Division 2 girls golf in Northeast Ohio is always fun because new teams are able to make a push each year. There are, of course, some programs that are constantly in the hunt, but every year there are schools that come out of nowhere to make heroic runs at District and State tournament berths. Here are 15 teams that we see contending in 2026. There are definitely more out there but we may not know who they are yet.

Starstruck

The Keystone Wildcats get better every year. Having the phenomenal skills and talents of Sophia Clarico the last two years has been a big reason why. Keystone is a contender, though, because of the improvement of their 2-4 players on the roster, including seniors Caseabella Fye and Kennedy Accavallo. The three of them, led by Clarico, will look for a final piece in 2026 and could very possibly return to the State Tournament.

Another Class of 2028 superstar is Elizabeth Pollock of Chagrin Falls. She has led the Tigers on and off the course over the past two seasons and 2026 should be no different. Chagrin Falls will have a new coach, Tom Porten, this fall and will rely on a similar supporting class with a lot of returning skill. Senior Natalie Venorsky and Kate Murphy should help form a formidable lineup as the Tigers look to be one of the top teams again.

This year’s deep junior class also features Samantha Morgan of Southeast High School. Following in the footsteps of some stellar performers, Morgan is the next in line for the Pirates. Add in junior Jennifer Mix and sophomore Emily Morrison, and Southeast will also be in the hunt to advance a long way during tournament season.

Last year’s super freshman Avery Robinette from Champion is back and will be looking to lead the Flashes on a long run into October. Senior Brilea Woods will be her tag team partner and Champion will hope to build up their depth spots in an effort to continue their program’s recent success.

Anuja Patel will be one of the top seniors in the state of Ohio as she embarks on her final season at Orange High School. The Lions lose some pieces to graduation but could also see strong incoming freshman class. Orange is a team to watch out for as their players will continue to get better throughout the season.

Reloading

Columbiana might be the best example of a small school that just keeps bringing in talented players on a yearly basis. The Clippers are always competitive and always have one of the deeper large rosters in Northeast Ohio. Senior Maddie Jackson will be the player to watch for the Clippers and the exceptional senior class will be rounded out with both Claire Banner and Victoria Buckingham.

Gilmour is a team on the rebound, much because of the emergence of Callie Dennison, a freshman last year who turned into one of the top players on the roster. Dennison should be the top player on Gilmour’s roster and will be helped by a strong senior class that includes Brooke Leedy and Mae Steigerwald.

The Norris/Morris duo at Lakeview has been fun to watch over the past two years and this year junior Olivia Norris and senior Parker Morris will once again be key pieces for the Bulldogs. Add in junior Madeline Isenberg along with one other potential piece and Lakeview could be right at the top of the District Tournament.

After coming out of nowhere over the last two seasons, Tuslaw’s youth has matured into a fine golf team. The Mustangs will once again be paced by now senior Avery Rodocker with a strong group behind her. Juniors Hadley Porter and Emilee Urbas are the next two up as Tuslaw should continue with another strong season.

In Beloit, Ohio, senior Bella Linger will lead the the West Branch Warriors on the course in 2026. Teaming up with junior Emma McLaughlin and building on the depth that the team has shown, West Branch will make a mark in the Mahoning Valley yet again this upcoming fall.

On the Doorstep

Not long ago, people didn’t even know that Mapleton High School in Ashland County even existed. Now they are a contender in D2 golf in Northeast Ohio. With a huge junior class that has grown together, the Mounties are excited to see what the next chapter has in store for them. Kail Callihan, Reagan Hickey, and Payten Frye are the three top juniors that will pace Mapleton this fall.

The Poland Bulldogs are consistently a top performer in the Northeast 8 Conference. They don’t have the star power at the top of the lineup but they make up for it with depth throughout. Junior Cadence berendt and sophomore Capri Carchedi will be the top players on the roster this year as Poland plans to be competitive throughout the season.

Independence is another team that had a youthful group two years ago that has continued to grow together. Juniors Abbey Cottrell and Jamie Tresp along with several other juniors will look to bring the Blue Devils and coach Mike Gruber back to where the program expects to be.

Seniors Alayna Valley and Savannah Turek have been mainstays on Mineral Ridge’s roster since they arrived at the high school. The Rams are a team that has been right on the edge of competitiveness and 2026 could be the breakout season that they have been hoping for.

