The Northeast Ohio Golf Coaches Association has released the All-District teams for 2023. These awards were voted on by members of the NEOGCA. Please visit https://www.neogca.com/copy-of-2023-all-neo-teams for all boys and girls honors.
Girls Division I
1st Team
Elizabeth Coleman (Highland) 1st Team All Ohio
Serena Wu (Solon) 1st Team All Ohio
Gianna Reginelli (St. Joseph Academy) 1st Team All Ohio
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.
Congratulations to the Magnificat Blue Streaks and Coach Danny Gallagher on bringing Northeast Ohio its first Division 1 girls golf state championship since 2007. Magnificat held off highly favored Dublin Jerome by 16 strokes with an overall team score of 618 (308-310). The Blue Streaks were led by sophomore Kayla Knaze who shot 77 on the first day and backed it up with 74 on day two at NCR Country Club. The wind was howling and the rain was occasionally falling over two chilly days in Dayton, but it didn’t stop Magnificat from making a huge statement. Senior Cammy Reed finished a single shot behind Knaze as she went 73-79 over the two days. Her freshman sister Calli showed that there won’t be any setbacks in the future as she brought in 80-77 to easily take the lowest score of all freshmen. Senior Maureen O’Leary contributed 78-80 and junior Kristina Chill shot 80-86. It was Magnificat’s first state championship in golf. They join Walsh Jesuit as the only other Northeast District team to win the D1 title. Highland was in contention for most of the tournament and ended up finishing fourth overall, compiling a team score of 643. Hoover finished just behind them in sixth place as they shot 672 and Walsh Jesuit ended up in 10th place with a team score of 699.
Elizabeth Coleman from Highland lit up the scoreboard on her way to a tie for second place overall in the individual competition. Coleman’s one over par 71 set the tone and she added a 75 on day two. She finished three shots behind state champion Eva Becerril from Cincinnati Sycamore and tied with Meadow Tian from Lewis Center Olentangy. Solon’s Serena Wu and St. Joseph’s Gianna Reginelli were both in the chase for the entire tournament and finished tied for fourth place, each shooting 148 over the two days, two shots back of Coleman and Tian. Zoe Mort from Marlington finished tied for 12th and Lauren Iannetta from Eastlake North finished in 32nd place.
In Akron, the Tom Fazio West Course at Firestone Country Club hosted the Division 2 State Championship. The Northeast District was strongly represented by the Southeast Pirates and Chagrin Falls Tigers. Cindy Fesemyer’s Southeast squad sat in fourth place after the first day and Chagrin Falls, under the direction of Kristin Reboul, ended day one in seventh place. Southeast’s consistent rounds of 355 and 356 were good enough for fifth overall in the tournament, putting an exclamation point on their first ever trip to the State Championship. Taylor Blazek led the way for the Pirates with rounds of 77 and 80 to finish sixth overall individually. Chagrin held on to seventh place as they shot 372 on the second day, 13 total shots better than their 385 on the day one. Their freshman phenom Elizabeth Pollock ended the championship with 88 and 83, which tied her for 19th place overall.
Individually, Anuja Patel, the standout sophomore from Orange High School, capped off an amazing tied for eighth place with rounds of 76 and 82. Katie Pregibon from Cardinal Mooney finished tied for 36th overall with rounds of 91 and 99.
Congratulations to all the teams and individuals who represented Northeast Ohio in the State Championships at Firestone Country Club and NCR Country Club!
Jessica Porvasnik is a big fan of the year 2024. The former Highland High School and Ohio State University golf standout already has a rather significant list of accomplishments, but now she can add two more huge life events to that list. In August, Jessica tied the knot and married her fiance Sam. Within a month of that momentous occasion, she received notice that she had officially earned a spot on the LPGA Tour.
The moment Jessica found out that she had earned her card is immortalized on Instagram. “How do you guys know that?” Jessica asked in the video. A simple response: “Math.” She had mathematically made the jump every female golfer dreams of and she had not even thought to check into it. “I was like ‘what?'” she explained. There were three events left in the season and she still had some work to do to earn fully exempt status, but one thing was certain: Jessica Porvasnik would be playing on the LPGA Tour in 2025.
