This year, we have started a new column of local golf quick hitters called This Week in Golf (TWIG). We are looking to highlight special moments, school records, impactful people, and other unique stories as the golf season unfolds. We don’t hear about everything, so if there is something you would like to be included, please reach out to us on social media or email us with a small recap of what you would like to be posted.
Tournament Results
We are trying to keep tabs on all tournament scores. We will have separate pages for Conference Tournaments and Regular Tournaments. Any scores that are not posted, please feel free to send over (bolinr@hudson.k12.oh.us). Unfortunately, we aren’t able to post scores from 9 hole matches as there are too many to keep track of.
Conference Updates
The Southwestern Conference continues to be one of the tightest races we have seen. Avon got a huge win over Olmsted Falls on Tuesday. Emma Fitch led the Eagles with a 42. Avon, Avon Lake, and Olmsted Falls are all now tied at the top of the SWC head to head match standings.
Cloverleaf stayed undefeated in Metro Conference play and continues their MAC dominance. Quinn Malarky continues to put up good numbers for the Colts.
Hudson defeated Nordonia in a close match in difficult conditions on Thursday at Ellsworth Meadows. Elena Varga shot 36 to lead the Explorers. The Suburban League does not take individual matches into consideration and Nordonia still controls their own destiny in the National Division. Highland is in the same position in the American Division.
Weekly Recap
Grey Hawk Golf Club proved to be very challenging as Brunswick hosted a shootout there on Friday. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble of Brunswick may disagree. Her -4 68 easily topped the entire field. Magnificat brought home the tournament victory.
Brunswick took the title at the Rocky River Invitational at Big Met on Wednesday. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble was again the medalist as she carded a 74.
Elizabeth Coleman is making a run at being the best golfer in the state. The Highland senior took home medalist honors at the Country Club of Hudson as her Hornets took home the team championship in the Walsh Jesuit Invitational.
The Minerva Lions stayed undefeated on the season as they set yet another school record shooting 163 against West Branch on Thursday.
This year, we have started a new column of local golf quick hitters called This Week in Golf (TWIG). We are looking to highlight special moments, school records, impactful people, and other unique stories as the golf season unfolds. We don’t hear about everything, so if there is something you would like to be included, please reach out to us on social media or email us with a small recap of what you would like to be posted.
Tournament Results
We are trying to keep tabs on all tournament scores. We will have separate pages for Conference Tournaments and Regular Tournaments. Any scores that are not posted, please feel free to send over (bolinr@hudson.k12.oh.us). Unfortunately, we aren’t able to post scores from 9 hole matches as there are too many to keep track of.
Conference Updates
At Twin Lakes on Thursday, Cloverleaf and Norton visited the Streetsboro Rockets in the most significant MAC matchup of the season. Cloverleaf pulled out a narrow four shot victory over Streetsboro and Norton finished in 3rd place. Quinn Malarkey of Cloverleaf led the scoring with a 45 on the tricky Sandy Alves design.
The Southwestern Conference is going to feature a fun race to watch throughout the year. While Avon and Avon Lake tend to be the favorites in the conference, it is the Olmsted Falls Bulldogs who are currently sitting atop the league standings. Olmsted Falls had a huge win against Avon Lake at Springvale and now control their own destiny to win the league title.
In the Federal League, North Canton Hoover continues their streak of superiority. The Vikings easily took the first league tournament and are currently undefeated in league matches once again in 2025. Ellie Hutzler has proven to be not only the top player in the league but one of the best in Northeast Ohio.
Nordonia and Highland both have gotten off to strong starts in their respective divisions of the Suburban League. Highland continues their dominance while Nordonia has won both tournaments by slim margins over Hudson. Elizabeth Coleman from Highland has reached a whole new level of golf acumen and is playing the best of her life. Natalie Barnes is still the top golfer at Nordonia but it has really been senior Maddie Eisner who has been the key for their success. She posted both her best 18 hole score and best 9 hole score within a week of each other.
Keystone having a good team is not a surprise to anyone, but just how good they are might be turning some heads. The Wildcats took full control of the first LEGGA tournament and have put up some really low numbers so far this season. Most of that is due to serious improvement from their supporting cast. Rocky River might still have something to say in the conference but Keystone is going to be hard to catch.
The Brunswick Blue Devils dominated both of the first two Greater Cleveland Conference tournaments, winning by 43 strokes at Ridgewood and 61 strokes at Big Met. The Blue Devils should be able to cruise to a GCC Title.
