offseason – Ohio High School Golf

Here is a look at the current state of some programs and what they will have coming back in 2024.

Changing of the Guard

The Division 2 Girls Golf landscape may be changing significantly in 2024. St. Vincent-St. Mary and Independence both had dominant runs but will need some young players to step up this fall. Both teams have two significant contributors returning from their state qualifying teams but will have some holes to fill to replace what they lose to graduation. For the Irish, Raygan Hoover and Reese Latta both gave four strong years to the program. Raygan’s younger sister Rylee along with Caitrin Coyle, both who will be juniors, will easily be the first two in St. V’s lineup. For the Blue Devils, Macey McGhee and Maria DeCapua will both be entering their senior seasons as the top players, but will need some help to replace Molly McGreal and Adriann Buyansky.

The uncertainty with the last year’s two dominant programs will open the door to some new blood in D2. One team that is looking to take advantage of that opportunity is the Southeast Pirates. Southeast missed going to the State Tournament by two strokes last year and will look to avenge that in 2024. The will lose one key piece of the 2023 team in Gracie Westover but return a deep, talented squad, which will also get some help from a strong freshman class. Senior Taylor Blazek will most likely stay in the top spot of the lineup. Other returners include juniors Aubree Varga and Adrianna Sloan.

In the far reaches of Northeast Ohio, the Edgewood Warriors will be really looking forward to the 2024 season. Edgewood will return their entire lineup from last season. Although they did not make it to Districts, Edgewood should have some very high goals for this upcoming season. Seniors Avery Vencill and Emma Hart-Wood will once again team up with juniors Annie Johnston and Zoe Naus to look to make something special happen in Ashtabula.

East Canton, like Edgewood will see their entire lineup look exactly the same this fall. With a little improvement over their results last year, 2024 could be the best team the Hornets have had. Senior Mia Steigerwald, her sophomore sister Meghan Steigerwald, senior Elyse Mallette, and junior Charlie Robinson are a group that will be very ambitious once August rolls around.

Columbiana might not have a single superstar player, but they may also be the deepest D2 team in Northeast Ohio. The Clippers regularly rotate their young players into matches and tournaments to give them the most experience they can get. 2024 might be the culmination of that strategy. Sisters Ellie Jackson, who is a senior, and Maddie Jackson, a sophomore will lead Columbiana and will receive assistance from seniors Hailey Muntean, Annaka Patrick, and Mackenzie Day along with juniors Sophia Perry, Sydney Spaite, Hannah Moffet, and Emma Gazzaniga. Sophomore Claire Banner will also contribute to the Clippers this year.

Possibly the most surprising team in the area in 2023 was Orange High School. Freshman Anuja Patel became a household name by the end of the season and will look to build on that success during her sophomore year. Two seniors, Tessa Kemelhar and Bree Turner, will join junior Alex O’Connor to provide the depth the Lions need to compete for a trip to the State Tournament. Orange is yet another school that returns their entire starting lineup and that experience will be crucial, especially when competing in Division 2, where many teams are not exceptionally deep.

A final team bringing back their entire starting lineup and on the verge of being competitive is the Bristol Panthers. They will need to take a big step in 2024 but it is possible to see them making a run to Districts and competing to go even further. Senior Addison Williams will lead the Panthers and will receive some help from sophomore Anistyn Williams along with juniors Kayden Gillin and Ava Stammer.

Time to Get Going

Lorain County has a team to keep an eye on. The Keystone Wildcats have quietly been growing their program to the point where 2024 will be a season where they could compete at the highest level. Keystone has built the foundation needed to be successful with seniors Emma Feakins and Lucy Cook. Junior Alexis Askew will also be a strong scorer for the Wildcats. With these three and some talented freshmen rising up, Keystone will be ready to make a run.

Chagrin Falls has had high hopes over the last couple seasons but have struggled to play well at the right times. That could very well change in 2024 as the Tigers have a talented freshman class coming up to assist the team in fighting for a Chagrin Valley Conference crown. Junior Reagan Burnight and senior Gracie Ryan are the returning contributors and the Tigers will also look for some help from a decent sized roster of experienced players.

