out this year, many of which are multi-sport athletes doing so for the first time. It will be a growing year, hopefully we will see our scores drop throughout the year and we will have a few guys step up to take the 4 open spots in our line-up.
Massillon Tigers
Coach- Josh Sykora Conference- Independent Home Course- Legends of Massillon Twitter- @MTigerBGolf Last Year’s Results- The 2023 season was one of the best on record for the Tigers. We had a winning percentage of 76%. We played 18 invitationals and the Tigers recorded 4 second place finishes and 17 top 10 finishes. Owen Robinson was a District Qualifier. We graduated 4 of our top 5 guys with 3 of them going onto to play at the collegiate level.
Returning Players Aiden Koehler–11th
Potential New Contributors Carter Maxheimer–9th Mason Simons–9th
Coach Comments- We will be in a rebuilding year for the 2024 season. Rising Junior Aiden Koehler has been a strong leader all off season and is a player to keep an eye on.
Medina Bees
Coach- Mike Mozingo Conference- Greater Cleveland Conference Home Course- Fox Meadow Twitter- @medinabeesgolf Last Year’s Results- 5X GCC champions. Sectional runner up. 7th in District
Coach Comments- Looking forward to a season full of potential
Mentor Cardinals
Coach- Neil Grantz Conference- Greater Cleveland Conference Home Course- Black Brook Last Year’s Results- Andrew Betz qualified to the District Tournament as an individual. We were fourth in the Greater Cleveland Conference.
Returning Players Johnny Prentice- 12th Josh Michaels- 12th Carter Briskey- 10th
Potential New Contributors Matt Andre- 10th Andrew Engler- 10th
Coach Comments- Our 2 seniors had surgery. I don’t know if they will be ready at the beginning of the golf season. The 3 sophomores showed much promise as freshmen. My guess looking at the players trying out is that we are going to have a very young team with a lot of potential for growth.
Midview Middies
Head Coach- Kyle Zimmer Conference- Southwestern Conference Home Course- Brentwood Twitter- @MidviewBoysGolf Last Year’s Results- 7-5 overall, 3-4 conference, 10th place sectional
Returning Players Ryan Kemer- 12th Ethan Taylor- 12th Jon Klooz- 11th Patrick Dolin- 11th
North Olmsted Eagles
Coach- Brian Posendek Conference- Cleveland West Conference Home Course- Springvale GC Schedule Twitter- @NOEagles Last Year’s Results- Sectional – 11th Place
Coach Comments- Returning varsity players Landon Graff and Jacob Schneid look to lead the Eagles this year. Kody Schneid will continue to provide consistency at the varsity level. New comer Jake Perkins looks to introduce himself to the CWC with his consistent play.
North Ridgeville Rangers
Coach- Mike Belpulsi Conference- Southwestern Conference Home Course- Pine Brook Twitter- @coachbelpulsi Last Year’s Results- 2-7
Returning Players Kyle Urban- 12th Nicky Mealey- 12th Nick Forristal- 12th Tyeson Carter- 12th Parker Prince- 12th Michael Shulte- 11th
Potential New Players Josh Behlke- 11th Ethan Crevda- 11th Matt Luca- 10th Mason Limpert- 10th James Kingery- 10th
North Royalton Bears
Coach- Steven Sprunger Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Hinckley Hills Last Year’s Results- 4th place in the Suburban League National League. Overall dual match record of 5-3. No qualifiers to district
Returning Players Charlie Wilson- 12th Ryan Kuchta- 12th Ethan Gubacz- 11th Jackson Cavenaugh- 11th Patrick Mansbery- 10th Lucas Stringer- 10th Ryan Wilson- 10th
Potential New Contributors Tyler Kimmel- 10th Zach Horiba- 10th
Coach Comments- I am hoping to see some big steps from our sophomores to assist our great seniors to achieve our goal of getting back to the district tournament.
Revere Minutemen
Coach- David Archer Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Fairlawn Country Club Schedule Twitter- @minutemengolf Last Year’s Results- Won the Mapleton Invitational (1st of 15), Finished top 5 in 4 of 6 Invitationals entered before then taking 3rd place at the Good Park D1 NE Sectional tournament and moving on to District play.
Returning Players Jack Kinder- 12th Angelo Levak- 12th Liam Gartland- 12th Tommy Kinder- 10th Jack Skidmore- 11th
Potential New Contributors Andrew Ash- 10th Charles Rogers- 10th
Coach Comments- The boys may have surprised themselves a bit last year, but now they’re excited about what more they can do. Our focus will be on putting in the time to get just a little bit better every time out.
Riverside Beavers
Coach- Mike Pickett, PGA Conference- Western Reserve Conference Home Course- Little Mountain CC and Quail Hollow CC Last Year’s Results- Undefeated 10-0 in WRC Conference Matches, WRC Season-Long Team Champions, Qualified out of Sectionals at Quail to go to Districts as a team.
Coach- Paul Roby Conference- Cleveland West Conference Home Course- Big Met Golf Course Team Website Schedule Twitter – @RR_BoysGolf Last Year’s Results- 11-1 on the season, 3rd at Sectional, 7th at District
Returning Players Caden Lawrence- 10th
Potential New Contributors Max Lehmann- 12th Finn Potts- 11th Joe Brant- 12th Nolan Toole- 10th Noah Opdycke- 11th Angelo Fiutem- 11th
Coach Comments- Entering my first year as the head coach of the Rocky River High School Boys Golf team is an incredible honor. We have a talented group of young men who are dedicated to improving their skills and achieving their goals. Our focus will be on building a strong team spirit, honing our techniques, and enjoying the game. I’m excited to see how our hard work pays off on the course and to watch these players grow both as golfers and as individuals.
Saint Edward Eagles
Coach- Douglas Sessor Conference- Independent Team Website Twitter- @sehs_golf Instagram- sehs_golf_eagles Last Year’s Results- 4th place Sectionals, 1 individual district qualifier
Returning Players Vinh Lai- 12th Michael Tyler Polca- 12th Sean Curran- 12th
Potential New Contributors Nick Yonadi- 9th Ryan McGuire- 12th Chris Najda- 11th Rocco DeBolt- 9th Sam Variglotti- 10th Charlie McGurer- 12th Carson Torek- 10th Evan Duenas- 11th
Coach Comments- Another strong off season for our program. Our youth camps were very successful along with our squad playing a very competitive schedule. Once again, the overall outlook is on reaching our potential as a person & golfer. Qualifying for OHSAA states will and always be our direction. This season we are tasked with filling the slots left by multi-year captain Jack Myslenski and Thomas Marshall.