Canfield will easily run away with the All American Conference again this year but they have their sights set much higher. This is the culmination of developing a core group of players and the results speak for themselves. Look for the Cardinals to make a run in Sectionals and Districts this year.
Baum’s Page
Gary Baumgartner created Baumspage to keep track of wrestling results well over a decade ago. He then offered his website to the OHSAA to keep track of multiple sports including golf. In 2025 Baumspage is still going strong and is a wonderful resource for coaches, administrators, and media. Even with the advent of live scoring in OHSAA events, Baumspage is still a go to place for OHSAA golf information.
Weekly Recap
Our stats are not nearly good enough to track this, but we may have witnessed the greatest one day turnaround in the history of high school golf last week. The Strongsville Mustangs struggled at Lake Forest in the Lady Explorer Invitational and put up a score of 484, possibly the highest score in Strongsville golf history. The following day at the Flamingo Frenzy, Strongsville shot 363 with nearly the same lineup, an improvement of 121 shots in a one day period. If the trend continues, the Mustangs will look to have a strong finish this fall.
A team to watch out for this year is Lake Catholic. The Cougars have been building up their program over the last several years and they have put themselves in a place to contend for a District and possibly even a State Tournament berth. Lake Catholic is led by seniors Emma Madsen and Ella Zampedro, while fellow senior Angela Kerwood and sophomore Mao Edwards have stepped up in a huge way.
Good things are happening in Stark County as the Canton South Wildcats won back to back tournaments earlier this season. At The Pines, in the Principals Athletic Conference Tournament, Canton South Each girl on the team had their personal best score. It was the first time in Canton South history for three scores in the 90s and it was their team record low at The Pines.
Ace Alert
Hudson junior Elena Varga recorded her first ever hole in one on the 6th hole at Brookledge Golf Course on Friday during a practice round. She used a 7 iron on the 150 yard par 3. Congratulations Elena!
This year, we will be starting a new column of local golf quick hitters called This Week in Golf (TWIG). We are looking to highlight special moments, school records, impactful people, and other unique stories as the golf season unfolds. We don’t hear about everything, so if there is something you would like to be included, please reach out to us on social media or email us with a small recap of what you would like to be posted.
Our first ever This Week in Golf will actually be covering a couple weeks. We plan to release these each weekend throughout the season.
Special Moments
Cardinal High School in Middlefield is fielding a girls golf team for the first time in school history. Their season is underway and something special is brewing for the Huskies.
There are several new coaches around Northeast Ohio this season. Kevin Fitch (in his second tenure) of Avon Lake and Grace May at Cloverleaf have both hit the ground running. The Shoregals may very well be the favorites to win the SWC and the Colts are already dominating the Metro Conference with the help of their superstar Quinn Malarkey.
Big Shots
Avery Olson from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy recorded a hole in one on the 9th hole at Fox Den Golf Course in a match against Notre Dame Cathedral Latin.
Hudson boys golfer Barrett Atchison recorded an albatross on the 7th hole at Pine Hills during the Brunswick Tee Off Classic. Amazingly, it was Barrett’s second albatross this summer!
Not to be outdone, Walsh Jesuit senior Ben Vasas got an ace on the par 4 5th hole at Turkeyfoot Golf Links, which also goes down as an albatross on the scorecard.
School Records
We can’t even keep up with the Brunswick Blue Devils right now. They are setting school records right and left. The most recent came at the second GCC Tournament, where they blew away the field shooting a 306.
At Ridgewood Golf Course in Parma, St. Joseph Academy had all five players in their lineup shoot their career best score. The Jaguars also set a school record in the process, shooting 303. Emerson Glending also was the tournament medalist with a two under par 70.
Champion High School and freshman superstar Avery Robinette will be constantly rewriting the school record books this year. The team has already set their nine hole record and Avery has set the school record, shooting a 35 in the team’s first match.
The Rootstown Rovers are getting better every year. Their 176 at Sable Creek earlier this month is the new point of reference for best nine hole round in school history. This is another team that’s just going to keep improving.
Minerva, even though they are not technically in the Northeast District, are an honorary member of our coverage area. The Lions have already set two 18 hole school records as they look to make a run through Districts and possibly to State.
Best of the Best
As far as we know, Magnificat has won every tournament they have played in this year. The Blue Streaks are on their way to competing for their second consecutive State Championship. Recently the team shot a 287, one under par as a team, at Ridgewood Golf Course. This came less than 24 hours after winning the Lady Explorer Invitational, a tournament that has one of the best fields in the state of Ohio.