Sitting right on the outskirts, looking for a place at the table in the D2 conversation are the Vikings from LaBrae High School. Madison Touart, a strong player, will enter her senior year ready for LaBrae to break through. Junior Mia Sloan and sophomore Riley Rowe will help Touart and the rest of the Vikings look to accomplish all they can in 2024.

Hard to Replace

Alongside Independence and St. Vincent-St. Mary, there are several other schools that will need to replace some key pieces in order to stay competitive. Perry will have to learn to play without graduate Emily Capitosti. They will rely heavily on returners Addie Trefzger and Jillian Peters, a senior and junior respectively. Canton South loses three key parts and will have a very young team, led by juniors Hailey Franks and Leah Cramer. Rootstown, minus Audrey Francis, will be a junior dominant team with several players looking to break out. Lake Catholic is in a similar situation, losing Theresa Lazanich. They will have a young core that will look to build together. Finally, Laurel, coming off a trip to the State Tournament will not be able to replace Siena Maschke, who won the individual state championship. They will need junior Elizabeth Weingart to step up and lead an inexperienced group to improve throughout the season.

Here is a look at the current state of some programs and what they will have coming back in 2024.

Time to Dominate

For most teams, losing a generational talent like Cara Heisterkamp would be devastating to their program. But not Magnificat, who will look to reload after a second place finish in the state in 2023. They will look to returning stars Cammy Reed, Maureen O’Leary, and Kristina Chill to lead the team, and will look to see strong improvements from sophomore Kayla Knaze and senior Avery Paez.

Only one team that played in the District Tournament in 2023 brings back all four of their top players. The North Canton Hoover Vikings are a team looking to make their third consecutive trip to the State Tournament and will be one of the favorites to do so. They will turn to the same cast of characters that they did last season. Seniors Ava Kemp, Kylie Porter, and Alyssa Evans will join up with superstar sophomore Ellie Hutzler to lead the Vikings to what they hope is another Federal League title and another chance to play on the biggest stage.

Graduation Strikes

The Medina Bees had a core group of four seniors that played together since their freshman year. The group grew together over four years and kept the Bees competitive throughout their careers at Medina. Stella Burns stepped up and became the team leader in 2023, helping the Bees advance to the District Tournament. Lydia Dorman, Camille Christeon, and Carleigh Johns all were big contributors for the Bees. But all four of those top players will be graduating, leaving Medina with a young squad with not much varsity experience. Junior Corinne Christeon and senior Morgan Deeringer will be tasked with being at the helm for the Bees in 2024.

Avon Lake is a team that will also be losing most of their key contributors to graduation. While Olivia Tobin, who took a giant leap forward in 2023, will be returning for one more season, the Shoregals will see the rest of their big pieces depart. Sarah Quayle, Olivia Ritter, Mia Machovina, and Ava Lamb will leave some big shoes to fill in Avon Lake and will definitely be difficult to replace.

Another young team stepping onto the course in 2024 will be the Lake Blue Streaks. Their top three players from last season will be graduating. Audrey Nichols, Evanne Mast, and Emily Hudson all had successful careers that helped the Blue Streaks stay competitive. They will leave behind a rather inexperienced group that has a good amount of potential, led by juniors Grace Swihart and Olivia Gant.

The Avon Eagles will be looking toward the future after a big roster turnover, which includes losing District qualifier Madigan O’Leary. Allison Day and Rivya Veena will also be moving on, which will lead to opportunities for many up and coming players, such as incoming senior Kylie Kittrell and junior Emma Fitch.

Losing a Key Piece

Golf is one sport where losing one key piece can change the entire dynamic of a team and their competitiveness. When schools lose a generational players, it’s typically very difficult to impossible to replace that player. While some schools have enough depth to stay competitive, for others it is a very difficult task to move on.

Aurora is a team that will look to stay competitive in the Suburban League American but will have to do it without Brooklyn Millard, whose stellar career features a second place individual finish in Columbus along with several tournament medals. Aurora still returns Gracyn Vidovic, one of the premier players in the area and a State qualifier in 2023.

Losing the consistency of Sherry Du and leadership on and off the course from Ellie Davis will have a huge impact on the Hudson Explorers, after their most successful finish in school history. Seniors Emmy Burling and Julia Van Bokkelen will look to take another step forward and the Explorers will rely even more heavily on freshman Elena Varga this coming season.

