Here are five things you should know about the Portage County girls golf season:
Southeast aims for trip to Columbus
The Pirates were one of the top stories in Portage County girls golf last year, finishing the season 14-2 and earning the school’s first state golf qualifier for boys or girls (Taylor Blazek).
The hope in the five townships is that Southeast’s story is just beginning. After coming just two strokes away from advancing to state as a team in 2023, the Pirates return five of six starters. They are again led by Blazek, who finished 14th in the state, followed by four juniors: Aubree Varga (94 in the Good Park District), Jessica Mix (100), Layna Tittel (108) and Adrianna Sloan. According to coach Cindy Fesemyer, “all five are experienced and very motivated golfers.”
But, to quote legendary TV salesman Billy Mays, there’s more. The Pirates have four freshmen in the lineup: Kristen Dillon, Jenni Mix, Samantha Morgan and Ava Sayre, with Mix and Morgan bringing “a lot of experience, having spent much of the summer training and playing in tournaments,” according to Fesemyer.
Aurora and Roosevelt were both scheduled to compete in the Suburban
How close are the Greenmen and Rough Riders?
Well, in the first Suburban League tournament of the 2024 season, Portage County’s two teams were just one stroke apart. Both programs qualified for the district a year ago, with Aurora winning the sectional title at Old Avalon and Roosevelt finishing third. And both programs return several starters from last year’s postseason lineup, with Gracyn Vidovic and Manisha Girn returning for the Greenmen and Ashlyn Leavery, Adrianna Mineo and Cassidy Singer returning for the Rough Riders.
Back to 2024, Roosevelt finished second in the first league tournament of the year, finishing just behind Highland. Perhaps the Rough Riders’ best feature is their depth. In fact, their top four scorers at Good Park Golf Course were all within five strokes of each other: Leavery (81), Coco Golden (83), Singer (83) and Mineo (86).
As for Aurora, which finished third, one stroke behind Roosevelt, state qualifier Vidovic is “one of our key leaders,” according to coach Collin McEndree, after posting an impressive 74 average last year. Girn, whose average was 84 last year, was also quite impressive after “putting in a lot of time this summer,” according to McEndree. The Greenmen also have “a few first-, second- and third-year players looking to make a splash on our varsity team this year,” including Blake Gardner, Bennett DeLuca and Kelly Macsurak, according to McEndree.
Streetsboro ready for another strong season
The Rockets made a name for themselves last year, finishing 8-2 in the Metro Athletic Conference and placing 12th at the Fox Den Sectional, surrounded by much larger schools from the Suburban League.
Losing Samantha Clark and Cortney Evert, last year’s top scorers at the Fox Den Sectional, will hurt, but Streetsboro has three starters back, including juniors Sarah Czirok and Hazel Schoenherr. Czirok scored a solid 104 points at the Fox Den last year, placing 53rd. She, along with classmates Schoenherr and Claire Campbell, will “share their experiences with the younger girls,” according to coach Tim Foster. Sophomores Emma Chamberlain and Arianna Jacobs “also made great strides this offseason,” according to Foster, and the team has a ton of new additions, including seniors Sydney Abbuhl and Naomi Benson, sophomores Lola Maglionico, Adeline Rostetter and Aryana Puleo, and first-years Sanjam Madhan and Chloe Stiftar.
Rootstown’s rapid rise
The Rovers girls’ golf program started in 2022. Last year, in just their second season, they achieved a 12-4 record. The excitement along State Route 44 remains high, and coach Matt Just notes, “We have already improved a lot in our third season.”
Rootstown won last year with plenty of depth, as then-sophomores Ava Miller (52.9), Alex Biggin (53.8) and Anna Drago (54.5) finished the season with nine-hole average scores within two strokes of each other. Miller, now in her third year, “leads by example,” coach Matt Just said. Her 2024 season best (40) is already six strokes over her 2023 season best of 46. Biggin “has the ear” of her teammates as the Rovers’ vocal leader, Just said, while Drago “brings the humor to our team” and “has really improved in the offseason.”
Rootstown’s roster is loaded with juniors, including all five returning top performers from the Class of 2026. In addition to Biggin, Drago and Miller, Chloe Gardner is “very consistent” and “doesn’t get too emotional or too down,” according to Just, while Ella Derr “has worked hard on her game and has already shown improvement from last year.” A sixth junior, Camryn Lappe, and a sophomore, Hailie Furry, are new to golf but are working hard, while freshman Morgan Giebel “could be a future star for the program,” according to Just.
Around Portage County
A year ago, Field narrowly missed the district tournament, finishing five strokes behind the last qualifier (Keystone). Mackenzie Boley (32nd at the Pines Sectional with 106) and Kylie Finley (44th, 113) will be “our top scorers,” according to coach Scott Bower, and a third senior, Savannah Fanger, is also expected to excel. Aside from the three seniors, Bower noted that “we have all new players, freshmen through sophomores.”
The junior Garfield is led by sophomore Addison Snyder, who impressed last year (finishing 81st at the Punderson Sectional) and, according to coach Kevin Sponaugle, “has taken on a leadership role on an all-freshman team.” As Sponaugle mentioned, Snyder will be joined by five freshmen, including veteran softball players Brooke Hrabak, Emily Knerem and Lily Thompson, and Sponaugle hopes to translate her power “into a balanced golf swing.”