As expected, Walsh Jesuit is the real deal this year. The Warriors have performed well in each of their events and they have all the key pieces needed to go to State.
We still don’t know how they do it every year, but Highland has been remarkable at reloading their roster with quality players and developing their players into exceptional golfers. The Hornets once again are a favorite to get to the State Tournament, but there are many talented teams trying to chase them down.
Shout Outs
There are many individuals that significantly contribute to showcasing our local high school teams.
Susan Jenior has been covering golf in Portage Country pretty much forever. If you want to stay on the beat of all the teams in the area, her articles can be found on Tom Nader’s fantastic Portage County Sports website.
Kevin Leigh, athletic director at Padua High School, runs one of the finest tournaments in Northeast Ohio, the Lady Bruin Invitational at Pine Hills, every year.
Personally, we want to thank golf director John Goodson and superintendent Tom Bolon along with their amazing staff at Lake Forest Country Club for making the Lady Explorer Invitational one of the premier tournaments in the state of Ohio. This year the course was absolutely stunning and was extremely challenging yet impressively fair.
Dave Chuba and Ridgewood Golf Course have been incredible to work with. When someone comes to you with the idea of having 123 girls play golf dressed as flamingos, saying yes is not a guarantee. Dave and his staff have embraced the Flamingo Frenzy and the tournament has become a favorite of many teams in the area.
Being a girl golfer at a school that does not have a girls golf team can be very challenging. We have many girls who represent themselves and Northeast Ohio girls golf in the boys game on a regular basis. Some players that we have recently run across are Grace Palermo from Buckeye High School, Sophia Goheen from Western Reserve Academy, Olivia Andregg from Lakewood High School, Maggie Kothera from Kirtland High School, Alaina Sovacool from Barberton High School, and Sophie Whang from Beachwood High School. Keep up the good work!
If you stopped by Washington Park Golf Center in Newburgh Heights in the morning of the first Saturday of the golf season, you would have seen no less than four high school teams getting in work. A huge thank you to Washington Park and the rest of the Cleveland Metroparks golf courses for being so supportive of local girls golf.
The Chagrin Valley Conference probably does the best job of showcasing its girls golf teams. Make sure to follow along on their website.
Conference Battles
Avon and Avon Lake are once again going to be in a battle for Southwestern Conference Supremacy. Avon Lake recently won the Edison tournament with Avon finishing second. This sets up some real drama as conference play gets underway.
Nordonia and Hudson have been going back and forth since the beginning of this decade. The Knights won the first Suburban League tournament on a 5th score tiebreaker and finished strong to take the second league tournament by seven shots at Fox Den. Hudson will need to finish first in both of the remaining tournaments to claim a share of the title.
Minerva, Carrollton, Louisville, and Massillon were all within a few strokes of each other in the Preseason Tri-County tournament. Minerva edged out Carrollton by four strokes and Louisville by six. This will be a fun race to watch.
The Miller Cup
We had never heard of the Miller Cup before this year. It is an annual tradition where the CVC takes on the WRC in a multi-format round of golf at Erie Shores. This year the WRC took the title as they won 11 of the 17 available points in the tournament featuring partner match play, partner scramble, and alternate shot.
Flamingo Thief
Caitrin Coyle from St. Vincent-St. Mary wanted a lasting memory of the Parma Flamingo Frenzy so she escaped from Ridgewood with one of our signature flamingo tee markers. We typically don’t condone petty larceny at Ohio High School Golf, but we’ll let it slide this time.
It is July 28th, 2025! This is the day we have been looking forward to ever since the State Championship tournaments wrapped up last year. Schools are now able to officially start tryouts, practices, matches, and tournaments.
This will be our third season covering Girls Golf in Northeast Ohio. We will be releasing previews for every girls golf team in the OHSAA Northeast District later this week. Coaches have been sending in information throughout the entire summer. We also will have previews for approximately 65 boys teams that responded to our survey.
If there is any content that you would like to see published on our website and social media, please feel free to send it to bolinr@hudson.k12.oh.us and we will try to get it out there. You can also contact us through our Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts. We are trying to promote the sport and shed positive light on all of our teams.
For the first time in well over a decade, the defending Division 1 State Champion is from Northeast Ohio. One last time, we would like to congratulate Magnificat and coach Danny Gallagher on this amazing feat. They will be looking to repeat and will bring back a team that is more than capable of doing so.