Lake Catholic has gotten better every single year under coach Tony Zampedro. Last year was one of, if not the top year in program history. The Cougars will have a lot to make up for with the loss of Ella Zampedro and Emma Madsen to graduation. Stepping into the top spot on the roster will be Mao Edwards, a junior who has come out of nowhere to be a solid player, along with senior Maddie Cox.

As Spring has finally appeared, golf is starting to make its way back into the mainstream discussions around Northeast Ohio. Coaches are starting to focus on scheduling matches and tournaments while figuring out what their rosters may look like at the beginning of August. Here are some teams to keep tabs on throughout the spring and summer as they prepare for the season.

Still On Top

Nobody is going out on a limb by predicted Magnificat to once again be the best team in the area. The Blue Streaks finished second in the state last year as they defended their 2024 State Championship. While they lose standout player Kristina Chill, they still have plenty of depth to build on. Calli Reed is a legitimate superstar player along with Korrine and Kayla Knaze returning from last year’s lineup. Junior Kellen Gleason looks to be the next player up and will provide a solid fourth score.

Everybody Back

One of the best storylines from last year’s tournament season was the emergence of Canfield as a top team in the area. They have been building over the last several years and finally saw that hard work culminate in a trip to the State Tournament. The Cardinals look to run things back behind the veteran leadership of seniors Aubree Philibin and Alex Conley.

In a very similar situation to Canfield are the Minutemen from Revere. They have one of the deepest, most talented senior classes around and they are another team right on the precipice of a run to Dayton. The senior class features the balanced scoring of Ryenne Harpley, Amrita Deo, Kate Banning, and Maddy Addessi, but also seniors providing depth, including Riley Boring and Sarah Riley. Second year coach Mike Clark will have high expectations for his team this fall.

The Lake Blue Streaks lose senior Olivia Gant but bring back several scorers in a competitive lineup. Junior Charlie Brophy has developed into the team leader and the pieces have filled in around her. Look for sophomore Audrey Goebelt to make a big jump this season in Uniontown.

Finding the Missing Piece

Walsh Jesuit will definitely be looking to make another trip to the State Tournament in 2026. Losing Gianna Rodenhauser and Colleen Stadler could be a big hurdle for the Warriors, who will be relying on superstars Sarah Vojtko, Yumi Kohara, and Vivian Eich once again. Finding the fourth score is what Walsh will need to do to ensure another magical run. The frontrunner for this is senior Brooke Tercek, who is a veteran in the program.

Brunswick is also a team that is in the window of contention and will be looking to fill a spot throughout the offseason. After losing Jess Buzinski to graduation, it will be up to Brianna Behrend and a large group of returners to join the very talented top three of the Blue Devils. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble is one of the best players in the state and along with her sister Emma and senior Rylee Roth, Brunswick will once again be a top contender.

2026 will be the last year in the Ellie Hutzler era at Hoover and her mere presence is enough to give the Vikings another shot to contend in tournament season. Her sister Frankie is going to take a big step and will provide a good second contributor. Even with some significant senior losses, Hoover has the depth to still be a strong team and will rely on senior Lauren Kemp and junior Gia Remark to fill out the roster.

A move to the Suburban League might be a huge benefit for the Kenston Bombers and longtime coach Kip Freeman. Kenston has been making a quiet run to the top of tournament leaderboards the last few years. Behind seniors Ava Solak and Stefania Mighton, Kenston will once again be a quality team, potentially challenging Revere in the Suburban League’s American Division. It will be up to sophomores Lainey Lombardo and Camryn Joyner to keep scores low for the Bombers.

On the Cusp

Senior Elena Varga and sophomore Rachel Rush proved to be one of the top one-two punches in the area last season and will look to lead an eager Hudson Explorers team in 2026. Juniors Kiley Gorog and Molly Stock were contributors last year and will look to make an even bigger impact while the Explorers also have some young players coming up that could have a say in the Explorers’ success.

Avon Lake took their coaching change right in stride as Kevin Fitch took the reins once again in 2025. The young Shoregals team exceeded expectations and have a lot of talent returning. Sophomores Presley Martter and Adalyn Becker will join junior Lily Dorsey to give Avon Lake a good chance at taking home the SWC championship and maybe even more.

Hathaway Brown is another young team with most of their contributors returning. Junior Saijal Jawa will once again lead the Blazers. Look for big improvement from junior Adelyn Ehlers and sophomore Cecilia Voelker as Hathaway Brown hopes to continue to climb the ladder.

