Division 1 District Preview

The Information

Four team spots and four individual spots to the State Tournament are up for grabs at Brookledge Golf Club on Wednesday, October 11th. Sixteen Division 1 teams and sixteen individuals from non-qualifying teams punched their tickets to Brookledge last week. Here is all the information you need to follow along with the District Tournament.

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.ohsaa.org/tickets

Live scoring can be purchased through the OHSAA Golf App

The Course

Brookledge Golf Club

Par 71
5,337 Yards (District Tees)
Architect- Arthur Hills

Brookledge Golf Club is nestled on over 120 acres of rolling hills and woodlands, the challenging Arthur Hills layout is unlike any other in the area. The club was opened in 1992 and has consistently improved throughout the years, now ranked as the ninth best golf course in Ohio per PGA.com’s ranking. The course is always in excellent condition and has recently undergone irrigation and bunker improvements to make the course even better! (from Brookledge Official Website)

The Teams

Aurora Greenmen

Coach- Collin McEndree

Projected Lineup
1. Gracyn Vidovic (JR)
2. Brooklyn Millard (SR)
3. Manisha Girn (JR)
4. Nina Newkirk (SR)
5. Meena Kraus (JR)

Aurora won the Old Avalon Sectional with a score of 314. They finished second in the Suburban League American Division and Brooklyn Millard finished as the conference Player of the Year. The team won the Parma Flamingo Frenzy and Millard was the medalist in that tournament. Aurora’s top two players, Millard and Gracyn Vidovic, make up one of the best tandems in the state of Ohio and will look to carry the team to Columbus.

Canfield Cardinals

Coach- Dean Conley

Projected Lineup
1. Taylor Morrone (SR)
2. Miya Cohol (JR)
3. Aubree Philibin (FR)
4. Alex Conley (FR)
5. Natalie Sawicki (SO)

Canfield snuck into the fourth spot at the Old Avalon Sectional, edging out Stow by one shot. They are the champions of the All American Conference. Their best tournament finish was 5th in the morning flight of the Hudson Lady Explorer Invitational. Canfield has a young core that will gain some valuable experience competing in the District Tournament as a group.

Green Bulldogs

Coach- Jake Shocklee

Projected Lineup
1. Leah Dang (FR)
2. Sydney Shocklee (JR)
3. Brooke Shocklee (SO)
4. Raelynn Winkler (SR)
5. Reese Genet (SO)

Green finished fourth at The Elms Sectional with a team score of 365. Green has two fourth place tournament finishes, The Elms Sectional Preview and the Summit County Cup. They also finished fourth in the Federal League this fall. Freshman Leah Dang has emerged as a top player for Green and the two Shocklee sisters, Sydney and Brooke, have both become more consistent players.

Hathaway Brown Blazers

Coach- Ronald Jones

Projected Lineup
1. Dixon Hill (JR)
2. Blake Cody (JR)
3. Hannah Weinberger (JR)
4. Christine Kim (SR)
5. Lily Andrews (SO)

The Blazers from Hathaway Brown finished second in the Old Avalon Sectional, ten shots behind Aurora. They have third place finishes in the morning flight of the Lady Explorer Invitational, the Lady Bruin Invitational, and the Canterbury Invitational. Hathaway Brown has one of the most talented players in Northeast Ohio, junior Dixon Hill, and she is joined by a young core group of layers that will leave a lasting legacy at HB.

Highland Hornets

Coach- Mary Becker

Projected Lineup
1. Isabella Goyette (SR)
2. Paige McKendry (SR)
3. Elizabeth Coleman (SO)
4. Kavya Chada (SR)
5. Avery Albright (JR)

Highland won the Fox Den Sectional with a team score of 293, led by medalist Paige McKendry’s personal best score of 67. Coming off a fourth place finish at the 2022 State Tournament and returning every scoring player, Highland has had an expectedly good 2023 campaign. They easily won the Suburban League American Division and took the top spot in four separate tournaments. They are led by superstar Isabella Goyette but are at least six deep in quality players.