On the boys side, Archbishop Hoban and coach Quinn Parker are no strangers to being at the top of the State Tournament. This year, it will be held right in their backyard at Firestone Country Club. The amount of talent in our part of the state is incredible, and there are multiple teams that have a chance to make a run at the title.
We also make sure to cover Division 2 and boys Division 3 golf, teams that sometimes get overlooked by much of the news media. There are a lot of regional media outlets that cover their local schools (shoutout to Tom Nader, Susan Jenior, YSN, the News Herald, the Medina Gazette, and many others) but we try to be a little more comprehensive to get all teams the attention they deserve.
The race to the State Tournament in Girls Division 2 is going to be really excited to follow this season. Based on our projections and models, there are six or seven schools that will have at least an outside shot of representing the Northeast District at Heatherwoode in October.
After following summer golf, there are some insanely good players to watch. Northeast Ohio is fortunate to be a hotbed of quality players and teams that are exciting to watch play. While we can’t name them all right here, look for our “Players to Watch” post that comes out with the previews later this week. These players will be following a legacy set by some amazing athletes that are still making waves in the college and professional golf scenes.
Personally, I am so excited for this season with my team, the Hudson Explorers. We are returning some quality players, but even more importantly, some quality people. It is truly an honor to be able to work with our players and their families on a yearly basis. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to this every year. Most importantly, I am anticipating that we have nine freshmen trying out for our teams, and all of them having been working hard in the offseason.
Once again, we absolutely love covering this sport and we appreciate all the followers, coaches, players, and parents who help make this possible. We are hoping that everyone has a wonderful season in which you reach all your goals and stay healthy through the process. We look forward to promoting our teams and making 2025 the best season yet!
On Sunday, 23 golfers descended upon Manakiki Golf Course in Willoughby, Ohio and competed in the 2nd edition of the Golden Age Classic. The weather was a little sketchy at first but it turned out to be a perfect day for golf. The course was in incredible condition and allowed for some very low scores.
No one went lower than Ryan Yoder from Amherst, Ohio, who fired a tournament low three under par 69 in the Men’s A flight. Yoder was in good shape after shooting 37 on the front, but he caught fire on the back and removed all doubt as he signed for 32. He had bogey on the very difficult 10th hole and did not drop another shot for the remainder of round. After a par on number 11, he birdied both of the back-to-back par 5s, parred holes 14 and 15, and finished with three straight birdies. Gil Van Bokkelen of Hudson had a terrific round of 75, including two birdies, to take second place. Jerry Du’s 79 was good enough for third place. Du is an incoming junior at Hudson High School.
Low scores were the norm in the Women’s flight. Julia Gulla, a recent graduate of Nordonia High School, took home the trophy as she shot a one over par 73. Gulla’s front nine included a birdie on hole 6, mixed in with five pars and three bogeys. Similar to Yoder, she tore up the back nine, shooting a one under par 35. She bogeyed the 10th hole, birdied both of the short par 5s, then finished with par on the final five holes. Emmy Burling, a Hudson graduate who will be Gulla’s teammate at John Carroll University, finished in second place with a solid round of 77, which included two birdies in the first five holes. Julia Van Bokkelen, also a 2025 Hudson graduate, shot even par 36 on the front nine and ended up shooting an 80 to take the bronze.
In the Men’s B flight, Phil Burling of Hudson was the champion. Burling shot 41 on the front and 44 on the back to total and 85 and win by six shots over the 2024 champion Fangming Du, also of Hudson. Burling made five pars and did not score worse than double bogey on any hole. Du’s 91 was good enough for second place and Al Evangelista of Cleveland finished third with a 93.
It was a terrific day for golf as usual at Manakiki. We are looking forward to the 2026 Golden Age Classic!
Buckeye High School in Medina is looking for two coaches for the upcoming fall season: Girls Varsity Head Coach Boys Assistant Coach
Buckeye is anticipating that 2025 will be their first season with a girls team and are looking for a coach to help start the program. They also need an assistant coach for their boys team that will be primarily responsible for the JV team.
Please contact Boys Head Coach Bob Miller at bmiller@buckeyeschools.org for more information.
