The Kent Roosevelt girls golf team captured the runners-up spot in the Afternoon Flight of Saturday’s Lady Rider Invitational.
Susan Jenior/Portage Sports

By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The Kent Roosevelt Lady Rider Invitational is has long been considered a must-play event for high school girls golf teams at the beginning of the season.

This year was no different.

On Saturday, Kent Roosevelt welcomed nine teams to the morning flight and eight teams to the afternoon flight at Fairways at Twin Lakes, the Riders’ home course.

Exceptional play on the tough fairways of the Kent golf course made the entire day an outstanding event as local teams did very well.

Kent Roosevelt’s Kaila Kovalyan

In the afternoon flight, Kent Roosevelt finished with the runner-up spot in its own tournament.

In the morning flight, Southeast took third place after a scorecard playoff as sophomore Sammy Morgan earned the third-place individual medal for her solid 79 for 18 holes on the Par 70 golf course.

Pirates coach Cindy Fesemyer offered, “Sammy played a solid round today, and I am happy she finished as one of the top-three individuals. As a team, we have some work to do. but it was a good start for us against very good competition.”

Leaders for each of the local teams in scoring included:

A.M. FLIGHT

• Southeast’s Morgan 79
• Aurora’s Courtney Barrett 87
• Kent Roosevelt (B) Kaila Kovolyan 98

P.M. FLIGHT

• Kent Roosevelt’s Adrianna Mineo’s 83

Champions of the morning flight was Solon, with the help of tournament medalist Serena Wu’s 68.

Walsh Jesuit successfully defended its title from 2024 in the afternoon flight, with runner-up medalist Vivian Eich (79) leading the way. Afternoon medalist was Ellie Hutzler of Hoover carding a 6-over-par 76.

Runner-up Roosevelt’s team’s scores included Mineo’s 83, Coco Golden (84), Brooke Beatty (90), Kate Ennemoser (88) and fifth golfer Makenna Ward (97).

KENT LADY RIDER INVITATIONAL SCOREBOARD

MORNING FLIGHT

Aurora’s Bennett Deluca

(At Fairways at Twin Lakes – Par 70)

TEAM STANDINGS: Solon 343, North Royalton 345, Southeast 354*, Green 354, Hoban 377, Aurora 378, Strongsville 403, Kent B 406, Stow 416. (*Southeast topped green by virtue of a fifth man score.)

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM: Serena Wu, Solon 68; Lily Taylor, Hoban 78; Sammy Morgan, Southeast 79; Brooke Shocklee, Green 80; Madalyn Pehanic, North Royalton 81.

SOUTHEAST (354): Sammy Morgan 79, Aubree Varga 89, Jessi Mix 99, Jenni Mix 98, Emily Morrison 88.

AURORA (378): Bennett Deluca 90, Courtney Zeid 87, Mia Custer 98, Alyssa Rodenhauser 103, Blake Gardner 117.

KENT B (406): Mia Pipoly 102, Kaila Kovalyan 98, Colbie Kruger 102, Aubrey Byler 104.

AFTERNOON FLIGHT

(At Fairways at Twin Lakes, Kent – Par 70)

TEAM STANDINGS: Walsh Jesuit 322, Kent Roosevelt 345, Hoover 345, Nordonia 356, Revere 369, Hathaway Brown, Massillon Jackson 381, Lake 382.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM: Ellis Hutzler, Hoover 76; Vivian Eich, Walsh Jesuit 79; Sarah Vojtko, Walsh Jesuit 80; Amelia Mohler, Hoover 80; Saijal Jawa, Hathaway Brown 80.

KENT ROOSEVELT (345): Adrianna Mineo 83, Coco Golden 84, Brooke Beatty 90, Kate Ennemoser 88, Makenna Ward 97.