Elder, Springboro boys make 1st-team All-Ohio among record-breaking golfers

The 2023 Ohio High School Athletic Association golf season came to an end with more of a whimper than a bang for the Cincinnati area athletes gathered at the Ohio State University golf course on Saturday.

Southwest Ohio was represented by a number of teams and individual golfers in the Division I tournament. While no one came out with the top prize, several individuals made their marks and achieved new personal heights.

Lakota East senior ends high school career on a bittersweet note

Covered by a dreary sky and a slow drizzle, Lakota East senior Clare Yeazell reflected on her final high school golf outing.

"Today I started off really strong. I felt really good about it, and then I think the pressure just got to me a little bit, and I don't know. I just realized that I was a senior and it was like my last shot, so I tried to push and I just pushed too hard," she said.

Yeazell, who was the Southwest district champion, was in striking distance of first place after day one. Yeazell shot a 72 on Friday, which is two over par for the course, and was only five strokes back from first place.

On Saturday, Yeazell continued her strong play during the first half. She birdied on holes three, four and eight to finish 2-under par on the front nine. The turn in the course signaled a turn in Yeazell's play though, as she started to lose her footing.

Yeazell bogeyed on six of the back nine and only birdied on hole 15. Her rough second day pushed Yeazell down to seventh place in the combined results and she finished 10 strokes back from first place.

The senior's combined total of 146 strokes still put her in the top 10 and she made second-team All-Ohio in her second-straight state appearance.

More: Which Cincinnati golfers will compete at OHSAA state tournaments?

Now her high school career has come to an end, Yeazell is proud of the last year but ready to focus on the future.

"(This season) was a lot of fun. Yeah. I think fun's the big word. I feel like I accomplished a lot too... I'm playing golf at the University of Indianapolis. So I'm really looking forward to that. After high school golf is over, I'm kind of just done with high school. I'm ready to go to college."

Elder junior makes 2nd state appearance

Cayse Morgan achieved a big feat when he qualified for the state tournament as a freshman two seasons ago. Now a junior, Morgan felt he was ready to go the distance against the top competition in the state.

"I had the chance to compete and, yeah, I mean, I didn't win, but I had a good chance."

Morgan did have a good chance. In years past, Morgan's combined total of 142 would have been good enough for first place. This year, he finished third.

The two golfers ahead of Morgan both broke the course record for the state tournament. The record for the par-71 course had previously been 68 but on Saturday Vaughn Harber of DeSales and Logan Sutto of Anthony Wayne each shot a 66 on the Scarlett course. Harber won the tournament with a combined total of 135, another record-breaking number for the state tournament.

Morgan stayed focused on his own accomplishments after the tournament wrapped up.

"I didn't hit it great, but I mean, (I) didn't have many opportunities to make pots... Just played pretty, pretty average."

By "pretty average," Morgan meant he went from one-over par and fifth place on day one, to one-under par and third place on day two. The two days combined made him exactly par for the course at the tournament.

On day one, Morgan only birdied on hole 12 but was able to birdie three times on day two. Morgan birdied on holes four and 10 before earning another birdie on hole 12. Morgan's "average" game earned him a first-team All-Ohio spot.

As a junior, Morgan knows he has another opportunity to conquer the state tournament and he's ready for the challenge. When asked about his goals for his senior year his response was short.

"Win state," Morgan said, and with a quick glance at his gathered teammates he added, "Next season starts tomorrow."

Springboro qualified as a team but ended with an individual standout

The Panthers won the Southwest district as a team to qualify for the state tournament but had a disappointing weekend in Columbus, finishing eighth in the combined rankings.

The team instead rallied behind senior Gavin Augenstein. In the individual rankings, Augenstein finished tied for fifth place with a combined total of 145. Augenstein birdied six times over two days and made first-team All-Ohio.

More: Cincinnati gets 1st state champion of fall 2023 as Wyoming junior wins DII golf title

Results

Boys team results

1. Anthony Wayne 598; 2. Hoban 601; 3. Olen. Liberty 610; 4. Upper Arlington 612; 5. Columbus DeSales 617; 6. St. Xavier 628; 7. St. Ignatius 633; 8. Springboro 635; 9. Mass. Jackson 640; 10. Hudson 646; 11. Lakota East 656; 12. Green 663.

Individual boys results

Top 10 – 1. Logan Sutto (Anthony Wayne) 135; 2. Vaughn Harber (Columbus DeSales) 136; 3. Cayse Morgan (Elder) 142, Brady Catalano (Upper Arlington) 142; 5. Gavin Augenstein (Springboro) 145, Luke Wagner (Dublin Coffman) 145; 7. Bradley Chill (St. Ignatius) 146, Liam Curtis (Roosevelt) 146; 9. Ray Dress (Hoban) 147, Sam Fauver (Hudson) 147.

Remaining local results – 15. Luke Kahle (St. Xavier) 152; 22. Michael Stagnaro (St. Xavier) 156; 32. Bobby Horseman (Lakota East) 159; 38. Eian Cambria (Springboro) 160, Charlie Fish (St. Xavier) 160, Luke Lenahan (St. Xavier) 160; 45 Aiden Kennedy (Moeller) 163, Walker Wood (Lakota East) 163; 50. Bradley Hinkel (Springboro) 165, Robert Gerwin (St. Xavier) 165; 55. Jack Rott (Springboro) 166; 57. Nicholas Collins (Lakota East) 167; 62. Ben Isom (Lakota East) 168; 64. Brogan Cambria (Springboro) 170; 66. Logan Spagnuolo (Lakota East) 171.

Girls team results

1. Dub. Jerome 597; 2. Magnificat 608, New Albany 608; 4. Medina Highland 629; 5. Sycamore 633; 6. Springboro 657; 7. Hudson 663; 8. Ursuline Academy 668; 9. Hoover 669; 10. Toledo St. Ursula Academy 681; 11. Granville 686; 12. Perrysburg 700.

Individual girls results

Top 10 – 1. Mia Hammond (New Albany) 136; 2. Alexa Prettyman (Dublin Jerome) 143, Isabella Goyette (Medina Highland) 143, Skylar Dean (Olentangy Orange) 143, Sydney Deal (Perrysburg) 143; 6. Meadow Tian (Olentangy) 145; 7. Clare Yeazell (Lakota East) 146; 8. Emerson Purcell (New Albany) 147; 9. Cammy Reed (Magnificat) 148; 10, Ellie Ryu (Dublin Jerome) 149, Maureen Burns (Mt. Notre Dame) 149, Caroline Thompson (Sycamore) 149.

Remaining local results – 13. Debra Brogan (Oak Hills) 150; 17. Faith Brumfield (Ursuline Academy) 152; 19. Eva Becerril (Sycamore), 154; 26. Kinsley Brown (Springboro) 157; 29. Jenna Dejonckheere (Sycamore), 158; 31. Ella Puthoff (Ursuline) 159; 38. Elise Dunkle (Springboro) 165; 41. Danielle Stinson (Springboro) 167; 42. Taylor Dunkle (Springboro) 168; 48. Sonali Singla (Sycamore), 172; 59. Leah Mulcahy (Ursuline) 177; 62. Molly Beckstedt (Ursuline) 180; 64. Emily Pettigrew (Springboro) 182; 65. Isabella Gollin (Sycamore), 183. 70. Claire Renners (Ursuline) 193.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati high school golfers finish season with highs, lows