Kevin Fitch will be taking over the position of Head Girls Golf Coach at Avon Lake High School for the 2025 season. The position is nothing new for Fitch, who served in the same role prior to the 2014 season, where the program had numerous successful runs. He will take over for Krystine Frisch, who recently announced her retirement. Under Frisch, the Shoregals won seven Southwestern Conference championships and made several appearances at the District Tournament. Fitch will inherit the program with a young roster that has good potential. The team looks to be led by sophomore Lily Dorsey, who came out of nowhere as a freshman last season. Senior Samantha Kennedy, junior Julia Skelton, and sophomore Isla Rowney will fill out most of the varsity roster under Fitch.
The 2025 high school golf season will officially tee off on Monday, July 28th, 2025. Teams may begin tryouts and hold events beginning on that date. The golf season is historically the first OHSAA sport to get started and 2025 will be no exception.
Here is the letter sent out by Monroe Britton, the OHSAA golf administrator:
Good afternoon,
This email is to inform you of a date change to the beginning of the 2025 OHSAA Golf Season. Previously, the start date for coaching and competition for the 2025 golf season was set for Friday, August 1. Due to tee time availability, as well as inflated tee time rates on the weekends, the OHSAA Board of Directors voted to move the start date for golf to Monday, July 28, 2025. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.
We are writing to you today to raise funds for the Ohio Girls Golf Foundation (OGGF). Our mission is to promote and grow girls’ golf in Ohio. We provide opportunities for girls of all ages and skill levels to experience the joy and benefits of the game.
Your generous donation will directly impact the lives of girls in Ohio by:
Providing scholarships for girls to attend college and financial aid to attend tournaments
Funding junior golf programs for beginner to advanced players throughout the state
Supporting the development of high school girls’ golf teams
Promoting the LPGA and inspiring the next generation of female golfers
The top 5 coaches’ names who donate the most over the course of the fundraiser—now through Friday, January 31, 2025—will be put in a drawing to win a 9-Hole Playing Lesson for their team with PGA Golf Professional Joshua Diemer at Chagrin Valley Country Club.
Your donation is tax-deductible and will be greatly appreciated. Please see the invitation for the donation QR code. Questions? Feel free to call or text us at 216-233-5111 (Kristin) or 440-308-9894 (Krystine).
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to working with you to grow girls’ golf in Ohio.
Sincerely,
Kristin Reboul and Krystine Frisch, Coaches and Board Members, OGGF
2024 was another amazing year of girls golf in Northeast Ohio. The reason behind our website is to showcase the wealth of talent that we have in this area. Here are the top players in both Division 1 and Division 2 listed by grade. There are some incredible players on this list. It is difficult to compile these lists each year because there are so many players deserving of recognition. Thank you to all the coaches who offered feedback throughout the year. Congratulations to all of our top players in 2024!
Division 1
Maureen Adler
Player of the Year- Serena Wu (Solon) Coach of the Year- Maureen Adler (St. Joseph Academy) Senior MVP- Gianna Reginelli (St. Joseph Academy) Junior MVP- Serena Wu (Solon) Sophomore MVP- Kayla Knaze (Magnificat) Freshman MVP- Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble (Brunswick)
Gianna Reginelli
All-Senior Team MVP- Gianna Reginelli (St. Joseph Academy) Avery Albright (Highland) Emmy Burling (Hudson) Mia Ginnetti (Rocky River) Julia Gulla (Nordonia) Dixon Hill (Hathaway Brown) Lauren Iannetta (Eastlake North) Ava Kemp (Hoover) Zoe Mort (Marlington) Cara Murphy (Jackson) Maureen O’Leary (Magnificat) Kylie Porter (Hoover) Cammy Reed (Magnificat) Gracyn Vidovic (Aurora)
All-Sophomore Team MVP- Kayla Knaze (Magnificat) Alex Conley (Canfield) Leah Dang (Green) Amrita Deo (Revere) Kennedy Farrell (Jackson) Ryenne Harpley (Revere) Ellie Hutzler (Hoover) Yumi Kohara (Walsh Jesuit) Aubree Philibin (Canfield) Rylee Roth (Brunswick) Quinn Malarkey (Cloverleaf) Elena Varga (Hudson) Anna Yacknow (Copley)
Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble
All-Freshman Team MVP- Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble (Brunswick) Charlie Brophy (Lake) Kendyl Brown (Alliance) Bennett DeLuca (Aurora) Lily Dorsey (Avon Lake) Vivian Eich (Walsh Jesuit) Saijal Jawa (Hathaway Brown) Kelly Macsurak (Aurora) Edisa Plants (Massillon) Calli Reed (Magnificat) Ava Scott (Wooster) Taniyah Spencer (Marlington) Sarah Vojtko (Walsh Jesuit)
Division 2
Cindy Fesemyer
Player of the Year- Taylor Blazek (Southeast) Coach of the Year- Cindy Fesemyer (Southeast) Senior MVP- Taylor Blazek (Southeast) Junior MVP- Annie Johnston (Edgewood) Sophomore MVP- Anuja Patel (Orange) Freshman MVP- Elizabeth Pollock (Chagrin Falls)
Taylor Blazek
All-Senior Team MVP- Taylor Blazek (Southeast) Ellie Jackson (Columbiana) Kennedy Lewis (Southern Local) Macey McGhee (Independence) Dally Meek (Hillsdale) Gracie Ryan (Chagrin Falls) Katie Santee (West Branch) Dani Slack (Woodridge) Mia Steigerwald (East Canton) Avery Vencill (Edgewood) Sadie Villers (Northwest) Madison Wade (Dalton) Addison Williams (Bristol)
Annie Johnston
All-Junior Team MVP- Annie Johnston (Edgewood) Alexis Askew (Keystone) Reagan Burnight (Chagrin Falls) Anna Drago (Rootstown) Nicole Ferguson (Elyria Catholic) Hailey Franks (Canton South) Ava Miller (Rootstown) Jessi Mix (Southeast) Emma Murphy (United) Zoe Naus (Edgewood) Jillian Peters (Perry) Katie Pregibon (Cardinal Mooney) Aubree Varga (Southeast)
Anuja Patel