Hoover Vikings

Coach- Scott Snyder

Projected Lineup
1. Ava Kemp (JR)
2. Kylie Porter (JR)
3. Ellie Hutzler (FR)
4. Alyssa Evans (JR)
5. Olivia Pfannenschmidt (SR)

Hoover took the top spot at The Elms Sectional with a very good team score of 324 while Ava Kemp tied with Jackson’s Cara Murphy for medalist honors. Hoover was the champion of the Federal League again in 2023 coming off finishing 8th in the state in 2022. Hoover raced up three tournament wins this fall, the Mahoning Valley Invitational, Dover’s Lady Tornado Invitational, and the Stark County Championships. They are led by the duo of Kemp and Kylie Porter but have really thrived after the emergence of freshman Ellie Hutzler.

Hudson Explorers

Coach- Bobby Bolin

Projected Lineup
1. Emmy Burling (JR)
2. Sherry Du (SR)
3. Julia Van Bokkelen (JR)
4. Elena Varga (FR)
5. Ellie Davis (SR)

Hudson finished third at the Fox Den Sectional with a team score of 319, two shots short of second place Walsh Jesuit. The Explorers were the champions of the National Division of the Suburban League, winning three of the four tournaments. They had second place finishes at the Flamingo Frenzy and the Summit County Cup with a third place finish at the Brunswick Tee-Off Classic. Emmy Burling has had a strong 2023 season along with Sherry Du, and in order to advance Hudson will need good performances from Julia Van Bokkelen, Elena Varga, and Ellie Davis.

Jackson Polar Bears

Coach- Teal Harvey

Projected Lineup
1. Cara Murphy (JR)
2. Katie Sieverts (SR)
3. Milena Grametbauer (JR)
4. Charlotte Raketich (SO)
5. Katie O’Connell (SR)

Jackson finished the season on a high note with a second place showing at The Elms Sectional. Cara Murphy also tied for the individual Sectional Championship. Jackson was second place in the Federal League this year and had strong showings in many tournaments. They had three second place finishes, the Lady Tornado Invitational, the Mahoning Valley Invitational, and the Stark County Championships. Murphy is the star of the show for the Polar Bears but will also be able to rely on help from any of the other four players at Districts.

Kent Roosevelt Rough Riders

Coach- Bryan Harvey

Projected Lineup
1. Maddie Kost (SR)
2. Ashlyn Leavery (JR)
3. Izzi Wood (SR)
4. Cassidy Singer (JR)
5. Adrianna Mineo (SO)

Kent Roosevelt had a good showing at the Old Avalon Sectional with a score of 330, good enough for third place. The Rough Riders finished in third place this season in the Suburban League’s American Conference behind Highland and Aurora. They had one tournament win this season at Hudson’s Lady Explorer Invitational and a second place finish at the Terlesky Invitational. The team is led by senior Maddie Kost with a strong supporting cast.

Lake Blue Streaks

Coach- Michael Yoder

Projected Lineup
1. Audrey Nichols (SR)
2. Evanne Mast (SR)
3. Emily Hudson (SR)
4. Grace Swihart (SO)
5. Olivia Gant (SO)

After losing a couple very strong seniors to graduation, the Lake Blue Streaks reloaded and were able to finish third at The Elms Sectional. They also managed a third place finish in the always strong Federal League. Their best tournament finishes this year were at the Lady Tornado Invitational and the Stark County Championships, both third place. The Blue Streaks are led by three experienced seniors who look to have a strong finish to their high school careers.

Magnificat Blue Streaks

Coach- Danny Gallagher

Projected Lineup
1. Cara Heisterkamp (SR)
2. Cammy Reed (JR)
3. Maureen O’Leary (JR)
4. Kristina Chill (SO)
5. Kayla Knaze (FR)

The Blue Streaks of Magnificat easily won the Springvale Sectional with an amazing team score of 287, 41 strokes ahead of second place St. Joseph Academy. Magnificat won four Northeast Ohio tournaments behind one of the deepest teams in the state. They are led by national phenom Cara Heisterkamp and get plenty of help from Cammy Reed, Maureen O’Leary, Kristina Chill, and freshman Kayla Knaze. The Blue Streaks will look to all five of their stars to punch their ticket to Columbus.

