Ravenna senior Abbie Retherford and Mogadore senior Dillon Pendergast both placed ninth overall at the high school golf state championships this weekend.
Specials to Portage Sports

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Like many times before this season, Saturday was filled with more history-making for Ravenna senior Abbie Retherford.

Retherford, who was the first girls golfer to ever qualify for the state tournament, put together a clutch round of golf at the Ohio State University’s Gray Course to earn a ninth-place finish in Division II (out of 72 golfers).

She was the first Ravenna golfer, boy or girl, to qualify for the state championships since Ryan Coll in 2004.

The clutch effort earned Retherford Second Team All-Ohio in Division II.

Over Retherford’s final six holes, she went 1-under par, including an “extraordinary” birdie on hole 17, according to head coach Terry Kekic.

“It was a very difficult par-3, which saw many more bogies than pars,” Kekic said. “Her birdie on that hole allowed her to pick up at least two strokes on the field.”

Retherford finished the state championships with a score of 159, which was only seven shots off state champion Ella Wong of Hawken.

MOGADORE’S PENDERGAST EARNS ALL-OHIO HONORS

Mogadore High School senior Dillon Pendergast also earned high honors on Saturday.

The Wildcats’ standout placed ninth overall in Division III to earn Second Team All-Ohio honors.

Pendergast shot a 79 on Friday in the first round at NorthStar Golf Club.

“The winds were gusting up to 30 miles per hour, but he battled all day and played great,” Mogadore head coach Chris Mossa said. “I was very proud of him.”

The 79 put Pendergast five shots off the lead heading into Saturday’s second round.

Pendergast then shot an 80 on Saturday.