Just days before the season officially kicked off on August 5, players from high schools across the state brought their pre-season “A” game to the 18th annual Ohio Girls Golf Foundation Showcase on July 29 at Avon Oaks Country Club in Avon, Ohio.
First-time participant Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent came away with both first and second place honors, with the A and B teams scoring 338 and 361 respectively. They were trailed closely by Hathaway Brown, which scored 367.
Other teams competing in the event include Avon Lake, Canfield, Chagrin Falls, Copley, Magnificat and Medina.
First place individual honors went to Alessandra Goyette, from Highland High School, who shot a 76; second place was Samantha Webb, from Lutheran West, who shot a 79; and in third was Emma Picicco from Kent Roosevelt, who shot an 81. Rounding out the top 20: Aly Kovach of Magnificat, 82; Jenna Jacobson of Poland, 83; Erin Frey of Medina, 83; Grace Prentiss of Copley, 83; Alyson Veverka of Olmsted Falls, 83; Grace Thompson of Kent Roosevelt, 84; Lauren Neher of Norwalk, 84; Kate Hickey of Hathaway Brown, 84; Madison Murphy of Canfield, 85; Katie Kulis of Kent Roosevelt, 85; Haley Brenner of Kent Roosevelt, 86; Maren Seaholts of Kent Roosevelt, 86; Emma Davies of Avon Lake, 87; Sydnie Leavery of Kent Roosevelt, 87; Emily Jones of Hathaway Brown, 88; Simr Deo of Hathaway Brown, 88; Bradyn Harris of Kent Roosevelt, 90; Kayla Kippes of Olmsted Township, 90; and Madelyn Brown of Tiffin, 90.
“No matter what your score is, the game of golf is a journey that will take you places and through it, you will make connections that will last a lifetime,” said LPGA Professional and headliner Barb Mucha, who is also an inductee of the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. During the morning skills sessions, Barb and LPGA player Janice Moodie gave the girls insights into how getting in the right mindset affects the level of play, as well as some fundamental tips.
Also capping off the event was an Awards Dinner. The OGGF awarded eight college scholarships to: Emma Davies of Avon Lake High School, Madelyn Brown from Tiffin Calvert High School, Jenna Jacobson from Poland Seminary, Paighton Masterson from Avon Lake High School, Paige Rider from North Royalton High School, Grace Thompson from Theodore Roosevelt High School, Jenna Timko from Poland Seminary and Heather Zaglauer from Fairfield Senior High School. Applications for the 2020 scholarships, as well as applications for financial aid to attend golf tournaments are available online at OGGF.org.
Since the formation of the Ohio Girls Golf Foundation in 1994, the number of girls’ high school golf teams in the state has grown from zero to more than 200.
The Foundation’s mission is to encourage, sponsor and support the game of golf for girls by providing college scholarships, golf training programs and financial assistance.