Medina Bees

Coach- Mickey McGrath

Projected Lineup
1. Stella Burns (SR)
2. Lydia Dorman (SR)
3. Camille Christeon (SR)
4. Carleigh Jones (SR)
5. Corinne Christeon (SO)

Medina came home from Springvale Golf Course with a third place Sectional finish and a trip to the District Tournament. This postseason run capped off an impressive regular season for the senior-led Bees, who won three of the four Greater Cleveland Conference tournaments to take the league title. in regular season tournaments, the Bees finished fourth at both the Hudson morning wave and the Brunswick Tee-Off Classic. Stella Burns had a breakout year and she leads one of the strongest senior classes in Medina history.

Nordonia Knights

Coach- Greg Harris

Projected Lineup
1. Julia Gulla (JR)
2. Brooke Barnes (SR)
3. Natalie Barnes (SO)
4. Carley Sutton (SO)
5. Maddie Eisner (SO)

Nordonia had a magical season in 2022 and started their 2023 run with a strong fourth place finish in a very competitive Sectional Tournament at Fox Den. The Knights finished third in the Suburban League National Conference while junior Julia Gulla was the Player of the Year. Nordonia’s best tournament finish this year was a third place finish at Chenoweth in the Summit County Cup. Gulla and senior Brooke Barnes both willshould up good numbers at the District Tournament and will look to get assistance from of their sophomore teammates.

St. Joseph Jaguars

Coach- Maureen Adler

Projected Lineup
1. Gianna Reginelli (JR)
2. Emerson Glending (SO)
3. Tess Gibel (SO)
4. Caroline Neitzel (SR)
5. Ellen Mingus (SO)

The St. Joseph Jaguars have steadily risen to be one of the top teams on the west side of Cleveland over the past few years, as shown by their second place finish at the Springvale Sectional. Their best tournament finish was second place at the Mahoning Valley Invitational at Yankee Run Golf Course. St. Joseph is led by Gianna Reginelli, who has been a star since she arrived on Rocky River Drive. Emerson Glending has had a stellar sophomore campaign and the supporting cast is rounding into form.

Strongsville Mustangs

Coach- Kevin Weir

Projected Lineup
1. Natalie Kostalnick (SR)
2. Hannah Lee (JR)
3. Kendall Grau (SR)
4. Sydney Bass (JR)
5. Srikanishka Badri (FR)

Strongsville got out of the Springvale Sectional with a team score of 344, which was good for fourth place. The Mustangs were nearly edged out by Medina in the Greater Cleveland Conference after the two teams went down to the wire in the final league tournament. Senior Natalie Kostalnick did take home the conference Player of the Year award. Strongsville took third place in the Kent Lady Rider Invitational for their best tournament finish of the year. Kostalnick is complemented by Hannah Lee, who had a great day at Springvale, and Kendall Grau, who has been playing the best golf of her career over the past couple weeks.

Walsh Jesuit Warriors

Coach- Bill Reilly

Projected Lineup
1. Annie Stencel (SR)
2. Yumi Kohara (FR)
3. Gianna Rodenhauser (SO)
4. Colleen Stadler (SO)
5. Annie Cors (SR)

Walsh Jesuit had their best performance of the season at the right time, as they shot 317 to take home second place at the Fox Den Sectional, two shots ahead of Hudson. The Warriors handily won the Crown Conference Championship in its final year year while senior Annie Stencel was the Player of the Year. Walsh finished second in the Lady Bruin Invitational at Pine Hills and added two third place finishes on top of that. Stencel will lead a young squad to Brookledge and look to get to Columbus to finish off a great high school career.

The Individuals

Gabby Berlingieri (Stow)

  • Shot 77 to finish tied for second individual Old Avalon Sectional
  • Medalist at Summit County Cup at Chenoweth
  • First Team All Suburban League

Olivia Berlingieri (Stow)

  • Shot 77 to finish tied for second individual at Old Avalon Sectional
  • First Team All Suburban League
  • 2nd Place at Suburban League #3 at Fox Den

Mia Ginnetti (Rocky River)

  • Shot 82 to finish fourth individual at Springvale Sectional
  • 2nd Place at Rocky River Invitational at Big Met
  • Medalist at LEGGA Postseason Tournament at Springvale