Saint Ignatius Wildcats
Coach- Kevin Neitzel Conference- Independent Home Course- Elyria Country Club Team Website Last Year’s Results- Last year the team finished 7th in the State at Scarlet. Bradley Chill was 2nd team All State. Finished in first place at Sectionals played at Quail Hollow with a score of 302. Finished 3rd place at Districts with a score of 301.
Returning Players Craig Carneval- 12th Joseph Maloof- 11th Alex Stiegele- 11th Fitch Farina- 10th Kyle Malicki- 10th Dominic Castellucio- 10th Ryan Hvizd- 12th Jackson Sommers- 11th
Potential New Contributors Patrick Myers- 9th Ethan White- 9th
Coach Comments- We look forward to the season as we have a young but talented group of young men. We have a deep team that will be unified and push each other to be their best.
Saint Vincent-Saint Mary Irish
Coach- Jim Currie Conference- Independent Home Course- Good Park Team Website Instagram- stvmboysgolf Twitter- @stvmboysgolf Last Year’s Results- 10-3 in matches. 2nc at the St Eds Tournament, 5th place finishes at Strongsville, CVCA, Alliance, TCC Inv, Cardinal Classic, Nordonia, Rough Rider Inv and Midwest Prep Classic. 5th at the Windmill Lakes Sectional. Paul Witschey advanced to the District tournament at Pine Hills where he tied for 27th
Returning Players Paul Witschey- 12th Nick Wierzbicki- 12th Angelo Puglia- 12th Jackson Vesco- 12th Nate Sparhawk- 11th
Potential New Contributors Matt Large- 12th Quinn Yori- 11th
Coach Comments- The seniors need to lead us. We have the experience to be good, just need to be consistent and play well every time we play and see where the season takes us.
Shaker Heights Raiders
Coach- Paul Sampliner Conference- Greater Cleveland Conference Home Course- Highland Park GC and Shaker Heights CC Last Year’s Results- Team District Qualifier for the 4th year in a row.
Returning Players Joey Moore- 12th
Coach Comments- Rebuilding after graduating our top five players.
Stow-Munroe Falls Bulldogs
Coach- Chet Feldman Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Fox Den Last Year’s Results- Second in league and a state qualifier
Returning Players Austin Wilhoit Tyler Cheetham Eddie Norman AJ Halsne Oliver Huff
Potential New Contributors Gavin Schneider
Coach Comments- We have a great leader in Austin Wilhoit. I hope the other players watch his habits and emulate them and understand what it takes to be a great golfer and teammate.
Strongsville Mustangs
Coach- Steve King Conference- Greater Cleveland Conference Home Course- Bunker Hill Twitter- SHS_Golf14 Last Year’s Results- 4th Sectional, 2nd in GCC, District qualifier
Returning Players Harrison LaBahn- 12th Nick Colagiovanni- 11th
Tallmadge Blue Devils
Coach- Scott Campbell Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Brookledge Twitter- @Tallmadge_BGolf Last Year’s Results- 7th in Suburban
Returning Players Gabe Jones- 12th Warner Carter- 12th Andrew Byron- 11th
Potential New Contributors Caleb Reifsnyder- 12th Mario Case- 11th Jesse Ambrose- 11th Thomas Huth- 10th
Coach Comments- We will be lead by our 3 returning Varsity players and will look to be competitive. We are excited to see who will compete for our other Varsity spots.
University School Preppers
Coach- Aaron Sayre Conference- Independent Home Course- Sand Ridge Team Website Last Year’s Results- 2nd Place in Sectionals, 6th Place in Districts. 1st Place finish in the Reese Alexander Tournament 2023, Returning all starters (4 seniors).
Returning Players Adam Sands- 12th Jackson Pinney- 12th Ethan Roberts- 12th Slater School- 12th Bennett Johnson- 11th
Potential New Contributors Nathan Chege- 10th
Coach Comments- With 5 returning starters (3 of which are 4-year letterman golfers) expectations are high. We have missed the state tournament by a few strokes the past two years, and this year our attention is on qualifying as a team. Players to watch are our two senior captains Jackson Pinney and Ethan Roberts. Both players have potential to medal at any tournament they play in, and expect to shoot state qualifying scores.
Valley Forge Patriots
Coach- Mitchell Hartel Conference- Cleveland West Conference Home Course- Ridgewood Team Website Schedule Instagram- @vfhartel Last Year’s Results- Overall, we finished 7-5 last year, and pushed through one player, Ryan Repko, to the district tournament.
Returning Players Billy Jobes- 12th
Potential New Contributors Nick Turko- 11th Steve Baker- 12th Brandon Beach- 12th Hera Obloy- 10th Myles Wisniewski- 10th Aidyn Petito- 10th Nolan Orlowski- 10th Brody Daniels- 10th Brandon Samarin- 12th
Coach Comments- After three straight winning seasons, the Valley Forge Golf Program saw the departure of five of its six student-athletes from a year ago due to graduation. With that being said, we are really excited about the new additions we are bringing on, and the youth movement that is coming along with that. Our hope and expectation is to get better one shot at a time this year, and use it as a learning year for many of the players in our program.
Wadsworth Grizzlies
Coach- Steve Ferris Conference- Suburban League Home Course- Pine Valley
Potential New Contributors Jack Ishee- 12th Ben Stuchal- 12th Chase Otradovec- 10th Colin Gerber- 11th
Coach Comments- We have high expectations this year. I believe Landon & Michael have a good chance to make it to the State Tournament.
Walsh Jesuit Warriors
Coach- Bill Reilly, PGA Conference- Independent Home Course- Ellsworth Meadows and Brookledge GC Twitter- @WJHS_golf Last Year’s Results- Men’s varsity golf team had another very successful campaign in 2023 The team had seven top three finishes throughout the season, including two championships, crown conference and Strongsville invitational. 3rd Red Tail,WJ, Ashland, 2nd Green Invt and sectional. The team did not make it to the state championship this year, but was led individually by sophomore, Anthony Spain, who did qualify and finish 21st in the state.