Jessica has an untraditional story of her rise in the sport of golf. She was never exposed to the game and her parents were not golfers. “I started kind of late, at age 12,” she said. “I played many other sports and was really into softball. I was visiting my aunt in Battle Creek, Michigan and she suggested we take a golf lesson together.” The pro who gave the lesson was impressed. “Hey, you’re pretty good.” That was all it took. Jessica’s aunt helped her find out that the Highland golf program had a middle school club team. She joined that and made it a point to play with her grandfather every Sunday. Her sister Alicia also picked up the sport around the same time.
Jessica was able to make the Highland varsity team as a freshman. “It was a lot of fun,” she recalled. “It was a family atmosphere for me. It made my game get better just because of the competition. I grew to love the game and loved being with them.” Her best high school memories are the same as pretty much any high school golfer you ask and they include being big into flamingos, singing on van rides, and the camaraderie of the team. One of her goals was to win the individual state championship and she was able to accomplish that goal her senior year. “That was really cool,” she said happily.
It didn’t take Highland golf coach Mary Becker long to know Jessica might be on a different trajectory. “I began to believe that Jessica was a special kid after her freshman year,” Coach Becker explained. “She came back as a sophomore and made a huge jump. Just watching her development, passion and hunger to learn more and more about golf, and how to become a better player was something you saw in her every day.” Going to Ohio State was the right decision, according to Becker. “I was super excited for her to choose Ohio State to play her college golf. Number one, it’s a great national level program with great resources and facilities. Number two, after getting to know coach Hessian from OSU, I knew it was the right choice. She played on the tour and had a track record of developing tour players, which made her program a great fit for Jess.”
Jessica ended up having a stellar career at Ohio State, where she won the Big Ten Tournament her freshman year as an individual while the Buckeyes won it as a team. They ended up winning the conference three of her four years there and also made it to Nationals three of those seasons. After graduating with a degree in finance, Jessica knew she wanted to pursue her golf career. She committed herself and was happy to have more time to dedicate to improving her game. “I could now spend my time focusing on golf, fitness, and nutrition,” she said.
Jessica turned pro in the summer of 2017, right after her graduation. She continues to show appreciation for her coaches from Ohio State, who have been extremely supportive of her and have even caddied in some of her events. She went through LPGA Q-School to try to earn her tour card that fall but did not make it through the first round. She faced similar results the next two years. But she continued to play in state opens and on mini-tours. In 2020, she played on the Women’s All Pro Tour, which had an incentive where the top five on their money list got to skip Stage 1 of Q-School. With her struggles getting through Stage 1, this was exactly what Jessica needed. She won the first event on the WAPT and then the tour shut down due to Covid. “The year was a wash,” she explained. She didn’t back down and was able to get into the top 5 in 2021. In fact, she finished first overall on the WAPT and was able to get status on the Epson Tour as a result of her Q-School performance.
2024 was Jessica’s third season on the Epson Tour. She ended up finishing strong in most tournaments she played in. She had two second place finishes and six top 10s on the Epson Tour. If she finished in the top 10 overall she would receive a full card and 11 to 15 would earn her a partial card. When she found out she had mathematically qualified for the LPGA Tour with three events left, she still had a little work to do. She finished third in the next event to solidify a top 10 finish. With one event left on the Epson Tour, Jessica is sitting in third place and is ready to start making plans for her 2025 season on the LPGA Tour. “It hasn’t quite set in yet,” she said. “I think it will after this last event (at Indian Wells in Palm Springs).”
Jessica is very excited to live the LPGA lifestyle. “I can’t wait to see new courses and travel. I look forward to seeing new places. That was exciting with the Epson Tour. I got to visit a lot of places I had never been to. I can’t wait to see the new places on the LPGA Tour.” She is also excited to visit some of her host families and friends she has made along the way. Many of them still stay in touch and are following her journey.