Kent Roosevelt has been possibly the most stable program over the past several decades and will once again field a strong team in 2026. It will be junior Brooke Beatty and senior Coco Golden putting up the top scores for the Rough Riders this season as Kent will take their talents to the Metro Athletic Conference and immediately be the favorites to win the conference.

It was a transition year at Avon High School as the Eagles had many contributing seniors but also a very talented freshman class. This year will be the opportunity for those incoming sophomores to step up and take over the team. Jenavieve Plantner, Jocelyn England, and Isabella Bernhart will join senior Rylan Owens as the Eagles have a chance to be really good in the SWC.

The Jackson Polar Bears will take a different approach towards success in 2026. They have a good number of returning experienced players who are ready to step up and lead the team to success. Senior Kennedy Farrell will be the unquestioned number one in the lineup and will be joined by several other upperclassmen as Jackson will look to be the team to finally dethrone Hoover in the Federal League.

In Contention

North Royalton had one of their best seasons in recent memory last year. Seniors Maddie Pehanic and Madison Cutright look to lead a group that wins their first Suburban League title in the 2020s.

Riverside still has a relatively new program and are seeing success every year. Sydney Barker, Kaylee Naymik, and Kaylee Kirk, three talented seniors, will join sophomore Morliana Victor for the Beavers.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin has risen back to the top of their league over the past few years. Senior Alexis Urigel will be the player to watch for the Lions this fall.

Padua has become one of the deeper teams in Northeast Ohio. Their success will ride on the performance of multi-sport junior Giulia Reginelli, who is also a contributor on the volleyball team in the fall.

It will be business as usual for GlenOak this season. They once again have a strong player at the top of their lineup, senior Maci Crihfield with a good combination of experience and youth behind her.

Cloverleaf will face some strong competition to try to once again repeat as Metro Conference champions. Quinn Malarkey will hope to have a magical senior year as the Colts will continue to develop their supporting cast.

Big Shoes to Fill

It will definitely be a different feel on Rocky River Drive as the St. Joseph Academy Jaguars will be replacing an extremely talented graduating class, but also will have a slightly different look on the coaching staff. Maureen Adler will not be at the helm but will continue to be an asset to new coaches Lauren Demirjian and Amanda Schwab. Seniors Vera Swartz, Ella Babcock, and Willa Streeter will hope to continue the legacy left at St. Joseph.

It will be a new look at Green High School as head coach Jake Shocklee will not have one of his daughters on the roster for the first time in several years. The Shocklees were a staple on some talented to Bulldogs teams. Now it will fall on senior Leah Dang and a large group of fellow seniors to flip the page for the Bulldogs.

Graduation will hit no team harder than the Solon Comets as they lose generational phenom Serena Wu, who was named Cleveland.com’s Player of the Year and OhioHSGolf’s co-player of the year in 2025. It’s not possible to replace everything she brought to the table, but the Comets have players that can help the program reload, including senior Alexis Brown, who took a huge step forward last season.

Senior Polly Loney and junior Kayla Joo will be thrust into the spotlight at Nordonia after the Knights lost three strong players to graduation in Natalie Barnes, Maddie Eisner, and Carley Sutton. Nordonia is one of the best coached teams in the area and their players are always able to confidently step into the arena, so it’s important never to sleep on this team.

It’s the end of an all-time legacy at Highland High School as Mary Becker, the only coach in school history, has retired. New coach Chris Kestner will inherit a young team that lost an entire lineup of seniors after another run to the State Tournament last season. History says to never count out the Hornets, though. Juniors Anna Coleman and Charlotte Chester, both who have long lasting family ties to the program will be the players who take over the tradition at Highland.

Potential New Division 1 Programs

Buckeye High School is on the precipice of being able to start a team this fall. Coach Nick Shea has been working hard over the past few years to build a group that is ready to compete this fall and the Bucks are in good position to make that happen. There are also rumblings in Parma about the potential of a girls team at Valley Forge High School. There is still a lot of work to do but Coach Mitchell Hartel is optimistic that there may be a team in the future.

New Leadership

Several other teams have found new coaches to take over their programs for this fall. Aurora will see long time assistant Tim Baczkowski take over the varsity team. Bay has hired Nick Pacholski to replace Victoria Budzyn and lead the Rockets. Max Rauch is the new coach at Berea-Midpark as they will look to be more competitive in the Southwestern Conference. Finally, Mark Chicone is now in charge at Mentor High School as he will replace James Hrusovsky. Check out our Coaching Changes Page for all the moves that schools have made this offseason.