Returning Players Anthony Spain- 10th Steven Voinovich- 12th Ryan Czenszak- 11th
Potential New Contributors Logan Mackey- 12th Mossimo Russo- 10th Ben Yeager- 10th Matthew Czenszak- 9th
Coach Comments- Individual Personal bests were achieved this past year as 72-73 (145) from Junior, Steven Voinovich, 71 from Anthony Spain 73 from Ryan Czenszak. The Warriors look to be very strong this year led by the experience of Voinovich, Czenszak, Spain, additionally, Logan Mackey, Mossimo Russo, Matthew Czenszak and Ben Yeager. These gentlemen will offer a great push to a very positive post season run.
Westlake Demons
Coach- Luke Harris Conference- Cleveland West Conference Home Course- Big Met Team Website Schedule Twitter- @Demons_Golf Last Year’s Results- Undefeated in conference play, won GLC, 1st place at EC Golf Invite, 1st place at GLC Preview, 2nd place at Midview Invite, made it to Districts
Coach Comments- We lost our State contender Sion Park as well as two of or consistent scoring seniors. However, Mitch England and Josh Turk have made large strides and are ready to be major contributors. In addition, rising Sophomore Peyton Wolf was one of the best 9th graders in the area last season. Look for him having a breakout season this year.
Willoughby South Rebels
Coach- Matt Fundak Conference- Western Reserve Conference Home Course- Manakiki Twitter- @SouthRebelGolf Last Year’s Results- 11-7, Western Reserve Tournament Champions, Michael Lavrisha – District Qualifier
Returning Players Michael Lavrisha- 12th Tyler Hace-11th James Miller- 12th Ralph Zappola-10th Lukas Gennarelli- 12th
Coach Comments- We hope our off season work pays off this fall.
Wooster Generals
Coach- Brent Dillon Conference- Ohio Cardinal Conference Home Course- Wooster Country Club Schedule Twitter- @woogolf Last Year’s Results- 3rd place OCC
Returning Players Sam Fleming- 12th Aidan Cleveland- 12th Anthony Long- 12th Grady Hahn- 11th Andon Hart- 11th
Potential New Contributors Colton Lawrence- 11th Riley Jones- 12th
A huge thank you to the many coaches who took the time to send in their team information!
Beachwood Bison
Coach- Drew Pierson Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference Home Course- Highland Park Team Website Schedule Last Year’s Results- Last season we were 2-2 in the CVC Conference Metro Division and 5-7 in head to head matches. We finished in 10th place in the Boys Division 2 Sectional at Pine Hills.
Coach Comments- We are a young team and are returning all of our starting lineup from last season. We are lead by Gavi Lappen who tied for 1st Place individually in the Metro Division of the CVC Conference Championship. Also showing promise is Ethan Malek. I expect us to contend to make it out to Districts. We have multiple players who have the potential to qualify individually.
Chagrin Falls Tigers
Coach- Anne Caja Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference Home Course- Tanglewood Club Team Website Schedule Last Year’s Results- 4th in State Championship; District – 2nd place; Sectionals – 1st Place; finished in top 5 in 5 tournaments
Returning Players Charlie Pollock- 12th Jack Watson- 11th Brad Russell- 12th Noah Riman- 10th Xander Burnight- 12th
Coach Comments- Charlie Pollock, a 2023 All-Ohio player, is returning to hopefully lead us into the State Championship for the third straight year. We will also have Jack Watson, Brad Russell, Noah Risman returning with State experience. These guys along with over 6 other returning members have been working hard during the off-season and summer tournament play to reach our team and personal goals.
CVCA Royals
Coach- Adam Armstrong Conference- North Coast Conference Home Course- Brookledge Golf Course Last Year’s Results- 2nd in PAC, 2nd Place @ Sectionals, 8th Place @ Districts
Returning Players Andrew Van Hala- 10th Cord Steigmeier- 12th Carter Klein- 12th
Coach Comments- With three quality players returning to our varsity squad and with a competitive JV program we hope to field a competitive team from our #1 to our #5 golfer.
Gilmour Academy Lancers
Coach- Andy Deehr Conference- Independent Team Website Schedule Twitter- @GALancerBGolf Instagram- @galancerbgolf Threads- galancerbgolf Last Year’s Results- 1st place Karpis Invitational, 1st place Margaretta Invitational, 1st place Sectionals (Pine Hills), 3rd place Tiger Invitational, 3-1 Match Record
Returning Players Ryan Panzica- 11th Aedan Aerni -11th Christian Kerner- 11th Mike Wu- 12th
Coach Comments- We lost a great core of Seniors last year with Charlie Tzefronis, Aidan McKito, and Hayden Lee. There will be a huge opportunity for the younger players to step up and perform. We are eager to see who that is this year to supplement our core of Ryan Panzica, Aedan Aerni, and Christian Kerner.
Hubbard Eagles
Coach- David Cooper Conference- Northeast 8 Conference Home Course- Pine Lakes Last Year’s Results- 3rd in sectionals and advanced to districts, league record 9-3 (3rd in Northeast 8), 10-7 over all
Returning Players Garrett Brajkovich- 12th Gabe Rusnak- 12th Jonathan Adamson- 11th Colten Smith- 11th
Potential New Contributors Chase Yoman- 12th Sam Wagner- 12th
Coach Comments- My expectations are high after last years success. The four returning varsity players give us a real chance at winning our league title and advancing through sectionals and districts. A state visit is the goal .
Keystone Wildcats
Coach- Greg Morgan Conference- Lorain County Conference Home Course- Grey Hawk Last Year’s Results- LC8 champions
Coach- Dale Lehrke Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference Home Course- Red Tail Golf Club Team Website Last Year’s Results- Conference Champions
Returning Players JJ Hughes- 12 Ray Pavlick- 11 Trey Kemper- 11 Peyton Wenz- 12 Ryan Albrecht- 11
Potential New Contributors Tommy Mattey- 12th Jackson Lundenberger- 12th
Coach Comments- We have a good mix of returning players and new players that I feel will contend for a conference championship as a team.
