By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The quest to qualify for the OHSAA state championship continues this week with sectional and district tournaments taking over the fairways of Northeast Ohio.

But first, a few highlights from last week’s action.

THE ROOTSTOWN GIRLS

The season is over for the Rootstown girls golf team, but not before they set a few additional records at the Punderson Division II Sectional.

The Rootstown High School girls golf team.

The golfers finished in sixth place with a team score of 397, just out of the top four that advanced to the district.

Individual scores included Ava Miller 92, Anna Drago 95, Chloe Gardner 102, Alex Biggin 108 and Morgan Giebel 120. Miller missed an individual-qualifier position by one stroke. Miller, Drago and Biggin each set new individual 18-hole personal-best scores.

“This was an amazing season,” said Matt Just, coach of the Rovers. “I am so very proud of each of the eight young ladies on the team. They had a successful season as both individuals and as a team. I am so pumped to get started for next season.”

THE SOUTHEAST PIRATES

Both the girls team and two individuals from the boys team had outstanding tournaments at the Division II sectionals.

The Southeast girls were the sectional champions at Punderson by two strokes over Edgewood.

With only one senior on the team, Taylor Blazek, the girls continued their solid season play, firing a team-total 356 led by Blazek’s 73. Freshman Samantha Morgan (89) and juniors Jessi Mix (95) and Aubree Varga (99) rounded out the count-four scoring, with Jenni Mix finishing out the golfers with a 101.

“It was a hard-fought battle” said Cindy Fesemyer, coach of the Pirates.

The team has advanced to the district before but this season they are hoping to break the barrier and advance as a team to the state tournament in Division II, which is held at Firestone Country Club in Akron.

First they have to play their best at Good Park Golf Course in Akron on Wednesday.

Blazek became the first Southeast golfer to advance to the state tournament in 2023, but is looking for her team to join her this season.

For the boys, both junior James Morgan and sophomore Cole Bruno advance as individuals after an outstanding day at Windmill as Morgan fired a 1-under-par 69 and Bruno scored a 75.

It was heartbreaking for the Pirates, as they missed advancing to the district by virtue of the sixth-man tiebreaker. The Pirates were in a tie with Hubbard for third place at the end of the event.

“I am so proud of Cole and James,” said Mike Jenior, coach of the Pirates.

For the individuals to make the next step to the state tournament at Firestone Country Club, site of the Division II state tournament, both golfers will have to be among the best at Windmill Lakes again, site of the Division II district on Tuesday.

LIAM CURTIS

There were just a few Division-I tounaments last week. One was at Tannenhauf featuring the Division I boys looking to advance to the district at Pine Hills Golf Course in Hinckley on Oct. 7.

Liam Curtis, a senior at Kent Roosevelt, was successful in that effort.

Roosevelt’s team missed the top-four teams advancing to the district tournament by 12 strokes, but Curtis will represent the team at the district.

Curtis fired a 75 as the third individual at the event and the first individual to advance to the district.

It was a good week for Curtis.

Before the sectional tournament at Tannenhauf on Friday, he competed with the Rough Riders at Good Park Golf Course, Akron, in the fourth Suburban American Conference Tournament and fired a 69, 3-under-par, good for medalist honors at the event, a place he has become familiar with during the series of Suburban tournaments.

THIS WEEK

MONDAY: Aurora at D1 Sectional at Windmill Lakes.

TUESDAY: Southeast individual boys at D2 District at Windmill Lakes, Ravenna; Aurora and Kent Roosevelt at the D1 Sectional at Old Avalon Golf Course in Warren.

WEDNESDAY: Southeast Lady Pirates D2 District at Good Park Golf Course, Akron; Streetsboro Lady Rockets at D1 Sectional at Fox Den Golf Course, Stow