Jessica has some experience on the big stage. She qualified to play in the 2014 Women’s US Open at Pinehurst. She did not make the cut but still mentioned that it was a great learning experience. She Monday qualified to get into the LPGA event at Toledo at Highland Meadows, where she did make the cut, and at the Pierce Silk Tournament in Virginia. “I haven’t met a lot of people yet,” she said. I’m looking forward to the new journey, meeting new people (she mentioned Nelly Korda), and seeing familiar faces.”
Jessica is ready to face the challenges of being on the top women’s golf tour in the world. There is a lot that goes into being a professional golfer that many people don’t realize. She is currently working on sponsorship deals, finding an agent, and getting a caddie. “I typically pushed (the bag and cart) myself or had my dad, husband, family, or coaches caddy for me,” she explained. She also knows that she needs to constantly work on her game. “I’m still asking people ‘Can you give me a lesson?’ and I am still taking a ton of lessons,” she said. “Your first year on the Epson Tour you are learning the ropes: Pro-Am parties, being in the Pro-Am, etc. I look back and hope my first year on the LPGA Tour will be easier.” She knows that she needs to get advice and continue to ask questions. “Where do I stay? What hotels do you recommend. I didn’t use a lot of the resources on the Epson Tour and it was a learning process. You don’t have a lot of time on the LPGA Tour. You need to perform to keep your card. Going out and asking questions will be huge so I don’t go out and face too many challenges.”
Asking questions is so important. Jessica wanted to remind that to junior players and high school golfers who are looking to make it big one day. “When you are a freshman, be outgoing,” she explained. “Ask the seniors questions. You need to be outgoing and ask questions because it will only help you.” She continued to explain what has worked for her. “The game is growing so much. There are a lot more female golfers right now. Give it your all, stay patient out there: PATIENT AND POSITIVE. It’s a grueling sport. You will have it one day and you won’t have it the next. Stick with it and have fun. That’s the key. I’ve always loved the game. There’s always something to bring me back in and give me that itch. I need to be out there. Most importantly, dream big!”
Jessica also offered some words of wisdom to parents and coaches of young golfers. “Don’t push too soon. I’ve seen a lot of parents make that mistake. If you keep pushing them they are going to get burnt out. Take a step back and be very supportive. They have got to want it themselves. My parents didn’t push me because I had the drive. They would drop me off at the golf course early and pick me up in the evening. I’d spend the whole day there.”
Even those that are not planning to become LPGA pros can really benefit from learning the sport, according to Jessica. “This is a great sport to go play in the business world or go make a bunch of connections. Having a lady in your scramble who plays from the red tees is a huge advantage!”
Coach Mary Becker sums up Jessica’s story perfectly: “Hers is a great story of perseverance and hard work, never giving up on her dream. I could not be happier for her.”
We would like to offer our utmost thanks to Jessica Porvasnik for taking the time to talk about her journey. We wish her the very best and we are really excited to follow her on the LPGA Tour this coming season!
We haven’t posted a tournament update in a while and now that the season is already winding down it’s time to check in on what has been going on in girls golf from late August through the beginning of September.
(Please keep us updated on tournament results, team/individual accomplishments, and other interesting stories as they develop this season!)
The girls golf world loves heading to Avon Oaks Country Club, one of the most supportive clubs in Northeast Ohio for girls golf. The Magnificat Blue Streak Invitational was a huge success with a thrilling finish as Dublin Jerome held off Magnificat by a single stroke. Magnificat’s Cammy Reed defended her home turf with medalist honors and a very impressive -3 round of 69. Emma Myers from Toledo St. Ursula was the runner up with a round of 71.
Great event today at Avon Oaks CC! Congratulations to our team champion Dublin Jerome, our medalist Cammy Reed & our all-tournament team pictured below! Thank you to the entire AOCC staff! @MagnificatGolf @SportsKee1 @avonoaksturf pic.twitter.com/eTecssyfCE
One of the most fun events of the golf season is the Flamingo Frenzy, appropriately hosted at Ridgewood Golf Course in Parma. The teams brought it strong with some amazing flamingo gear and some even better golf. Magnificat continued their impressive season with a victory, shooting a team score of 308 and holding off their rival St. Joseph Academy by ten strokes. Hathaway Brown’s Dixon Hill always seems to have a good day at Ridgewood and she had a phenomenal day this year. Her -5 67 easily took medalist honors. Julia Gulla from Nordonia and past champion Gianna Reginelli from St. Joseph Academy tied for second place.