The Northeast Ohio golf community lost a legend on April 28th. Longtime golf coach Joe Denton passed away at the age of 81 leaving a legacy of major contributions to the game of golf. He coached the boys team at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy and Walsh Jesuit High School and most recently was an assistant coach for the girls team at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. He also founded the women’s golf team at Cleveland State University and served as an assistant professional at Sharon Country Club. In addition to his golf accomplishments, he coached football and men’s basketball at several local high schools and colleges. Our condolences go out to all the lives that Joe Denton touched, especially his friends and families.
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.
The top levels of Division 2 golf in Northeast Ohio tend to be more fluid than are seen in Division 1. With smaller rosters and less depth across the board, teams have more opportunities to compete for District and State tournament bids. One superstar player could be all a team needs to make a deep run in conference and postseason tournaments. The parity makes Division 2 hard to predict, especially several months before the beginning of the season. Here are some thoughts and observations on how the landscape of Division 2 golf looks as of the end of January 2025.
Contending
Teams that have good depth are rare in Division 2, and teams that have that depth immediately gain contender status. No team in Division 2 has more depth than the Southeast Pirates. Even losing distinguished star Taylor Blazek, Southeast will return some quality players, including sophomore Samantha Morgan and senior Aubree Varga along with sisters Jennifer and Jessi Mix.
Chagrin Falls climbed over the hump and made an appearance at the State Tournament in 2024 and they will look to go back in 2025. Much of that success can be attributed to Elizabeth Pollock, who had a memorable freshman season. She will be back and better than ever for the Tigers and will be joined by senior Reagan Burnight and juniors Kate Murphy and Natalie Vernosky.
The Columbiana Clippers had one of their best seasons in recent memory in 2024, even though they had hoped they would go another round in the tournament season. Columbiana is another team that has a large, deep roster with many players who can contribute. 2025 should be another strong season for Columbiana as they return much of their core. Seniors Sophia Perry and Alyssa Kakavros along with juniors Maddie Jackson and Victoria Buckingham provide a solid starting four players. Look for senior Sydney Spaite to make an impact this fall as well.
Junior Anuja Patel has already had a huge impact on the Northeast Ohio golf scene and she will be back at work with her Orange Lions in 2025. Orange has developed a nice supporting cast to complement Patel and they will be fighting for Chagrin Valley Conference supremacy as well as District and State tournament berths. Seniors Bree Turner and Alex O’Connor will be significant role players for the Lions.
It will be hard to get used to seeing the Edgewood Warriors without Avery Vencill, but seniors Annie Johnston and Zoe Naus have both grown as players and leaders over the past several years. They will keep the Warriors in the conversation throughout 2025. The team’s success could be dependent on sophomores Rylee McCumber and Bella Welton as they progress.
Canton South is a program that has been knocking on the door in recent years, and with a senior laden top of the lineup 2025 will be the season where the Wildcats can make a play to make their presence known. Hailey Franks and Leah Kramer are the two senior stars for Canton South and they will be joined by junior Hannah Samblanet. If the Wildcats find a high quality fourth score, they will be a team to be reckoned with.
Trending
There are many teams whose stock is currently on the rise, many who have the chance to make a run at conference, Sectional, and District championships. Keystone is at the top of that list, led by Sophia Clarico, who is coming off an impressive freshman season. She will be joined by experienced teammates Alexis Askew, Caseabella Fye, and Kennedy Accavallo. Pymatuning Valley has had a group of players putting in hard work over the past couple years and they look for that work to pay off this year. Senior Kylie Luke and juniors McCamey Compan and Allison Clark form the terrific trio for the Lakers. Rootstown has a dynamic senior class that has grown together and is poised to have a really good year. The top four seniors look to be Anna Drago, Alex Biggin, Ava Miller, and Chloe Gardner. Lake Catholic is another senior dominated team. Emma Madsen, Ella Zampedro, and Angela Kerwood look to cap off their careers as they compete in the North Coast Conference and throughout the postseason. They will be joined by highly regarded sophomore Mao Edwards. Tuslaw came out of nowhere to have a really good season in 2024 and they will still be one of the youngest teams in the area as they compete in 2025. Junior Avery Rodocker has already established herself as a prime time player and with young developing sophomores Emilee Urbas, Mollie Berbari, Alexis McCabe, and Hadley Porter, the Mustangs could become a dominant team for years to come. Our Lady of the Elms is continuing to build after a strong performance last year. Senior Becca Padgett and junior Brooklyn Berkowitz are ready to compete all over the Akron area in the fall. Also in greater Akron, senior Maggie Putt of the Springfield Spartans has become one of the most improved players in Northeast Ohio. She will lead Springfield as they look to dethrone Cloverleaf in the Metro Conference. The Spartans will return several key members of their 2024 team. A final team to watch is the Champion Golden Flashes. Champion will look to an incoming freshman class to add to the depth they have already created as they look to continue a program with a very strong tradition.