Marlington Dukes
Coach- Rick Snode Conference- Eastern Buckeye Conference Home Course- Tannenhauf Golf Club Last Year’s Results- 6-4, 3rd place
Returning Players Garett Dillon- 12th Sam Yoder- 12th Ben Warner- 10th
Potential New Contributors Deegan Cowden- 9th Isaac McIntyre- 11th Logan Misch- 10th
Coach Comments- Our top 3 should be strong, need our young players to step up.
Norton Panthers
Coach- Mike Maile Conference- Metro Athletic Conference Home Course- Spring Hills Last Year’s Results- 7-8 MAC, 5th place MAC tournament
Returning Players Matt Fowler Evan Easterling Will Goff Noah Landers
Potential New Contributors Jack Pazernak Braden Gunter Stone Hardy
Coach Comments- Norton will compete in every match.
Orange Lions
Coach- Rick Clark Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference Home Course- Highland, Country, Mayfield Twitter- @OHSBoysGolf Last Year’s Results- Qualified for D2 district tournament with a 3rd place showing at Pine Hills in Sectionals.
Potential New Contributors Russell Melvey- 10th Michael Nemer- 10th Dillon Mathur- 10th
Coach Comments- We are going to be an overall young team this upcoming season, but we are looking for some of our young players to take a step forward. Last year’s district appearance was an opportunity for that young group to gain valuable experience.
Springfield Spartans
Coach- Jack Morgan Conference- Metro Athletic Conference Home Course- Chenoweth Golf Course Team Website Last Year’s Results- 22 wins and 3 losses – 2023 Metro Athletic Conference Champions – Brady Hahn (Graduated) Division II State Qualifier
Potential New Contributors Jack Batton- 12th Trevor Murray- 12th Evan Reger- 11th Dominic Marcini- 10th
Coach Comments- We should be much improved this year with the individuals we have coming back and the new additions to the team. The competition level this year should be outstanding, on any given match, it could be any of the top 8 playing.
Tuslaw Mustangs
Coach- Matthew Halter Conference- PAC 7 Home Course- The Elms Country Club Team Website Last Year’s Results- 19-5 overall, 10-4 PAC 7 Conference – 3rd place, The Tuslaw 2023 team advanced to the District Tournament.
Returning Players Lincoln Cocklin- 11th Nick Lytle- 10th Kole Back- 10th
Coach Comments- We are going to be very young starting mostly freshmen and sophomores. However, the kids have put a lot of time in over the summer and will be ready to go. I look forward to watching grow and develop into solid players.
Ursuline Fighting Irish
Coach- Michael Murphy Conference- Independent Home Course- Henry Stambaugh Last Year’s Results- Sectional Champ, District Champ and 9th Place Boys d2 State Championship
Returning Players Nolan Froehlich- 12th Luke Rowland- 12th Anthony Bako- 11th Breen Dahman- 11th Finn Thornton-11th Alexander Simon- 11th
Potential New Contributors Christopher Sammartino- 10th Chase Ogden- 10th
Waynedale Golden Bears
Coach- Melinda Budd Conference- Wayne County Athletic League Home Course- Riceland Golf Course Team Website Last Year’s Results- Wayne County League Champions, Season Record 21-3 overall, WCAL record 16-2
Potential New Contributors Rayce Jacobs- 9th Sadie Gatti- 9th
Coach Comments- With several players returning with varsity experience we look to compete for league and tournament titles. Smithville and Dalton will be tough league and area opponents.
Wellington Dukes
Coach- Tom Guyer, Jr Conference- Lorain County Conference Home Course- Echo Valley
Potential New Contributors Zach Kehl- 9th Luke Sword- 9th James Wacker- 9th
Coach Comments- Wellington brings back some experienced golfers along with a promising group of freshman. Early development will be needed. Should that happen The Dukes will be a competitive-improving team this year
A huge thank you to the many coaches who took the time to send in their team information!
Cardinal Huskies
Coach- Mike Topalian Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference Home Course- Pleasant Hill Twitter- @CardinalHSGolf Last Year’s Results- Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Champions 8-0, Northeast District Qualifier D3, Sectional 3rd Place D3
Potential New Contributors Alex Henry- 12th Avery Goodman- 11th Ricky Fatica- 10th Noah Scharf- 9th Tanner Cochrane- 9th
Coach Comments- Logan North should have a breakout season.
Columbiana Clippers
Coach- Bob Hall Conference- Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference Home Course- Valley Golf Last Year’s Results- EOAC League Champs
Returning Players Blake Unger- 12th Trenton Hall- 10th David Masters- 10th Nick Klindworth- 10th Troy Fry- 10th Geoffrey Malcomson- 10th Alex Mascher- 10th
Potential New Contributors Beckett Wilson Thatcher Smith
Coach Comments- Very young team – looking to gain more experience & contend for league title
Kirtland Hornets
Coach- Sam Kless Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference Home Course- St. Denis Last Year’s Results- 7-12 in all matches
Returning Players Nick Nead- 10th Knox Crisci- 12th Ryan Green- 10th Danny Shafer- 11th Maggie Kothera- 11th Nolan VanLoan- 11th
Coach Comments- Should be very much improved from last year. Nick Nead is much improved and should have a very strong year.
LaBrae Vikings
Coach- James Bailey Conference- Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Home Course- Riverview Golf Course Last Year’s Results- 15-5. 2nd place MVAC Gray Tournament, 6th place D3 District at Riverview Golf Course
Returning Players Adam Bartholomew- 12th Austin Rowe- 11th Jacob Simpson- 10th
Coach Comments- Going to be inexperienced but working to get better every day.
Mineral Ridge Rams
Coach- Shawn Brown Conference- Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Home Course- Olde Dutch Mill Team Website Schedule Twitter- @RamGolf1 Last Year’s Results- 10-6 Record, 1st Place Mineral Ridge Invitational, 3rd in league.