Madison Harpley (Revere)

  • Shot 79 to finish third individual at Fox Den Sectional
  • 15th overall in Suburban League American Division
  • Shot 85 at Suburban League #1 at Old Avalon

Chloe Holton (Rocky River)

  • Shot 81 to finish third individual at Springvale Sectional
  • Medalist at Rocky River Invitational
  • 2nd at LEGGA Postseason Tournament at Springvale

Lauren Iannetta (Eastlake North)

  • Shot 75 to finish tied for first individual at Fox Den Sectional
  • Medalist at Western Reserve Conference Tournament at Erie Shores
  • Set school record by shooting 71 at WRC Tournament at Erie Shores

Emily Lamb (Shaker Heights)

  • Shot 75 to finish tied for first individual at Fox Den Sectional
  • 2nd overall in Greater Cleveland Conference
  • Finished 2nd twice and 3rd once in GCC tournaments

Saumya Mahajan (Revere)

  • Shot 81 to finish fourth individual at Fox Den Sectional
  • 19th overall in Suburban League American Division
  • Shot 90 in Suburban League #3 at Fox Den

Zoe Mort (Marlington)

  • Shot 77 to finish first individual at The Elms Sectional
  • Medalist at Elms Sectional Preview, Marilyn Jackson Invitational, Stark County Championships
  • Medalist at Tri-County Conference Postseason Tournament at Zoar Village

Anna Myers (Louisville)

  • Shot 88 to finish tied for third individual at The Elms Sectional (advanced in playoff)
  • Shot 84 at Tri-County Tournament at Zoar Village
  • Shot 86 at Stark County Championships at Pleasant View

Madigan O’Leary (Avon)

  • Shot 77 to finish first individual at Springvale Sectional
  • Tied for second place in Southwestern Conference Tournament at Springvale
  • Shot 76 at Edison Invitational at Thunderbird Hills (3rd Place)

Sarah Quayle (Avon Lake)

  • Shot 79 to finish second individual at Springvale Sectional
  • Southwestern Conference Player of the Year
  • Medalist at Southwestern Conference Tournament at Springvale

Sophia Rivera (Boardman)

  • Shot 79 to finish fourth individual at Old Avalon Sectional
  • Medalist at All-American Conference Tournament
  • Shot 77 at All-American Conference Tournament

Caroline Roush (Copley)

  • Shot 88 to finish tied for third individual at The Elms Sectional (advanced in playoff)
  • 22nd overall in Suburban League American Conference
  • Shot 84 at Suburban League #1 at Old Avalon

Natalie Ullum (Perry- Mass)

  • Shot 83 to finish second individual at The Elms Sectional
  • 21st at Federal League Preseason Tournament at The Elms
  • 27th at Federal League Postseason Tournament at The Elms

Serena Wu (Solon)

  • Shot 68 to finish first individual and medalist at Old Avalon Sectional
  • 3rd Place at Lady Rider Invitational
  • First Team All Suburban League

Spotlight: Who Is Sherry Du?

This article is used with permission from the Hudson Explorer School Newspaper and Ellie Davis. The original article can be viewed by clicking here.

By Ellie Davis, Hudson High School Class of 2024

Sherry Du, a junior here at Hudson High School, is an incredibly talented student and an even better friend, teammate and just person in general. According to her peers, she is driven, kind, hardworking, hilarious, thoughtful and someone they know they can rely on no matter what. She is taking and has taken some of the most rigorous AP courses at Hudson, has been a varsity golfer since freshman year and is involved in a plethora of extracurricular activities both in and out of Hudson. The most impressive part about Du is that in the face of everything she does she is incredibly personable and has been described as “a really good friend” by her coaches and peers alike. The purpose of this article is not only to highlight Du and the amazing things she does, but also to portray her perspective on her life and everything that she does so people can understand the answer to the question: Who is Sherry Du?