Mending
After a decade long run of dominance, the Independence Blue Devils will have some work to do to reach the same heights they did under coach Karl Schuld. The best thing going for Independence is that they have a young core of players with a ton of potential. 2025 will act as a stepping stone year for this group, led by eight sophomores. Laurel has typically had a superstar player with an important supporting cast. Senior Elizabeth Weingart will once again look to step into that role this fall while the team will look to several upper and lowerclassmen to work their way into the lineup. Without Kennedy Lewis, one of the program’s top all time players, Southern Local will also be looking to returning players to take on new important roles on the team. The Indians have a deep roster and several candidates to take a big step, including three seniors: Lola Perfetto, Alyssa Deeley, and Caty Brewer.
A few schools will have some talent back but will need to fill end the back end of their rosters in order to make a splash in Division 2. Perry senior Jillian Peters will be joined by senior Lilay Yeager at the top of the lineup. Elyria Catholic will be led by senior Nicole Ferguson. Bristol will rely on junior Anistyn Williams. All three of these teams have depth in their program but will need to see improvement from their role players.
As we endure record low temperatures here in Northeast Ohio, the thought of the upcoming golf season can bring some warm thoughts to mind. Here is some very early analysis of what we can expect from the 2025 girls golf season in Division 1.
Top of the Mountain
This past season Magnificat brought Northeast Ohio its first Division 1 State Championship since 2007. The Blue Streaks rose up when the stakes were the highest and held off perennial state power Dublin Jerome to bring the title to Rocky River. Magnificat will lose team leaders Cammy Reed and Maureen O’Leary to graduation but their depth as a program will still be on full display in 2025. Kristina Chill will be the impact senior followed by a very solid group of underclassmen, including sisters Kayla and Korinne Knaze and Calli Reed, hoping to build off her older sister’s legacy.
There was a lot of speculation that after losing Isabella Goyette and Paige McKendry that Highland was going to fall off in 2024. The one thing that the Hornets constantly remind everyone is that they are always going to be contenders. Elizabeth Coleman stepped up big time in her junior year and almost single handedly gave them exactly what they had come to expect from Goyette. Highland will lose both Kendall Sprutte and Avery Albright, so they will rely on some less experienced players to step up to fill those holes. Coleman will be a force her senior year and Highland always seems to have players waiting in the wings to make an impact.
After a short lull by their high standards, Walsh Jesuit had a dynamic 2024 run, capped off by back to back program defining rounds at Sectionals and Districts. The Warriors bring back their entire nucleus and will have huge expectations in 2025. Sarah Vojtko proved that she is the real deal throughout her freshman year. Yumi Kohara continues to get more consistent as she grows into a leadership role. Vivian Eich was a nice surprise last season and Coleen Stadler and Gianna Rodenhauser will add the needed depth in their senior year.
On the Rise
Turning the calendar to 2025 symbolizes the future turning into the present in northern Medina County. The Brunswick Blue Devils have been building for this moment and they are confident that the time is now to make a big run. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble exceeded all expectations as a freshman and now will be joined by her sister Emma, who brings a similar amount of hype. The Blue Devils used 2024 to continue to develop some of their core pieces, especially Rylee Roth and Jess Buzinski, who both took huge steps forward. Brunswick is primed for success if they put in the needed work and come in with the attitude demonstrated by coach Chad Thompson.
In Canfield, it will be time for juniors Aubree Philibin and Alex Conley to take the reigns for the Cardinals. Canfield has continued to grow over the past several years and they are another team that is ready to take the next step. Behind Philibin and Conley are a solid group of seniors ready to contribute and a young group of players ready to make an impact. Once coach Dean Conley sorts out where everyone fits in the lineup, the Cardinals are another team to watch.
After sending two, nearly an unprecedented three individuals to Districts in 2024, Revere will turn the page to a young foundation of players that has patiently been waiting their turn. In pure Revere fashion, four juniors, all who shoot very similar scores, will give the team a balanced look with a high ceiling in 2025. Those juniors are Ryenne Harpley, who nearly qualified for Districts after being the odd one out in a four-for-three playoff at Fox Den last year, Amrita Deo and Kate Banning, who each bring two years of quality experience, and Maddy Addessi, who has been ready for the spotlight since her freshman year. Canfield will grow as a team and learn how to win as a team in 2025.