Huge thank you to Ridgewood and the City of Parma for hosting the Flamingo Frenzy! And to all the teams who came out and made it amazing!
Another staple on the schedule for many teams is the Independence Blue Devil Classic, held at Shawnee Hills. The Highland Hornets were victorious by 18 strokes over the Jackson Polar Bears in a 17 team field. Solon’s Serena Wu and Highland’s Elizabeth Coleman both went 2 under par and tied for medalist honors with scores of 69. Wu and Chester both continued their dominant fall seasons combining for seven total birdies in the round.
Highland shoots a 310 and takes 1st 🥇 place at the Blue Devil Invitational, Shawnee Hills GC. Elizabeth (69) runner up after a 5th scorecard tiebreaker. Solid team win! Elizabeth 69, Mirabella 78, Avery 80, Gabby 83, Kendall 85. pic.twitter.com/eANoe7eCgg
At the beautiful Country Club of Hudson, Highland was able to pull out a victory at the Walsh Jesuit Invitational following their win at Independence. Highland topped a very strong field with a score of 301, followed by Magnificat with a 311. Gracyn Vidovic had an amazing tournament, finishing -4 and three shots ahead of her nearest competitors. Cara Murphy from Jackson and Elizabeth Coleman from Highland tied for second place with scores of 71.
Great day for golf at beautiful CC of Hudson at the Warrior Invitational. Highland takes 1st 🥇 place of 17 teams with a team season low of 301! Elizabeth runner up 71, Mirabella 75 PR 🔥, Kendall 76 PR 🔥, Allie 79 PR 🔥, Avery 80.
Big Met Golf Course will be hosting the west side Sectional tournament starting this year and Rocky River’s Invitational provided a preview of what to expect from the course. Brunswick played a stellar round to easily lap the field for the victory. The Blue Devils shot 338 and their superstar freshman Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble was medalist with a 75 and three Brunswick players finished in the top five. Host Rocky River came in second with 356 and their superstar senior Mia Ginnetti finished runner up individually one stroke back of Ellie with a 76.
Girls shoot 338 to win the Rocky River Invitational by 18 shots at Big Met!!!
Seven teams descended upon Akron and looped around Mud Run Golf Course two times in the Lady Irish Open hosted by St. Vincent-St. Mary. Irish junior Caitrin Coyle shared medalist honors with Ryenne Harpley from Revere with scores of 82. The Minutemen won the tournament with a score of 339, finishing nearly 100 strokes above their nearest competitor. Northwest, led by a 93 from Sadie Villers, was the runner up in the tournament.
Congrats to the Lady Minutemen Golfers who won the St. V. Irish Invitational Saturday at Mud Run GC.
Ryenne Harpley-medalist with 82
Kate Banning 3rd- 84
Maddy Addessi 85 Amrita Deo 88 Ava Sucato 99 Sarah Riley 100
The Hoover Vikings took home another victory at the Mahoning Valley Tournament hosted by Ursuline. The Vikings put up a team score of 322, led by Medalist Ellie Hutzler, who shot a 74. The Polar Bears from Jackson finished in second place with a 335.
Fittingly, it was Columbiana who dominated the Columbiana County tournament, as their two teams took the top two spots in the tournament. Nine of the top ten scores came from the Clippers, who were led by Ellie Jackson’s 82 and Maddie Jackson’s 84. The top non-Columbiana player was Kennedy Lewis from Southern Local, who shot 97.
The Greater Cleveland Conference met up in Medina to take on Bunker Hill Golf Course in their second conference tournament. It was the Brunswick Blue Devils who prevailed with a ten stroke victory over the Strongsville Mustangs. Brunswick’s win put them in command of the conference after also winning the first tournament. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble from Brunswick absolutely dominated the individual side of the tournament as she shot 72 and was 13 strokes clear of Strongsville’s Hannah Lee, who ended up in second place with an 85.