It is no secret that Du is an excellent student, golfer and musician, but exactly how many activities is she involved in? Du gave a list consisting of golf, Spanish Honors Society, National Honors Society, Science Olympiad, which Du happens to be a Vice President of, Hudson Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO). Du spoke enthusiastically about all of these activities and it was clear that she truly cares about and enjoys being a member of all of them. Something Du mentioned specifically about golf is that “it has been really fun and definitely a really great experience for me getting to meet all my amazing teammates.” Du is a three-year varsity golfer for Hudson and according to head coach Mr. Bolin, she is “a positive role model not only for her peers but for younger people as well.” Du also specified that she spends about four hours in Cleveland every weekend as a part of COYO, and that in her spare time she likes to practice her violin because according to Du, “if I don’t I’ll get yelled at.” This casual remark, aside from showcasing Du’s amazing sense of humor, is a great example of how dedicated she is to always doing her best. 

So, how exactly does one go about managing a life as busy as this? A life like Du’s can be incredibly challenging and demanding, but as Du has gotten older she has gotten better at managing her time so that she may succeed in everything she does. “I would definitely say that time management, in and of itself as a skill that I’ve acquired, has definitely been one of my biggest challenges. Especially during my freshman year and early parts of my sophomore year, I wasn’t really effective with study techniques and that gave me a lot of grief and caused me to lose a lot of sleep.“ For Du, overcoming this challenge was a big part of her early high school career because “sometimes it meant not spending so much time on certain activities in order to prioritize others in order to have a balance of how well [she] was doing in everything overall.“ Finding the study techniques that work best for her has allowed Du to take on more and be successful in everything she does. Additionally, if Du could give one piece of advice to a freshman it would be “learn your study techniques first, and always prioritize your sleep over everything else.“ Doing these things herself has enabled Du to manage her busy schedule and still stay sane while doing it. 

In order to truly understand who Sherry Du is, it is important to hear from someone who knows her well and can speak to her abilities, especially in golf. When asked to describe Du, Mr. Bolin, her golf coach, said that “Sherry is one of the most driven, motivated people that I have ever come across – and it’s not just on the golf course. It seems like anything she puts her mind to she excels and exceeds at. It’s honestly incredible how good she is at everything she does.” Mr. Bolin, or Coach Bolin as Du knows him, has coached her for three years and said that not only has her golf ability continued to improve, but also her confidence as a teammate and leader. “I think Sherry realized that she had potential in a lot of things, and I think her growth has been in deciding where she wants to utilize her talents.” Mr. Bolin also thinks that “she came with a wide range of abilities, and she’s done a really great job determining which of those things she is going to use for her future when it comes to selecting a college and career.” As her golf coach, Mr. Bolin understands and sees the amount of potential Du has, as well as her ability to continually grow in something she is already fantastic at. 

Mr. Bolin also looks forward to Du’s upcoming golf season and thinks that she “has the potential to have a fantastic senior year on the golf course. I’m excited to see her senior year because this is the culmination of everything she’s been working towards, and I think both individually and as a team we have the ability to do some pretty cool things this year.” Last year Du almost made it to States, and this year both she and her coach look forward to trying to make that goal a reality. Du is an incredible golfer, but it is her qualities as a leader that set her apart from the rest. These qualities are what her coach looks the most forward to seeing this year and says that “it has been really awesome to see Sherry jump into a leadership position on the team whether it’s running our social media account or setting up practices in the weight room.” Past seniors have done an incredible job leading the team, and Mr. Bolin thinks that Du and her fellow seniors are doing an amazing job “taking the baton” from them and living up to the high standards they set. 

By now it is clear that Du is an amazing student and golfer, but according to Bolin “what a lot of people overlook is how good of a person she is. She is a really good friend. She is reliable. She’s always there when you need her and she’ll go out of her way to do something for someone else.” Du credits her parents as her biggest inspiration and reason for who she is today. “Apart from that, I think there have always been a couple of teachers who I think have been really inspiring, and my teammates have always been a big inspiration for me. I think they show me what a leader should look like.” It is these people, Du believes, who have inspired her to be the person she is today and helped her continue to be a person they can be proud of.

Who is Sherry Du? She is everything that has just been said and so much more. She prides herself on being someone her peers can look up to, and she continues to find inspiration in those around her. She is a phenomenal student, stellar golfer, show-stopping musician, incredibly supportive friend and all around good person that anyone would be extremely lucky to know. 

Sherry enjoying a rainbow bagel in NYC