The emergence of Edisa Plants last year gave Massillon some hopes of jumping onto the radar of contending teams. The Tigers have been slowly improving but will have a lot of work ahead of them, but having a sophomore emerging star is a good place to be. The Lake Blue Streaks are in a similar position. Charlie Brophy established herself as the number one player in the lineup last season and she will get some help from experienced seniors Grace Swihart and Olivia Gant, while the team is also high on a few younger players currently on the roster and entering the program as freshmen. A final team that has quietly been building a solid team is the Lions from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin. They don’t have the star power as some other programs but their lineup has become deeper over the past couple years to the point where they are fielding a competitive squad. Senior Ava Lewandowski will be joined by three juniors who have played a learned together over the past two seasons. NDCL will look to compete in the new North Coast Conference.
New Look
A number of perennial powerhouse programs will be going through some extensive changes while still looking to stay competitive in the top tier of teams in Northeast Ohio. These teams have typically been able to reload when losing key pieces but they all find themselves in different positions heading into 2025.
The Hoover Vikings have a lot to replace but they are still poised to be the team to beat in the Federal League and make another run toward the State Tournament. They will be led once again by superstar junior Ellie Hutzler, who will be joined by freshman sister Frankie along with several returning potential contributors.
With the Gianna Reginelli era over at St. Joseph Academy, the Jaguars will turn to senior Emerson Glending to step into the team leader role. Glending had a solid season and she will have a lot of help returning, including seniors Tess Gibel, Ellen Mingus, and junior Vera Swartz.
The Hudson Explorers had a roller coaster season in 2024 and have lost mainstay performers Emmy Burling and Julia Van Bokkelen. They will rely on junior Elena Varga, who will be joined by junior McKenna Kiewatt and a young group of players looking to build experience.
In Jackson Township, the Polar Bears are always a factor in the Stark County golf landscape. Even without Cara Murphy, Jackson will continue to bring out a quality lineup and will be a difficult team to beat. Junior Kennedy Farrell and senior Charlotte Raketich will take the top two spots for the Polar Bears.
Julia Gulla will likely be regarded as the best player to ever play at Nordonia High School, making an impact and leaving a legacy that will never be forgotten. Replacing her is impossible, but Nordonia still will be a team that gets the most out of their players. The Knights will have a senior laden lineup led by Natalie Barnes, Carly Sutton, and Maddie Eisner, while also receiving contributions by junior Polly Loney.
Looking to call upon the success of the teams of the mid 2010s, the Green Bulldogs are hoping to reestablish themselves as a Federal League contender. Junior Leah Dang will spearhead the campaign and be joined by seniors Brooke Shocklee and Reese Genet, along with several other experienced upperclassmen.
Athleticism and talent always seem to find their way into the hallways at Kent Roosevelt High School. While they will not be sending out household names like Ashlyn Leavery, Kent still has a group of quality players to keep an eye on. Senior Adrianna Mineo and Coco Golden will be two players to watch for the Rough Riders.
Without the pure left-handed swing of Dixon Hill, Hathaway Brown will be seeking a new team identity in 2025. Saijal Jawa will look to go from unknown in the area golf landscape at the beginning of last year to the face of the Hathaway Brown program this season. The Blazers saw significant improvement from both Adelyn Ehlers and Lily Andrews throughout last season and they will be important contributors in 2025.
Aurora will be another team that sees a complete changing of the guard in 2025. Last season served multiple purposes for the Greenmen, both fielding a highly competitive team and also developing young talent. Aurora will be very young this season, with sophomores Bennett DeLuca and Kelly Macsurak both being key contributors. Senior Courtney Zeid will need to take a leadership role as the young players continue to grow.
Along the western lakeshore, coach Jeffrey Hammond of the Rocky River Pirates will see some changes at the top of his lineup. As Mia Ginnetti moves on to the next level, Rocky River will rely on Ginnetti’s supporting cast from last year to become the main players. This includes seniors Addie Crane and Rylie Quaiser.
Keeping it Steady
These are teams that have a good base to build off and have been strong programs over the past several years. They all return a majority of their players from last season and look to have similar or much better results in 2025.