All-Sophomore Team MVP- Anuja Patel (Orange) Kennedy Accavallo (Keystone) Aeryn Berena (Brookfield) Caseabella Fye (Keystone) Maddie Jackson (Columbiana) Maggie Kothera (Kirtland) Isabella Linger (West Branch) Kate Murphy (Chagrin Falls) Avery Rodocker (Tuslaw) Hannah Samblanet (Canton South) Anistyn Williams (Bristol) Natalie Vernosky (Chagrin Falls) Brilea Woods (Champion)
Elizabeth Pollock
All-Freshman Team MVP- Elizabeth Pollock (Chagrin Falls) Mollie Berbari (Tuslaw) Sophia Clarico (Keystone) Abbey Cottrell (Independence) Mao Edwards (Lake Catholic) Payten Frye (Mapleton) Morgan Giebel (Rootstown) Hannah Gott (Wellington) Emma McLaughlin (West Branch) Jennifer Mix (Southeast) Samantha Morgan (Southeast) Khloe Shodd (Heartland Christian) Emilee Urbas (Tuslaw)
I became the head coach of the Hudson Girls Golf team in the spring of 2019. When taking over a program with such tradition, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the questions you have and by all the questions you receive. I don’t really remember most of the questions that came in that whirlwind. But one does stand out. The first time I met with our parent representative, she asked, “Do you know Doug Snelling?” I did not know Doug but was curious as to why it was so important that I meet him immediately. She gave me his phone number and I gave him a call the next day. That phone call made everything very apparent. Doug knew golf. He knew how to coach, he knew how to instruct, he knew how to organize, and most importantly, he wanted to share his knowledge with whoever would listen.
Doug had the faintest hint of a Scottish accent when he spoke. He wasn’t from Scotland and I’m not sure if he even has any trace of Scottish ancestry at all. But I always told myself that he subtly picked it up because of his love for the Scottish game that was so dear to him. He had a passion for the game of golf and a desire to teach the sport whenever he could. He started as the JV girls coach at Hudson in 2007 and took over the program in 2010. In his first year, he took the Explorers to the State Tournament, where they finished 9th in the state. He continued to coach at Hudson until he retired after the 2015 season. He saw a ton of success over that time, including three undefeated seasons, five district appearances, and two league championships. More importantly, he had an impact on every player he coached. His players spoke highly of his knowledge and ability, but even more of his integrity and character.
Not long after I took over at Hudson, Doug became an assistant coach at Highland High School, where his experience and ability helped them to an unprecedented run of success. Even while he was coaching at a rival school, Doug would still take time to help me and my players. He excelled at giving short game lessons, emphasizing topics like chipping styles and learning the fall line on putts. He also shared with me his scoring spreadsheet, something I still am figuring out. As coaches, we ironically spent countless hours trying to become more efficient. I cannot tell you how long and how much dedication it took for Doug to perfect that spreadsheet, but I know it did not happen overnight. He was so proud to share it with me and explain how it worked.
Getting to know Doug Snelling made me a better coach and a better person. His legacy will live on in the Hudson Girls Golf program and the Highland Girls Golf program for decades to come. It was truly a pleasure to be able to work with him, learn from him, and enjoy his friendship for many years. Doug’s contribution to the game of golf is unmistakable and he will be missed by the entire golf community.
The Northeast District Athletic Board has released the Sectional Assignments for the 2024 golf season. On the girls side, they appear very similar to last year’s assignments. The most noticeable change is that Big Met will now be hosting the sectional tournament that had previously been at Springvale and Sweetbriar. We are also assuming that due to division changes around the state, Carrollton and Minerva may be added to the Northeast District for Division I girls golf. If that is the case, they will most likely be added to the sectional tournament at The Elms.
Division II Girls Sectional Tournament Dates Punderson- Monday, September 23rd The Pines- Wednesday, September 25th Pine Lakes- Thursday, September 26th
Division I Girls Sectional Tournament Dates The Elms – Monday, September 30th Big Met- Monday, September 30th Old Avalon- Tuesday, October 1st Fox Den- Wednesday, October 2nd
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
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.
Over the weekend, Kent Roosevelt JV coach Larry Picicco announced that he was stepping down from the position. Coach Picicco had been with the program for over a decade, including a short stint as head coach. Players, parents, and opposing coaches all respected and admired his dedication to his athletes and the program. We would like to offer congratulations to Larry Picicco on an amazing run at Kent Roosevelt. Below is a tribute from the Kent Roosevelt Girls Golf Facebook page.
A bittersweet week for the Lady Rider Golf program. On Monday, Assistant Varsity Coach Larry Picicco announced that he would be retiring from the program after 13 years of coaching. Coach Picicco was one of the founders of this program and gave endless time and effort to ensure its success. We will miss his knowledge, energy and commitment to the team. However, what will be missed the most will be his caring demeanor and ability, to make easy, the difficult transition from middle school to high school for our players. Coach Picicco truly impacted the lives of so many players on our team, on our youth program, and in the golfing community. The picture attached to this post speaks volumes of the importance of relationships and family that make Coach Pic the incredible coach and friend we all love. Best Wishes Coach, you will be missed on the fairways!
Ohio High School Golf 