strongsville – Ohio High School Golf

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

Natalie Kostalnick from Strongsville High School is a Student Scholar Athlete with a 4.3 grade point average, the Greater Cleveland Conference Golfer of the Year for the past two seasons, and a future veterinarian who is already shadowing at some of the largest clinics in the Cleveland area. If those accomplishments and aspirations were all that made Natalie who she has become, it would be an amazing story. But there is more.

Since 2016, Natalie has worked to raise over $25,000 to donate to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus working for a non-profit she started called Drive Out Child Cancer. “There are kids who cannot get out of their hospital rooms for days or even months to do the things they love,” Natalie explained. After playing in a tournament at Ohio State, Natalie and her father made it their mission to raise money for those individuals who need it the most. “I went to the local bar that my family eats at and cleaned bar stools and bar rails. I made $100 and came up with my own $150 more.” She became the first person to donate money to Nationwide that way and decided she could help even more, leading to the beginning of her nonprofit. She mentioned that it has been hard to get the fundraising going since the Covid pandemic, but she is working hard to get it back on track.

Natalie Kostalnick started playing golf at the age of eight. The story began at Mr. Divot’s Sports Center in North Royalton where she was watching her sister hit softballs at the batting cages. “I was not talented enough to hit a softball,” Natalie recalled, “so my dad sent me and my mom to grab me a cut down shaft golf club. And now I’m 10 years into playing the sport.” She started playing in tournaments shortly after that and realized that she had talent when she started to see her name appearing at the top of those leaderboards.

As soon as Natalie stepped on the golf course her freshman year she immediately became the number one player on the team. “I was horrified to play on the team,” she said. “I was going to be the youngest one with some of the best scores. I was definitely intimidated. But there was nothing to worry about because they all welcomed me without any hesitation.” One player that had a huge impact on Natalie is Madison Gilbert, who is one year ahead of Natalie and a recent graduate who will be attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. “We were in elementary school together,” Natalie said. “She is the person I would run to when we had to pick partners at practice. When we have conversations she always listens and gives me the best advice.” Those conversations range from golf to traditional teenage girl talk. “I am very sad to see her leave this year but I know she will go on and do AMAZING things at Miami. Everyone needs a Madison!”

According to Strongsville coach Kevin Weir, “Natalie has changed the culture of our program and has turned it into a contender each year.” They won back-to-back Greater Cleveland Conference Championships in 2021 and 2022, with 2021 being their first in a decade. Natalie led the Mustangs to the District Tournament her freshman year by shooting an 83 at the Sectional Tournament at Sweetbriar Golf Course and followed it up with an 83 at Districts at Ellsworth Meadows. The Sectional Tournament was moved to Springvale Golf Course in 2021, a move that helped Natalie take her game to a whole new level as her 74 helped Strongsville finish in second place. Again, she performed well at the District Tournament at Brookledge with an 82, earning a top 20 finish. She matched her 74 at Sectionals this past season. Natalie knew that she had played well, but was not sure exactly how well. “I did not keep score in my head. When I heard I shot 74 I was honestly surprised. My game felt good but not that good.” It was that good. Natalie finished tied for second place overall in the tournament and her team advanced to Districts yet again.

The weather worsened for Districts at Brookledge in 2022 and high scores were common all around the golf course. Natalie was disappointed with an 89. “The temperature was everywhere,” she said. “It’s hard to play with multiple layers.” That was not meant to be an excuse because other factors were at play. “I also think that nerves got the best of me,” she added. “It is hard to play with the top players in your area and keep that off your mind. It’s much easier said than done.” She is already looking at it as a learning experience.

Natalie is also very happy to share what she has already learned and her experiences with her younger teammates. “I try to give advice (not only golf), try to help them with the game, and I am just always an open ear to help them with anything,” she said. She has had a huge impact on one player for sure. The number two player on the Strongsville varsity team is Hannah Lee, a talented up and coming junior who has some serious golf skills. “It’s amazing to see the golfer and the person that she has become in the last two years,” Natalie said proudly. “I hope I’ve taught her a few things before I leave next year.” What are some of those things? “I try to help her out as much as I can, like reminding her to not four-putt at least once a round,” she responded with a smile. “We know each other’s attitudes and know when we need to be consoled and when to leave each other alone.” Some teams struggle with building chemistry, but because of Natalie along with her past and current teammates, Strongsville is not one of them. “I am very lucky to have such a tight knit team,” she explained.

Coach Weir agrees that Natalie has been a transformative influence on his program. “Natalie has completely changed who Strongsville Golf is as a program since she has been a freshman,” he explained. “Natalie is a natural leader and has shown it since day one.” He added that she is the player who keeps the rest of the team on the same page, and has been doing it since she was named a captain as a sophomore. Coach Weir added, “She communicates with the team as needed during the offseason and makes sure everyone is doing okay on and off the course during the season.”

Coach Weir mentioned that one of the keys to being successful in high school golf is using the summer to improve. Between the end of the school year and the beginning of August, the time typically goes by very quickly. Natalie tries to simulate the rigor of the high school season when she plays over the summer. She typically plays in well over ten tournaments and gets out as often as possible to get practice rounds in. There is one key aspect to all of the practice and competition. “I make sure that I am prioritizing having fun,” she said. Some of the most fun that many junior golfers have over the summer is at the Hudson Junior Invitational, which takes place toward the end of June each year. Natalie was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to play in the Hudson Junior last summer. “It was hard with my dad not being there because he was out of town, but my friends came out to watch,” Natalie explained. “It was also nice to get paired up with one of my friends (Isabella Paez from Magnificat) for the first two rounds.”

An amazing quality shared by the talented high school golfers in Northeast Ohio is how they are able to excel on the golf course while still having a huge impact on their respective communities as well. Natalie Kostalnick is another fine example of a top tier golfer whose impact reaches far beyond the fairways and greens. Coach Weir put it perfectly: “She has the biggest heart and is truly willing to do anything for anyone.”