The girls shoot 356 at Bunker Hill and win GCC #2 by ten shots!
Ellie 72 (hole out EAGLE 🦅 on #16) Rylee 87 Jess 94 Autumn 103 Jensen 103 Abbey 114
The girls will play next in the Blue Devil Classic on Saturday at Shawnee Hills. Great WIN today girls!!! pic.twitter.com/JvfyVnL0f8
Back to back days saw conference tournament action at Fox Den Golf Course in Stow. The fun started with the third Suburban League Tournament on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. While most of the area was watching the debacle that occurred at Cleveland Browns stadium, fourteen schools looked to anchor their spot in the Suburban League standings. Highland put themselves in a commanding lead in the American Division with their third victory in the conference. Their 310 was the lowest score in both divisions. Aurora had their best showing in the conference as they finished second to Highland with a 328. Hudson won the National Division with a 324, 13 shots ahead of Nordonia. Hudson has won two of the first three league tournaments and will look to hold off Nordonia for the league title. Individually, in the National Division, Solon’s Serena Wu continued to dominate as she shot an impressive -4 67. Stow’s Olivia Berlingieri stayed hot as she posted an even par 71 to finish second. In the American Division, it was Gracyn Vidovic from Aurora who shot 69 to take medalist honors. Second was Elizabeth Coleman from Highland with a 72.
Congratulations to Highland and Hudson girls’ golf teams for finishing first in Sub. Lge. tournament # 3 at Fox Den. Gracyn Vidovic (69)-Aurora and Serena Wu (67) – Solon were individual conference medalists. Some great scores on a beautiful day for golf!⛳️⛳️⛳️ pic.twitter.com/hT7GNYA1SH
The third Greater Cleveland Conference tournament at Fox Den was one of the most exciting events of the year. Strongsville and Brunswick battled for 18 holes while scores went back and forth with both teams usually being separated by less than three shots. It came down to the final hole and the Mustangs from Strongsville prevailed by a total of 2 shots, bettering Brunswick 339 to 341 and keeping them alive for a possible share of the conference championship. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble all but solidified her claim to player of the year with a -1 70. Hannah Lee from Strongsville once again took second place as she put up a 78.
Could not be prouder of these girls. They have fought all season long and played some great golf today. Congratulations to Hannah Lee on finishing 2nd overall with a 78 and Sydney Bass with a PR of 83 and finishing 3rd overall. https://t.co/HFC8VJKdD7
At Mill Creek in Youngstown, Canfield absolutely crushed the competition as they took the crown in the All American Conference tournament. Canfield’s 332 was just under a hundred shots better than their nearest competitor. Howland finished second with a 429. Individually, it was all Cardinals as Miya Cohol took medalist honors with a 79, followed by teammate Alex Conley’s 82 then two more Canfield players. Gianna Ross from Boardman finished 5th overall with an 87.
Congrats to our Lady Cards as they won the AAC Championship today at Mill Creek! Leading the Cards was Miya Cohol-79(Low Medalist),Alex Conley-82,Natalie Sawicki-85,Aubree Philibin-86, and Mia Tisone-91. pic.twitter.com/wWYNHeYTao
Teams are starting to round into form as we hit the peak of the season. 2024 is proving to be an extremely competitive season with some big surprises.
(Please keep us updated on tournament results, team/individual accomplishments, and other interesting stories as they develop this season!)
Heading to the far east part of our coverage area, it is great to welcome the Brookfield Warriors as one of the newest girls golf teams in the state of Ohio. Brookfield is coached by Shawn Hammond and they have gotten off to a very respectable start. We will have an updated page for the Warriors on our site asap.
The week started off with the first of several co-ed events of the year at Arrowhead Golf Club. The host Hoover Vikings swept the tournament by winning on both the girls and boys side with nearly identical scores of 315 and 314 respectively. The boys defeated Canfield on a fifth score tiebreaker. For the girls, Ellie Hutzler, Ava Kemp, and Kylie Porter all shot in the 70s to pace the Vikings as they outplayed Dublin Jerome and Walsh Jesuit.