Annie Stencel can be credited with helping bring back the Walsh Jesuit Warriors after a few years where they struggled. Stencel’s loss will be a big blow for Walsh Jesuit but they still have a talented young core of players led by sophomore phenom Yumi Kohara along with juniors Colleen Stadler and Gianna Rodenhauser. Walsh also looks to have a good freshman class coming to campus.

The Stow Bulldogs have had a sustained run of success over the past several seasons and will still have a quality team back in 2024. That team will be without Gabby Berlingieri, however. Berlingieri became the most decorated player in program history after qualifying for the State Tournament in 2023. Her sister junior Olivia Berlingieri will join senior Sophia Thompson at the top of Stow’s lineup and the Bulldogs will look to build depth behind them.

Kent Roosevelt has been a factory of producing quality golfers over the past decade. Maddie Kost was the latest in a long line of quality players for the Rough Riders. Her graduation will push senior Ashlyn Leavery into the spotlight. Kent has a young base of talent that will look to supplement Leavery to remain competitive.

In Shaker Heights, both the golf team and field hockey team will be losing a top contributor. With the graduation of Emily Lamb, the Raiders golf team will lose a two time District qualifier and a team leader. The Raiders have gotten better at attracting talent from the hallways over the past few years and could still be a team to watch out for in the Greater Cleveland Conference.

The Greater Cleveland Conference could be a very competitive league in 2024 with Medina losing their entire top four players and Brunswick emerging as a serious contender. Much of that will also depend on the Strongsville Mustangs, who will be losing their key cog, Natalie Kostalnick. Seniors Hannah Lee and Sydney Bass will return for Strongsville, who still will probably be the league favorites if their number three and four players continue to develop.

Rocky River had a dominant one-two punch at the top of their lineup in 2023. Chloe Holton will be moving on from Rocky River but Mia Ginnetti will be back for her senior season and look to lead a young group of Pirates to success in the Lake Erie Girls Golf Association.

In Plain Township, it seems that the GlenOak Golden Eagles always have one player step up to lead the team on a yearly basis. Corrie Schorsten was that player in 2023, leading the team to respectable finish in the Federal League. The team will now turn to senior Kamdyn Hershberger to take over that role in 2024.

With the graduation of Peyton Biery, the Louisville Leopards will look to remain competitive in Stark County. The Leopards have some talent returning but will need to increase their numbers to continue the success they’ve had over the past few seasons.

Ready for the Big Time

Perhaps the best depth of young talent in the area can be found at Revere High School. The Minutemen took a huge stride forward last year, including juniors Saumya Mahajan and Maddie Harpley both advancing to the District Tournament. Revere also saw the emergence of a stellar freshman class that will be supporting Mahajan and Harpley as sophomores. Amrita Deo, Kate Banning, Maddi Adessi, Ryenne Harpley, and Sarah Riley will all be potential top players for Revere heading into 2024. With a little offseason work, the Minutemen will be a serious contender.

In the Youngstown area, it appears that Canfield is on the verge of building a Mahoning Valley dynasty. While many schools in the area are seeing some diminishing talent, Canfield is going the opposite direction. They will be without 2024 graduate Taylor Morrone but all their other contributors will return for the fall season. A pair of sophomores with high potential in Aubrey Philibin and Alex Conley will join senior Miya Cohol and a loaded junior class. Canfield will look to build off their team District berth last season and see how far they can go this year.

Brunswick may still be a year away from making waves in the Greater Cleveland Conference, but they are on the precipice of being a strong contender. The Blue Devils have worked toward building a foundation and are ready for some potential freshman stars to come in over the next few years and make an immediate impact. Brunswick relied on the leadership of seniors Aislinn Leffel and McKenzie Berg last year and they will pass the torch to incoming junior Jess Buzinski who is emerging as the potential leader of the team. The depth comes from a strong sophomore class which includes Rylee Roth and Autumn Muslusky.

The team with the largest roster in Northeast Ohio is easily North Royalton. The Bears are over 25 players deep and now are starting to see talent emerge from the masses. Even losing two seniors last year, North Royalton still has the depth to try to get back to the District Tournament following a magical run two seasons ago. The surfacing of incoming sophomore Chloe Yoon is a huge positive for the Bears. Yoon will be joined by juniors Ali Kovalak and Ava Grugle along with senior Rena Steffas. With the depth the Bears have, North Royalton could also see contributions from several other players.