Returning Players AJ Sandy- 12th Cody Gongaware- 12th RJ Jensen- 12th Jackson Geddes- 11th Grant Wiscott- 11th Eric Chirstoff- 11th Caiden Powell- 11th Vinny Simone- 10th Kyle Ague- 10th
Potential New Contributors Blake Basista- 11th Dylan Robbins- 9th
Coach Comments- We have an upperclassman heavy team with some experience. If they will put in the work and get better, then we should be competitive in the MVAC and maybe peak come tournament time.
Mogadore Wildcats
Coach- Chris Mossa Conference- Portage Trail Conference Home Course- Paradise Lakes GC Last Year’s Results- 14-5 record. District Qualifiers
New Players Jude Thiry- 11th Tyler Pendergast- 11th Tristyn McCaman- 12th Max Shannon- 10th
Potential New Contributors Gavin Gardner- 10th Noah Hopkins- 10th Alex Jarvis- 10th Mason Storey- 10th Landon Shaffer- 10th Jackson Lanham- 10th
Coach Comments- A very young team with lots of potential. Look for us to be playing our best golf by the end of the season. As always, we expect to compete for league, sectional, and district titles.
Open Door Christian Patriots
Coach- Eric Wagner Conference- Lake Effect Conference Home Course- Grey Hawk Team Website Schedule Last Year’s Results- 12-1, 1st place Lake Effect Conference, Lake Effect Conference Tournament Champs, Will Giesbrecht – district qualifier, Blake Hopkins – State qualifier
Returning Players Will Giesbrecht- 12th Titus Sooy- 12th Timothy Sooy- 12th Abby Hopkins- 11th Evan Reed- 11th Coltan Burrer- 11th
Sebring McKinley Trojans
Coach- Shannon Hutchison Conference- Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Home Course- Berlin Lake Golf Course Last Year’s Results- 0-16
Returning Players Michael Moyer- 12th Tate Wickersham- 12th Jay Zheng- 12th Connor Helmick- 10th
Potential New Contributors Reese Runyon- 12th
Coach Comments- We are still a young team of golfers with truly only one experienced golfer on the team. Looking forward to to another season with this group and hoping for a few wins this year. Hoping to find a few new players for next year with only one underclassman on the team.
Southern Local Indians
Coach- Kyle Exline Conference- Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference Home Course- Twin Springs GC Team Website Schedule Facebook Last Year’s Results- 7-13, 5th in EOAC
Coach Comments- While we return 6 out of our 9 golfers, there is still a “rawness” to the team. We are looking to replace last year’s number 1 with a group of student-athletes who are working hard to develop their game. After clawing out 7 wins last year while replacing 5 seniors from 2022, this group looks to create their own history and complete around the area.
Waterloo Vikings
Coach- Matthew Flanagan Conference- Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Home Course- Paradise Lake Country Club Twitter- @WHSVikingGolf Last Year’s Results- 15-5 overall, 10-2 League (2nd place), 4th place D3 Riverview Sectional
I am going to take a quick break from covering high school golf to share something that is really special to me. This past Sunday, I gathered some of my best friends, family members, fellow coaches, and Hudson golf alumni and we played in a fun, and slightly competitive, golf tournament at Manakiki Golf Course. I called it the Golden Age Classic to pay homage to my passion of golf course architecture but also because I truly feel that I am living in a golden age of my life. I have so many relationships that I hold so dear and it’s great to see those paths cross while doing something we all love and enjoy. Fittingly, we held the tournament at Willoughby’s Donald Ross gem, which fits right into my favorite era of golf course design.
The weather at Manakiki was perfect and the course showed its muscles for most of the players in the field. The par fives played formidable and the par threes actually were gettable. Michael Schuller overcame the difficult conditions by winning the men’s Black Division with an impressive +3 75, beating his closest competitors, Jerry Du and Brandon Sopko, by nine shots. Schuller birdied the first hole and didn’t drop a stroke until number 8. He finished +1 on the front nine and got some strokes back by getting birdie on the back-to-back par fives, 12 and 13. He played consistent golf from beginning to end, posting no score worse than bogey. High school phenom Jerry Du finished with an 84 and Brandon Sopko tied that score as he came in with the last group. Bobby Bolin and Devin Cunningham, one of four sibling rivalries on the course, ended up tying at 88, followed by Darren Butler and Ryan Sopko with 91.
In the men’s Blue Division, Fangming Du held off John Schuller by two shots and his 80 was good enough to take the title. He used a stellar short game to recover from a tough start. After bogeying three of the first four holes, Du turned it on and was five over par throughout the rest of the round. Having five scores of three on the scorecard always help keep scores down, and Du did just that as he parred all four par threes and birdied the dogleg right 16th hole. John Schuller played well but fell just short as he ended up with 40 on the front and 42 on the back. Sam Smith put up matching 43s on both nines to finish in third place. Gil Van Bokkelen had a strong front nine with 41 but a 47 on the back took him out of contention late. He tied with Cole Chluda, who played better on the back than the front.
The Du family was not done quite yet. 2023 high school graduate Sherry Du won a very competitive Women’s Division as she posted a six over par 78 to take home the trophy. She did not score worse than bogey and had an eight hole stretch of holes where she played even par with eight consecutive pars. Like her dad, Sherry also had par on each of Manakiki’s memorable par three holes. Finishing second was Julia Van Bokkelen with a very strong score of 80, followed by Ally Siewert’s 82. Lucille Petkac had a good showing with an 85 while Mallory Zammataro and Krystine Frisch finished in 5th and 6th place.
There are so many people to thank for making this tournament a success. First, the participants. You are some of the most important people in my life and some of my best friends. I am so happy we were able to spend a day together on the golf course doing something we can all bond over. A huge thanks goes out to Ryan and Emily Bolin and my amazing wife, Megan, for helping out with logistics and taking all the pictures that you see below. I’d also like to thank Ben Ladaika and Milt Johnson along with the entire staff at Manakiki for helping make this a reality. Also a huge thanks to all those who could not attend this year but were supportive of this venture. We hope to have even more participants next year!