Hoover wasn’t done with just one tournament win. In historic Zoar, Ohio, the Norse of North Canton also won the Dover Lady Tornado Invitational, bettering their score from Arrowhead by one stroke. They beat second place Jackson by 20 shots. Kylie Porter’s even par 72 was four shots better than Jackson’s Cara Murphy, her closest competition. Led by an 87 from junior Olivia Gant, Lake managed to help the Federal League take all three of the top three spots in the tournament.
At Alliance Country Club, the North Royalton Bears claimed their first tournament victory of the season at the Marilyn Jackson Invitational, besting the Massillon Tigers by 24 strokes and the Louisville Leopards by another 16. Rena Steffas and Lily Pastore matched 95s to lead the Bears to a victorious team score of 387. Marlington’s Zoe Mort continued her impressive run as she claimed the medalist spot with a round of 81. Natalie Warner from Louisville finished second with a 94, one better than the Bear Pair.
Dublin Jerome brought their A team to Mill Creek and dominated the Canfield Invitational with a remarkable team score of 291. Walsh Jesuit edged out Canfield for the runner up spot by one stroke with a 323. Ellie Ryu added another first place trophy to her case as she carded an impressive 68. Scores were low across the board as Caitlyn Mundwiller from Jerome tied Magnificat’s Cammy Reed with a round of 70.
Hathaway Brown checked in with a win at the Chagrin Falls Invitational at Tanglewood as superstar Dixon Hill shot 72 for the Blazers. Look for a lot more news out of Tanglewood as they are under new ownership and have really dedicated themselves to supporting high school golf. Hathaway Brown took a big step forward as they pursue a deep run in the postseason.
At Spring Hills Golf Club in Clinton, the Northwest Indians hosted the Griffiths Cup. The Quakers of New Philadelphia were the tournament champions as they held off Massillon Perry by 10 strokes and the hosts from Northwest by 13. A three way tie for medalist included Sadie Villers from Northwest, Hailey Franks from Canton South, and Kiersten Creighton from New Philadelphia, all shooting rounds of 86.
The Suburban League had a quick turnaround as both the boys and girls headed out to Aurora to play the beautiful Club Walden. The American Division was once again won handily by Highland as they soared to a 31 stroke victory over Aurora, Kent Roosevelt, and Revere. The Hornets shot 314 while the others shot 345. Highland’s Elizabeth Coleman shared the top spot in the American Division with Gracyn Vidovic from Aurora, each shooting 73. The National Division didn’t put up the team scores to compete with Highland, but the individual scores were impressive. Serena Wu from Solon tied Olivia Berlingieri from Stow with three under par rounds of 69. Julia Gulla of Nordonia also went under par with a 71 and Emmy Burling from Hudson added an even par round of 72. Hudson held off Nordonia to win the National Division by two shots, 329 to 331. Hudson and Nordonia are now tied with one tournament victory each, while Highland has won both tournaments on the American side.
It was a wild first week of the high school golf season around Northeast Ohio. There were multiple tournaments each day, conference play started in many places, and the talented players in this area made their impact known right off the bat.
(Please keep us updated on tournament results, team/individual accomplishments, and other interesting stories as they develop this season!)
The week started with an invasion of teams from different parts of the state. Columbus was well represented on Monday and Tuesday. Perennial power and state championship favorite Dublin Jerome won the afternoon flight of the Lady Explorer Invitational and Brunswick Tee-Off Classic on back-to-back days. They were joined by New Albany, Olentangy, Olentangy Orange, Granville, and Marysville from Central Ohio. Centerville made their debut in the Lady Explorer Invitational and finished in 5th place. St. Ursula and Notre Dame Academy came from Toledo and each participated in two tournaments.
As expected, the Northeast Ohio teams were all looking up at Magnificat, who finished runner up at the Lady Explorer at Lake Forest Country Club and the Brunswick Tee-Off Classic at Brookledge. After two second place finishes, Magnificat dominated the field at Padua’s Bruin Invitational, taking home the trophy. Gianna Reginelli of St. Joseph Academy had a 74, which was good enough for the individual championship at Pine Hills.