North Royalton has enough depth to compete in the Suburban League National Division, especially with the division losing a lot of its most talented players. The Bears will need someone to step up and become their superstar in 2025. They will also be competing with the Brecksville Bees, who are building around senior Alice Cho and are in a similar position as North Royalton. Medina had to redefine their program in 2024 after bringing in a new coach and a completely new starting lineup. They have all their contributors back for their senior year, including Corinne Christeon and Lily Zimmerman, and look to make a big step forward. Mayfield also brings back all their important pieces, including junior Julie Paradise and senior Lucy Moran, who will both only get better as the season goes on. The Kenston Bombers are not as balanced as Mayfield but they have two quality players at the top of their lineup, juniors Ava Solak and Stefania Mighton. Solak and Mighton will look to continue Kenston’s reign in the Western Reserve Conference for one final year. Down in Stark County, the Louisville Leopards are working to get back to the dominance they had earlier this decade. The majority of the workload will fall on senior Natalie Warner, who will lead a supporting cast who are gaining more and more experience.
Rebuilding
The race for supremacy in the Greater Cleveland Conference in 2024 was epic. Strongsville and Brunswick battled back and forth the entire season and Strongsville managed to play their best golf at the end of the season to come out on top. The Mustangs will need to replace 80 percent of their lineup this fall, with junior Kanishka Badri as their only returning contributor. Strongsville will use 2025 as an opportunity to establish a new direction for a new group of players under veteran coach Kevin Weir.
Avon Lake is in a similar place as Strongsville, having won the Southwestern Conference in 2024 for the third consecutive year despite starting their own version of a rebuild. They will lose Olivia Tobin but they have several young players coming up, all of who could make an impact. The Shoregals were pleasantly surprised with the performance of freshman Lily Dorsey last year and she will be thrust into a leadership role as a sophomore. They will be opposed once again by the Avon Eagles, who will also be rotating in some new players into the lineup. Seniors Reese Thomas and Emma Fitch return and the Eagles will look deeper into their program to find young players willing to step up. Staying in the Southwestern Conference, North Ridgeville will have to get used to life without Gianna Betonte, who was a stabilizing force in the program for her entire career. The Rangers have a large roster and they will see what players will emerge as their starters this coming season.
Speaking of Rangers in rebuild mode, Eastlake North will be facing a difficult road forward as they will have to find a way to compete without superstar Lauren Iannetta, who ended a spectacular career at the District Tournament last October. North will rely on Iannetta’s supporting cast from last year to step into the spotlight this season.
Led By the Star
Northeast Ohio, from Cleveland to Akron to Canton to Youngstown and everywhere in between, is a hotbed for talent on the links. There are a few programs that heavily rely on one superstar to carry their team. These players are natural leaders and instrumental to the success of their teams. No player epitomizes a quality player and leader by example as much as Serena Wu from Solon High School. Her dedication permeates through her teammates and the Comets are a better team because of it. Solon’s supporting cast will be vastly improved in 2025 and the Comets will compete in a very difficult conference because of it.
Olivia Berlingieri had a breakout season playing in the number 1 position for Stow last season. The senior will continue in that role as she mentors a squad comprised of mainly juniors, some with varsity experience. The Bulldogs still expect to be a factor in the Suburban league led by Berlingieri.
Another breakout player in 2024 was Cloverleaf sophomore Quinn Malarkey. She was thrust into the number 1 spot in their lineup very early and she made the most of the opportunity. The Colts are a young team looking to continue to dominate the Metro Conference and bring back some of their past glory.
After going to the Division 2 State Tournament two seasons ago, St. Vincent-St. Mary was not able to replace their graduated seniors and had to send their players to tournaments as individuals last season. They are looking to come back as a team in 2025 and have a solid one-two punch that will lead the team. Seniors Caitrin Coyle and Rylee Hoover are quality players who give the Irish a rock solid foundation to build from.
New and Almost New
Behind juniors Sydney Barker and Kaylee Naymik, the Riverside Beavers successfully completed their first season as a team in 2024. Riverside brings back their entire lineup, which also includes junior Kaylee Kirk, senior Madi Tas, and sophomore Isabella Gigliotti. Riverside was competitive last year and will be even more competitive returning all their talent in 2025.
In Medina, the Buckeye Bucks are hoping to be able to field a team of at least four players in 2025. Buckeye has never had a girls program but senior Grace Palermo and sophomore Angelina Vannello are pushing for this year to be the first. Buckeye would be an excellent addition to the Lake Erie Girls Golf Association and would bring even more quality to Northeast Ohio Golf.
Ohio High School Golf 