Final Results
Women’s Red Division 1. 78 Sherry Du, Hudson High School Girls Golf ’24, University of Pennsylvania 2. 80 Julia Van Bokkelen, Hudson High School Girls Golf Senior 3. 82 Ally Siewert, College of Wooster Sophomore (Nordonia High School) 4. 85 Lucille Petkac, Padua High School Girls Golf, Ursuline College ’24 5. 101 Mallory Zammataro, Hudson High School Girls Golf ’22, Miami University 6. 108 Krystine Frisch, Avon Lake High School Girls Golf Coach
Men’s Blue Division 1. 80 Fangming Du, China 2. 82 John Schuller, Midpark High School, Bowling Green State University 3. 86 Sam Smith, Normandy High School, Miami University 4. 88 Cole Chluda, Hudson High School, Ohio University 4. 88 Gil Van Bokkelen, Skyline High School, University of California Berkeley, Stanford University 6. 90 Luke Harris, Avon Lake High School, Cleveland State University 7. 91 Mike Dame, Greater Lowell Regional High School, Cossett Creek Golf Course 8. 98 Al Evangelista, Strongsville High School, Kent State and Cleveland State University, Olmsted Falls Girls Golf Coach 8. 98 Ken Frisch, Brookside High School, Bowling Green State University 10. 100 Mike Hayes, Valley Forge High School, John Carroll University 11. 101 Tim Maddocks, Midpark High School, Kent State University 12. 109 Doug Benzel, Amherst Steele High School, Bluffton University 13. 110 Brandon Harris, Avon Lake High School, Case Western Reserve University 13. 110 Kevin Van Bokkelen, Walsh Jesuit High School, Lebanon Valley College
Men’s Black Division 1. 75 Michael Schuller, Berea-Midpark High School, Heidelberg University 2. 84 Jerry Du, Hudson High School Sophomore 2. 84 Brandon Sopko, Valley Forge High School, Geneva College 4. 88 Bobby Bolin, Buckeye High School, Baldwin-Wallace College 4. 88 Devin Cunningham, Cloverleaf High School, Kent State University 6. 91 Darren Butler, Reynoldsburg High School, University of Akron 6. 91 Ryan Sopko, Valley Forge High School, Muskingum University
Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School is looking for a JV Girls Golf coach for the 2024 season. The season starts July 29, 2024 and lasts through mid-September. Anyone interested should contact head coach Sylvia Stibley at stibleys21@gmail.com.
The OHSAA released the fall sports divisions for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. There are six schools in the Northeast District that will see changes. Moving up from Division 2 to Division 1 will be Beaumont, CVCA, Field, Hawken, and St. Vincent-St. Mary. Moving down from Division 1 to Division 2 will be Akron Springfield, the only school in the state that will fall a division. Other schools that were bumped that may be added to the Northeast District in girls golf include Carrollton and Minerva.
In a memo to coaches sent out today, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced the golf State Championship schedule for 2024. The Division 3 boys State Championship will continue to be hosted by NorthStar Golf Club. The Division 2 State Championships will take place at Firestone Country Club in Akron. The boys will play on the North Course while the girls will play on the Fazio (West) Course. The Division 1 State Championships will move to NCR Country Club in Kettering, near Dayton. The boys will play on the South Course and the girls will play on the North Course.
Other information included in the release gave the dates for all postseason tournaments, listed below, and established July 29th as the first official day of the 2024 season.
2024 State Tournament Schedule September 18-28- Sectional Tournaments September 30-October 8- District Tournaments October 11-12- Boys Division 3 State Tournament at NorthStar Golf Club October 13-14- Boys/Girls Division 2 State Tournament at Firestone Country Club October 14-15- Boys/Girls Division 1 State Tournament at NCR Country Club
The ultimate goal in high school golf is to have the opportunity to be a state champion, whether it is as an individual or as a member of a championship team. Imagine working for four full seasons to accomplish that goal only to show up to the Ohio State Golf Club feeling terribly sick. Then overcoming that to beat a field of the best players in the state to win the individual State Championship. This is the story of how Siena Maschke, a senior at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, was able to persevere to become the Division 2 individual state champion in 2023. This is also the story of how Siena transformed herself into a top level competitor, a great teammate, and an amazing individual.
The story starts in a very unlikely place: Asia. “I was traveling to Hong Kong with my dad when I was about three,” Siena recalled. The family came upon a driving range and Siena started hitting golf balls. That was the beginning of something special, although not immediately. It wasn’t until she was about six years old that she ever made anything out of golf. Siena ended up joining the First Tee program where she learned the fundamentals of the game and the life skills that have proven to be the ultimate reward that comes out of the game of golf.
Siena did not play golf competitively much before high school and did not get off to the greatest start in her high school career. “I shot a 112 in my first tournament at Lake Forest my freshman year,” she explained. She knew she could do better and looked up to a very successful teammate for help. Jami Morris, who won the Division 2 State Championship as a sophomore and is currently playing golf at Penn State, became Siena’s motivation. “I was inspired by how focused she was,” Siena added. “At first I was intimidated but I became encouraged by what she brought to the course. She showed me what it took to be a state champion.” Following Jami’s leadership by example, Siena continued to work on her game and received some fantastic experience during her freshman year, where Laurel ended up finishing third at the State Tournament and she carded respectable scores of 84 and 85. Jami won the individual tournament once again.
To get to the State Tournament in 2023, Laurel needed to improve over the year. Even with Siena at the top of the lineup, Laurel did not have high external expectations for the season. “We had the same team coming back from last year,” Siena explained. “Four of our top five players were seniors. We had classes together and were friends off the course.” Siena maintained a positive outlook and made sure that her teammates picked up on it. She is very outgoing on the course and would do just about anything to pick up her teammates, whether it was shouting to them in the next fairway, giving them a hug at the end of the round, or shedding actual tears when a teammate had a great round. “Once they saw their improvement, they were encouraged,” Siena said. That improvement was massive. Laurel’s team score at their second event of the season, the Lady Explorer Invitational at Lake Forest, was 404, which put them 16th in a field of 18, albeit some of the top teams in Ohio. At the District Tournament at Good Park Golf Course, Laurel shot 359 to sneak into the third and final qualifying spot for the State Tournament by two strokes over Southeast.