Everybody Back

Several area teams will have most or all of their key contributors back in the fall of 2024. These teams have seen varying degrees of success but all have the ability to be much better with little roster turnover.

One of the blue blood programs in Northeast Ohio is the Jackson Polar Bears. While they hit a little dip the last couple years, they will be back in full force. Jackson will go as senior Cara Murphy goes and she will be joined by senior Milena Grametbauer, junior Charlotte Raketich, and sophomore Kennedy Farrell, all of who were significant contributors last season.

The Federal League is one of the strongest conferences in the state year after year. The Green Bulldogs are one of the reasons for that. Green will return sisters Sydney and Brook Shocklee, a senior and junior respectively, along with freshman Leah Dang. If Green can find a fourth scorer for 2024, they will be a factor once again.

St. Joseph Academy has been in the shadow of local rival Magnificat for many years now, but the Jaguars are a very solid team themselves. Gianna Reginelli is a returning senior who is one of the best players in Northeast Ohio. She will be joined by returning juniors Emerson Glending, Tess Gibel, and senior Mary Kim. St. Joe’s will also look toward some incoming freshmen to help their team.

Cloverleaf won the Metro Athletic Conference behind junior Mackenzie Siewerth and freshman Quinn Malarkey. Both players will return with the focus on winning the MAC again and advancing through the tournaments in 2024.

Dixon Hill is back for her senior year at Hathaway Brown along with several key players, including Blake Cody. The Blazers have been a consistent state contender and 2024 looks to be another year where they will have a strong squad.

Brecksville has struggled over the last few years but the Bees saw some vast improvement in 2023. Seniors Cassidy Klodnick and Alexandra Czajkowski will pace the Bees and be joined by juniors Alice Cho and Amelia Budinsky along with sophomore Lila Beebe.

Freshman Julie Paradise came out of nowhere to lead the Mayfield Wildcats in 2023. Paradise will return and looks to be even better as a sophomore and will rely on help from senior Mackenzie Conley and junior Lucy Moran.

Things look to be a little more stable in Bay Village than they have been over the past couple years. The Rockets will return some important pieces in senior Maddie Bigler and junior Charlotte Fox. With a few more players contributing to the program, Bay will be much improved in 2024.

Tallmadge brings back their entire lineup and will have one of the most experienced teams in the Suburban League in 2024. The senior heavy group will be led by Brooke Davis and Grace Tackett.

In Eastlake, Lauren Iannetta will finish off her stellar career with the Eastlake North Rangers in 2024. Iannetta has qualified for Districts the past two years and has a good chance to get back to Brookledge this fall. The Rangers will not have as much depth as many of their competitors but Iannetta may be able to win some matches with her scores alone.

Suburban League Stars

After dominating Northeast Ohio for years, Highland will lose some significant players, including superstars Isabella Goyette and Paige McKendry along with Kavya Chada, who had a phenomenal career in eastern Medina County. That leaves junior Elizabeth Coleman as Highland’s unquestioned leader. The Hornets will still be a strong team in 2024 but will rely on some new faces. Seniors Kendall Sprutte, Avery Albright, Gabby Witschey, and Elizabeth Chester all have much experience and will compete to make the starting lineup for the Hornets.

Serena Wu single handedly led the Solon Comets in 2023 and will most likely be in a similar position this fall. Wu advanced to the State Tournament as a sophomore and will need to have a similar season to help lead the Comets in her junior year. Solon will be very inexperienced outside of Wu and will need some others to really step up to compete in a very competitive league.

Two years removed from advancing to the State Tournament, Nordonia has seen most of that team graduate, including Brooke Barnes this past season. The remaining member of that legendary lineup is senior Julia Gulla. Gulla will start the season as one of the best players in Northeast Ohio and will look to a young group of teammates to support her on the roster. Junior Natalie Barnes looks to have the potential to be one of those pieces and several other players can also contribute this fall.

The 2024 high school golf season starts on August 1st and will prove to be an exciting race to follow. Stay up to date with OhioHSGolf!