By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

On two hot days, Tuesday and Wednesday, Windmill Lakes welcomed junior golfers qualifying for the Northern Ohio PGA NextLevel tour for a 36-hole competition.

Several locals from Portage County competed in the event.

The tour only allows players meeting eligibility requirements.

Portage County area golfers competing in the event included:

   • Aurora’s Jackson Sarver

   • Kent’s Adrianna Mineo

   • Kent’s Brooke Beatty

   • Kent’s Andrew VanDamme

   • Kent’s Deacon Smith

   • Mogadore’s Jacob Rainieri

   • Streetsboro’s Brett Epple

   • Streetsboro’s Dominic Marcini

   • Streetsboro’s Arianna Jacobs

Mineo enjoyed the most success on the fairways during the event among the girls, finishing in seventh place in the 16-19 Division.

Mineo fired rounds of 81-79 for a 159.

On the boys side, VanDamme took home a top-five finish among the 14-15 Division, shooting his way to a 152 with rounds of 74 and 78.

Beatty finished 19th in the girls 16-19, carding 83-91 on her way to a 174 total, and Jacobs landed in 25th place.

For the boys in the 16-19 age group, Rainieri was the best among Portage County golfers, earning 14th place with his solid rounds of 74-74 148, only 10 strokes off the leader, Jack Mast of Millersburg.

Finishing the local golfers’ efforts were Epple in 29th, Smith in 34th, Marcini in 49th and Carver in 76th.