First Tee Cleveland is looking for summer college interns (paid) to help coach Golf Camp and classes in 2026. Any graduating high school seniors or college students who might be interested, please contact Dorothy Kasper at dkasper@firstteecleveland.org.
Caitrin Coyle calmly knocked in her par putt on the ninth hole at Fox Den. It was her last hole of the day. She knew she had played well. She heard loud clapping and a yell from her coach. Dirk Hartman had not told her anything. The St. Vincent -St. Mary senior had missed out by one shot from advancing to Districts last year and this would be her last chance. The Fighting Irish only had two players at the Sectional Tournament, so advancing as a team was not an option.
As soon as the putt fell, Caitrin knew. There was not going to be any doubt this year. She had easily posted the lowest individual qualifying score this year. She jumped into Coach Hartman’s arms, knowing she had accomplished a huge goal. The pure emotion was tangible. But it was also just beginning.
What seemed like an eternity passed, and Caitrin’s fellow senior teammate and great friend Rylee Hoover stood on the tee box of her final hole. Rylee had no idea of anything going on. She was completely unaware she needed a par on the short par three to take the last qualifying spot. “I’m not telling her,” Coach Hartman said to a random passerby. Caitrin agreed. “She would freak out if she knew.” It’s one of those no win, difficult decisions a coach must make when everything is coming down to the wire. Coach Hartman was adamant that he was making the right decision.
The tee shot was off. Just short of the green in the left rough. They decided to still not say anything. Rylee’s family was gathered not too far from where her ball came to rest. Her sister was one of the best players to ever play at SVSM. Rylee was trying to follow in her footsteps. “Get away from here!” Coach said to Caitrin. “Blend in. We don’t want her to know what’s going on.” That was a tough command, but Caitrin obeyed as she wandered over toward the clubhouse. It didn’t last long as she started inching her way back past the practice green, across the first tee box, eventually to at least a spot where she could see the upcoming chip shot.
It seemed like an eternity. A good crowd had gathered to watch this particular group finish. Several coaches and teams were lingering around. One team was the North Royalton Bears. They had played a great round of golf and missed qualifying as a team by two shots. They still had an individual with a chance to qualify. Ava Grugle would never root for an opponent to not succeed, but a bogey by Rylee would get her into a playoff for the final spot. Julie Paradise from Mayfield and Alaina Liem from Brecksville had taken the other two spots. They were long gone on their way back home to enjoy the rest of a beautiful Wednesday evening. Now it all came down to Rylee.
It was finally her turn to play. Coach said very little. She hit a low shot that landed right on the edge of the green and started rolling. And it rolled for what seemed like minutes. It curled right the whole time. Once everyone exhaled, the ball was at rest 18 inches from the cup. There was a little hushed applause but no one in attendance wanted to show how big the moment actually was. Rylee had just executed the most important chip shot of her golf career. “She’s the worst chipper in the world,” Coach Hartman jokingly said to the people around him, including Revere Coach Mike Clark, a good friend, who also happens to be Caitrin’s boss at the First Tee in Akron. “She calls off more than any employee I’ve ever had,” he said with a smile.
But everyone agreed, Caitrin is a stellar person and an amazing teammate. She deserved this so much. And in that moment she didn’t really seem to care about her accomplishments. All her emotional energy, all her focus was on her friend who needed to make a tiny tap in to share the glory.
Another several hours seemed to pass. In reality it was about two and a half minutes. Everyone in Rylee’s group had cleaned up their putts, leaving only Rylee to finish out. Coach Hartman had made his way onto the green to tend the flag. Caitrin couldn’t help herself. She was now greenside. The whole amphitheatre setting was established. Rylee stepped up and stood over the ball.
Bang, center of the cup. Never a doubt. The crowd erupted. Caitrin sprinted onto the green and jumped into Rylee’s arms. “You made it!” she screamed. It was a storybook ending at Fox Den. Hugs went around for the next several minutes. The Irish sent both of their individual players to the District Tournament. Dirk Hartman’s passion and his players’ hard work had paid off. It was like a scene from a movie and it was hard not to shed a tear experiencing the purity of what had just happened.
Caitrin Coyle and Rylee Hoover will represent SVSM at the District Tournament at Tanglewood on Tuesday. They will be joined by fellow individuals Julie Paradise from Mayfield and Alaina Liem from Brecksville.
Qualifying teams were Walsh Jesuit, Hudson, Nordonia, and Revere, who had to stick around at Fox Den for at least two hours scoreboard watching to see if they were going to make the cut. Walsh was dominant, shooting an incredible score of 294. Hudson got off to a bad start but managed to salvage the day with an amazing second nine score. Nordonia grinded through the day and put up a quality number. Revere did not have their best round, but it proved to be enough, making up for last year’s brutal finish that ended with three of their players, including two sisters, in a four way playoff for one spot.
We’d also like to acknowledge the North Royalton Bears. They came into Sectionals playing their best golf of the season. They played a solid round of golf with everyone on their team shooting in the 80s. They fell two shots short and Ali Kovalak missed out by one shot as an individual. That doesn’t take anything away from North Royalton and Coach Don Filips. They are a team that does everything the right way and they always put themselves in a position to be competitive.
On a personal note, this is why I love this sport so much. The high emotions, teams rising to the occasion, and seeing young athletes succeed in something they work so hard at is the most rewarding thing about coaching and covering girls golf. I may have lost a lawn flamingo (Caitrin…) in the process, but today and this year give me a newly renewed love and hope for our sport and the amazing athletes we get to see on a daily basis.
Best of luck to all our teams and individuals in the District Tournament on Tuesday!
A boys team is needed to play along with the Perry girls at the NEO Co-Ed Tournament on August 4th at Arrowhead GC. It is an 8:30 am shotgun start, play 5 golfers count 4. The entry fee is $265 and includes and a pasta and salad lunch.
Please contact Scott Snyder at 330-704-8019 or scott.snyder@northcantonschools.org if you are available and interested.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ohio High School Golf 