AKRON — Paige Weiss wraps up her high school golf career as a two-time All-Ohioan after finishing third at the OHSAA Division II State Golf Tournament Monday.
The Westfall senior shots rounds of 75 and 77 at Firestone Country Club’s Fazio Course to place nine shots behind state champion Eva Lim from Columbus Academy and five shots behind Sophia Fink from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.
The Mustangs, as a team, finished sixth with a two-day total of 731.
“The goal coming in was just to have fun and enjoy the last state tournament with teammates,” Weiss said. “The course was difficult, and the weather didn’t cooperate today, but you’ve got to make the most of it. I just tried to keep playing my game and take care of what I can control and let the rest happen.”
“A player like her, you always walk off thinking about what could have been – what holes you could’ve played better, you question every bogey, every double-bogey,” coach Jonathan Barker said. “But the thing I told her I was most proud of was the fact that to be all-state first team back-to-back years, some people come to the state tournament and have the round of their life, or someone comes back to them. It speaks to what her strength has been over the last couple of years and that’s consistency.
“You might beat Paige one day but there’s a good chance you’re not going to beat her two or three days in a row.”
It was the third state tournament for Weiss, though the first two were played at Ohio State’s Gray Course.
“The course was a lot of fun, different challenges than Ohio State and the greens were very serious with a lot of difficult putts out there,” she said.
Senior Caroline Sever (31st) shot a round of (47-49) 96 for a two-day total of 186.
The Mustangs’ third senior, Marianna Packer (38th) shot a round of (48-49) 97 to finish her state tournament with a total score of 191.
Sophomore Michelle Pickett (47th) took six shots off her Sunday score by posting a round of (52-46) 98. She wrapped up the tournament with a score of 202.
Junior Kathryn Lockhart (68th) had a round of (58-57) 115 Monday to post a two-day score of 225.
This was the third straight year the Mustangs have played in the state championships with Weiss and Packer playing all three events and Pickett and Sever playing last year as well.
Overall, this was the seventh state appearance for the Mustangs.
“I was really impressed with how they didn’t let the big stage and a real difficult, almost perfect, golf course intimidate them,” Barker said. “I told them to not come up here and expect to shoot what they did at Crown Hill all year, and they still kind of did.
“I don’t really feel like we left anything out there, I think we played like who we are and I think we’re the sixth best team in the state.”
It was the last go-round for the seniors Packer, Sever and Weiss.
“We made our own little footprint in Westfall history, which I think is really cool,” Weiss said. “The team is a great group of girls and, the three seniors, we’ve had a lot of fun together.”
“The three seniors, I couldn’t be more proud of them. They continued to put in the work,” Barker said. “As a coach, I thought I pushed our team – especially in southern Ohio – more than a lot of other coaches do and they’ve taken to it and worked for it.”
Losing the three seniors doesn’t necessarily mean the Mustangs are done with state tournament appearances.
“I took over (three years ago) for a great coach in Kevin Shoults and felt like there were big shoes to fill. And I took over right after we lost what had been the most dominant golfer in school history,” Barker said, alluding to Maddi Shoults – now playing for Youngstown State. “I didn’t know what expectations were going to look like. But with each team, each one has been a little unique.
“It would be easy to say losing three seniors we might not make it back here, but we’ve thought that before.”
Columbus Academy won the state championship trophy with a score of 668 and Madeira took second with a 695.
Zaner Trace freshman Rosella Lattavo earned Second Team All-Ohio honors as she finished tied for 10th with a two-day score of 163.
Westfall at the state championships:
2011 – 9th (764)
2012 – 3rd (706)
2019 – 11th (732)
2020 – 12th (814)
2022 – 7th (727)
2023 – 8th (737)
2024 – 6th (731)
Girls team scores: 1) Columbus Academy (339-329) 668; 2) Madeira (352-343) 695; 3) Garaway (352-343) 702; 4) Bishop Fenwick (357-353) 204; 5) Southeast (355-356) 711; 6) Westfall (363-368) 731; 7) Chagrin Falls (385-372) 757; 8) Van Buren (389-399) 788; 9) Calvert (391-406) 797; 10) Wauseon (405-393) 798; 11) St. Joseph Central Catholic (423-423) 846; 12) West Union (431-426) 857.
Individual top 10 (and ties): 1) Eva Lim (Columbus Academy) (72-71) 143; 2) Sophia Fink (Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) (73-74) 147; 3) Paige Weiss (Westfall) (75-77) 152; 4) Kristina Ma (Columbus School For Girls) (78-78) 156; Camryn Ianniello (Garaway) (80-76) 156; 6) Ellie Hartung (Madeira) (81-76) 157; Taylor Blazek (Southeast) (77-80) 157; 8) Caroline Zeiger (Columbus Academy) (78-80) 158; Anuja Patel (76-82) 158; 10) Rosella Lattavo (Zane Trace) (84-79) 163; Lauren Miller (Archbishop Alter) (80-83) 163; Emma Lohman (84-79) 163.