Siena’s individual run started strong in 2023. She received a “coming of age” moment in the Ohio Women’s Open at Scioto over the summer, where she actually finished ahead of Jami Morris, the player she looked up to in high school. She won the Ohio Girls Golf Foundation tournament at Avon Oaks before the high school season started, then won tournaments at Twin Lakes and Pine Hills (in a scorecard playoff). She then lost her swing midway through the season. “Coach (Marti) Hardy and my mom were both telling me it was okay if I didn’t win states, but I was so determined.” Siena worked hard to overcome the adversity along with her coach, Joe Meglen. “He was like my therapist,” she recalled. “I worked on skills, but also mental game and breathing strategies.” She was able to put everything back together and played her best golf when it mattered the most. The State Tournament was on the horizon.
“I haven’t really told anyone else this but I was so sick during the State Tournament,” Siena said. “I went through four bottles of Robitussin. It was at the point where other players were reminding me to take medicine.” She toughed it out for the first day and shot a fantastic score of 70. She was greeted by hugs from her teammates. She was also starting to get attention from other players, parents, and coaches. “I was shocked people knew who I was,” she remembered. High school golfers don’t typically have much experience with sleeping on a lead, because most tournaments are only one day affairs. Siena had a two stroke lead over Garaway’s Sammi Miller going into the second round. “I told myself to stay focused. Don’t get too happy, too upset, and stay stable mentally.” It was a little tougher day and Siena ended up with a 73, but it was plenty enough to earn her the individual title. She ended up winning the State Championship by seven shots over Eva Lim from Columbus Academy and Avery Thompson from Hebron Lakewood. Siena offered this advice as to how she ended up being a State Champion: “Golfing every single day, taking lessons, playing in more tournaments, and learning how to play the golf course are how I did it.”
Siena had many positive things to say about the teammates she was able to play alongside during this magical ride. Fellow seniors Jade Gladue and Liliana Embrescia were the two most improved players from the previous season. “They both showed huge improvement which led to our team success,” Siena said. Every team needs that team player that everyone likes to be around. Stella Kronstain, another senior on the team, was that player according to Siena. “She is one of my best friends,” Siena added. The team will now be in the hands of current sophomore Elizabeth Weingart, who Siena predicts will be their future number one player. “She is my little sister at school. We’ve built a really good relationship and she has improved a ton on the golf course.” Siena is hoping to pass down the State Championship pedigree to Elizabeth.
There is another relationship that Siena treasures and will continue to embrace as she moves on in her golf career and personal life. Marti Hardy, a Spanish teacher, has been Laurel’s golf coach for over twenty years and has seen the growth and development of many talented players and exceptional people. “She opened so many doors for the team and myself,” Siena said. “She is 75 years old and although the golf is a lot, she wants the camaraderie. It keeps her young.” Coach Hardy is a fixture at Laurel. She will take her players out to lunch or dinner, go to school plays and athletic events, write recommendations, and most importantly, provide snacks on the golf course. She also understands the game very well. “She knows people have bad days. She’s always encouraging,” Siena said.
It goes both ways. Coach Hardy was extremely complimentary of Siena, both on and off the golf course. “I would call her genuine,” Coach Hardy explained. “The ways she treats her competition and teammates makes her a great role model. She has been mature since 9th grade. Siena is one of the easiest kids to coach because she came in ready to go.” Coach Hardy bragged of Siena’s respect for her opponents, ability to overcome mistakes, and care for her teammates, coaches, and the golf course. “She is confident without being cocky,” Coach Hardy added. “She is social on the golf course, which helps her not be nervous and not get rattled.” She also bragged about Siena’s role at Laurel, where she is a straight A student, class president, and well liked by her peers and classmates.
Siena will be attending Denison University in the fall and will be playing on the Big Red’s golf team. “Coach (Lauren) Grogan has a drive to win a National Championship and I want to be a part of that,” Siena explained. “I was originally so against being in Ohio but I visited Denison and kept going back, like four times. The community and coaches were interactive and they were the only school that remained engaged. I had lunch with the team and it was like we had always known each other.” She plans to possibly study global commerce and/or psychology.
Siena Maschke is a baker, a chef, a crocheter, and a knitter. She is the editor of the Laurel School magazine, “The Voice”. She is a school ambassador and is part of the “Look Up to Cleveland” Leadership program. And most importantly, she is a State Champion Golfer and an amazing mentor and role model.
When Isabella Goyette and Paige McKendry graduate from Highland High School in May, they will go down as one of the top duos to have ever played together in Northeast Ohio. Their accomplishments speak for themselves. The Hornets won the Suburban League each of the four years that Isabella and Paige played there, they won their Sectional tournament all four years, and they qualified for the State Tournament each one of those seasons, finishing in fourth place twice and fifth place twice. Isabella was the Suburban League Player of the Year twice and finished on the All-Suburban League First Team all four years. Paige was on the First Team three years and the Second Team her freshman year. There are enough awards between the two players to take up an entire database. But having the opportunity to speak with both Isabella Goyette and Paige McKendry, it immediately becomes apparent that their achievements on the golf course come second to how amazing they are as people. Neither of them will ever discuss their awards, honors, and accomplishments, but they will be the first two to speak highly of their coaches, parents, mentors, and teammates. And that is what makes these two players special. Young, up-and-coming players wanting to make an impact on the Ohio golf landscape would do well to model themselves after these two players, because the sport will be better for it.
Paige McKendry
Paige and Isabella both started playing the game when they were very young. The McKendrys lived right behind the 16th green at Briarwood Golf Course in Broadview Heights and Paige could be found out on the course with her parents from a very early age. She did not take formal golf lessons until she was in fifth grade but was ready to play varsity golf from the moment she stepped on the course for tryouts her freshman year. She just didn’t know it yet. “As a freshman, I was just hoping to find a spot on JV,” Paige remembered. “I had no idea what high school golf was like.” Paige never ended up playing on the JV team because she made the varsity team from the first day.
Isabella Goyette
Isabella was also really nervous for tryouts her freshman year. Her older sister, Alessandra, was already on the team and Isabella was not sure what to expect. She had been taking golf lessons since she was five years old and had been playing at Westfield Country Club with her sister and father her entire life. “I was just trying to take it all in,” she said about her first day of tryouts. “I needed to get introduced to it and needed to figure out what high school golf was like.” She was probably the only one nervous because it was pretty apparent to everyone at Highland that she was going to make an immediate impact. Highland coach Mary Becker was part of everyone in this scenario. “They were involved in our middle school program,” she said. “Both girls stood out there and in getting to know their families, it was apparent that everyone, girls and families, were all in when it came to committing to development.”