Canfield got off to a fantastic start as they won the morning flight of the Lady Explorer Invitational, which was bolstered by a hole-in-one from Miya Cohol. She ended the tournament with an 84, placing her in 6th place overall. Serena Wu from Solon High School was the individual medalist with an impressive 69 at a very difficult course.
Miya Cohol with an ace on the 3rd hole at Lake Forest. Courtesy of Josh Cohol.
Riverside High School participated in their first ever tournament as a program in the afternoon flight at Lake Forest. They watched along with many others as Dublin Jerome won the team title and Ellie Ryu from Jerome took the individual title with a one under par 71.
Ryu also took home the medalist honors at Brookledge in the Brunswick Tee-Off Classic on Tuesday, beating Highland’s Elizabeth Coleman by one shot, and helping her team to victory.
Coleman had one of the craziest rounds of golf in recent memory on Wednesday during the Suburban League tournament at Good Park in Akron. After taking a 10 on her fifth hole of the day, she birdied five of six holes, put up a 31 on the back, and finished the day with a 75 to take medalist honors in the American Division. The Hornets took the team title as well, finishing 18 strokes above Kent Roosevelt. In the National Division, things were a little tighter as Nordonia edged out Hudson by five strokes in what looks to be a season long battle. Serena Wu once again was the medalist with a great round of 72.
On Monday at Chenoweth, Cloverleaf and Copley came down to the wire at the Springfield Lady Spartan Invitational. Cloverleaf ended up winning the tournament by one shot over the Indians. Medalist honors went to Caitrin Coyle from St. Vincent-St. Mary. In the team competition, Rootstown took third place.
The Greater Cleveland Conference made their way out to Warren to take on Old Avalon, a course known for yielding some low numbers. It didn’t disappoint. Brunswick set multiple school records and took home the first GCC points of the year as they shot a 323 to defeat Strongsville by 15 strokes. Freshman sensation Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble was the medalist with 72 and her teammate Rylee Roth’s personal best 76 was good enough for second.
In Stark County, Hoover continued their amazing run as they won the Federal League Preseason Tournament with a score of 308. Jackson finished second with 335 and Green third with 360. Cara Murphy from Jackson had a career day as she shot six under par 66 to win the tournament in convincing fashion.
Avon snuck past Avon Lake in the nine hole Southwestern Conference Preview Tournament. Kylie Kittrell and Reece Thomas, both from Avon, shared the low round of the day with 42 apiece. Olmsted Falls finished third holding off Berea-Midpark by one shot at Sweetbriar.
Cloverleaf was in complete control at the MAC Preseason Tournament, beating their nearest competitor by a whopping 50 strokes and establishing themselves as the team to beat in the conference. Four Colts took four of the top five spots with sophomore Quinn Malarkey bringing home the top score of 86 at Pine Valley. Malarkey edged out Woodridge’s Dani Slack by four shots.
The Keystone Wildcats looked to defend their home turf at Grey Hawk Golf Course in LaGrange at the LEGGA Preview Tournament. They nearly won the tournament but were narrowly beaten by the Rocky River Pirates, 405-408. Rocky River was able to win without their number one player Mia Ginnetti. Julia Schmid from Rocky River tied with freshman Sophia Clarico from Keystone for the individual honors.
With a score of 340, Tusky Valley won the Preseason Tri-County Conference tournament at Pleasant View. Massillon was the top conference team in the tournament with a score of 372. Garaway’s Kylie Miller won the tournament carding a 75. Zoe Mort of Marlington was the top Tri-County player as she shot 76.
Last Saturday at Twin Lakes, Kent Roosevelt’s Lady Rider Invitational took on Mother Nature. Mother Nature took an early lead as they washed out half of the morning flight and the tournament was switched to a nine hole event. The Rider Invitational got its revenge on Friday as the weather was absolutely perfect. Southeast won the shortened morning flight with an impressive score of 161. Walsh Jesuit had a very strong performance on Friday, putting up a team score of 323 to take home the trophy. Dixon Hill of Hathaway Brown was on fire as she shot a 68 to take the individual medal.
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
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!
Ohio High School Golf 