It did not take long for either Paige or Isabella to figure out high school golf. They both became immediate factors on one of the top teams in Northeast Ohio. Highland was in the middle of an impressive run where they already had several conference championships and were becoming a mainstay at both the District and State Tournaments. The two jumped right in and never looked back. “The team kept getting better each year,” Paige said. “We had the same roster my first two years, then (after a couple changes) years three and four we had the same players both seasons.”
Isabella mentioned that having many different personalities mixed together on the team really helped them grown. Paige described her teammates as beautiful and unique. “Everyone has things that make us tick,” she added. Players like Kavya Chada, Kendall Sprutte, and Avery Albright brought the Hornets the depth they needed to be dominant. There was one other player that both Paige and Isabella mentioned that really changed the mindset of the team from the time she showed up to tryouts as a freshman two years ago: Elizabeth Coleman. “Elizabeth is so positive,” Isabella proclaimed. “It’s always sunshine and rainbows with her. She helped us overcome issues of pessimism and negativity. Helping people when they are down brings us all up.” Paige described Elizabeth as bringing “light and positivity” to help the whole team mindset. “She has been a leader since her freshman year,” Paige added. The team will fall into Elizabeth’s hands as she enters her junior year along with Avery and Kendall. Other players that will bring depth to Highland’s 2024 squad include Elizabeth Chester, Gabby Witschey, and many other players. One of those is Caroline McKendry, Paige’s younger sister, currently a sophomore. “We’re best friends in life,” Paige said happily.
Isabella was fortunate to have the opportunity to play with her sister for her first two years. Alessandra Goyette had an extremely accomplished career at Highland and was part of the generation that started the current dominant run the Hornets have been on. “I didn’t realize how special it was until she was gone,” Isabella recalled. “We had always been best of friends, and very competitive. When she went to college it was the first time I had to live without her. She was really a wonderful role model in golf and life, mainly just how she handled things.”
Both Isabella and Paige credited their success to many role models and supporters throughout their careers, but the names they both mentioned were Highland head coach Mary Becker and assistant coach Doug Snelling. Both players were in Coach Becker’s physical education class in middle school. Paige described Becker as patient and respectful. “She takes time to get to know each player,” Paige added. “She was always there when I needed her. She is smart and knows what she is talking about. She is a mentor who gives the team the right mindset. She is a wonderful person.” Paige said that the biggest lesson she learned from Coach Becker was that “being on a team isn’t about yourself, it’s how you fit into the team.” The dedication it takes to be on a team and the ability to improve your game are two other lessons Paige took from her coach. Isabella described Coach Becker as “one of the most determined people I’ve ever met. I have so much respect for where she has taken the team.”
Senior year is always emotional, especially for two players who had been together through three straight years of continued success. “It was not too different,” Isabella mentioned. “But it was definitely more special.” She added that it was her last season with her teammates and that she remembers it for a few new tournaments that made the year special. “We went to Oakland Hills in Michigan and that was a really fun experience,” she said, also mentioning the Terlesky Invitational at the Lake Club. Paige realized that every tournament they played in would be the last time they were at that course. “I knew it would be different,” she said. “It would definitely be a little bittersweet, especially being my last time playing competitive golf.”
Paige is planning to attend Bowling Green State University in the fall, and while she will not be playing on the school golf team there she does plan to continue with the game by trying out for the club team. She will be majoring in BGSU’s THEM program, which includes Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management, and minoring in Entrepreneurship. Isabella will be continuing her golf career at Kent State University. “They were the first school and the best school to reach out to me,” she explained. “I really made good connections to their coaching staff and loved their facilities.” She will be majoring in Fashion Merchandising.
Young players can learn a ton about golf from listening to Isabella and Paige explain the game. They both really enjoy the fact that high school golf is an individual sport in a team environment. “I love how golf is different from any other sport,” Isabella explained. “I definitely love the individual aspect as well. It starts with the team aspect but as you go further it becomes more of an individual sport. I like that you can focus on yourself and play your own game, which is mentally challenging, but someone else on your team can also pick you up.” Paige agreed. “There is individuality in golf, it’s very unique,” she said. “I’m not a very competitive person externally, but I am very competitive with my own self. 90 percent of the game is mental and it’s a challenge to overcome that. But as a teammate you have to be there for your team. There are no days off.” Paige mentioned that she struggled with putting coming into her freshman year. “I was a bit of a hot head when I was younger. But I turned that into a positive mindset. I became more patient and willing to forgive myself.” She became the top putter for Highland her sophomore and junior years.
Coach Mary Becker founded the girls golf program at Highland and has been the only coach in the program’s history. She had nothing but praise for her two graduating superstars. “Paige not only loves playing golf, but strives to play the game well,” Coach Becker said. “She has a great understanding of where her strengths are, and plays to them on the course. Whenever she doesn’t perform to her expectations on the course, she works her tail off to make corrections. Whether it is getting extra lessons or extra range and practice green time, she is determined to play the type of golf she knows she can.
Regarding Isabella, Coach Becker stated, “Isabella is an amazing golfer. She now owns a majority of the te Highland High School Girls Golf individual performance records. A couple of great things I will always remember about Isabella are her steady demeanor on the course, and how other players love playing with her. Not just other top players, either. She makes everyone she plays with feel at ease.”
Paige McKendry and Isabella Goyette are both once in a generation players who are ambassadors of the game of golf. We would like to wish them both the best of luck as they continue their academic and athletic careers!
According to multiple sources, the Sectional Tournament that had been previously played at Springvale Golf Course has been moved to Big Met Golf Course in Fairview Park. Big Met prides itself on potentially being the most played golf course in the state of Ohio and has been open since 1926. Stanley Thompson was the original architect of the course, which is owned and operated by the Cleveland Metroparks. The current Division 1 Sectional hosts are Old Avalon in Warren, Fox Den in Stow, and the Elms in North Lawrence.
Ohio High School Golf 