DISTRICT CHAMPS … Assistant Coach Tom Lammers, Graycen Osterday, Jack Leppelmeier, Creighton Aeschliman, Rylee Bevard, Gavin Knierim, Head Coach Mike Zimmerman.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
BOWLING GREEN – Pettisville successfully defended its Division III boys golf championship on Thursday, October 2, at Stone Ridge Golf Club.
The Blackbirds earned their trip to next week’s state golf tournament to be held on Monday and Tuesday, October 13-14, at North Star Golf Club in Sunbury, Ohio, as they tallied a score of 313 to claim the title.
Jack Leppelmeier and Graycen Osterday each shot 77s to lead the Blackbirds, who held off runner-up Delphos St. Johns (316) by three strokes in the tournament. Rylee Bevard shot a 78, followed by Creighton Aeschliman with an 81 and Gavin Knierim with an 85.
Van Buren (316) and Kalida (326) grabbed the other two state qualifying team berths. Montpelier finished eighth out of 18 teams with a score of 350.
Owen Sommer led the Locos with an 82, followed by Kenneth Smeltzer (85), Malachi Smeltzer (91), C.J. Fidler (92), and Kade Stewart (92).
Rounding out the team standings were Minster (330), Tinora (341), Leipsic (346), Montpelier (350), Columbus Grove (353), Sandusky St. Marys (356), Carey (359), Bucyrus Wynford (361), Margaretta (362), New Riegel (367), Colonel Crawford (368), Allen East (359), Toledo Christian (374) and Ridgemont (392).
Individuals qualifying for state were Blake Finneran of Sandusky St. Marys (73), Mathew Dealey of Convoy Crestview (75), Evan Altenburger of Ottoville (75), and Nathan Alge of Riverdale (76).
The Northwest Ohio Athletic League will be represented by a pair of individuals, Dylan Smigelski of Swanton and Lane Lopez of Delta, as both golfers qualified in the Division II district golf tournament at Maumee Bay Golf Course on Tuesday, September 30.
Smigelski captured individual district medalist honors with a score of 77. Lopez advanced after winning a playoff to earn the second and final individual berth to state following a round of 79.
Archbold finished seventh out of nine teams as the Bluestreaks tallied a team score of 360. Griffen Valentine led the Bluestreaks with an 82, followed by Grady Short (84), C.J. Arroyo-Thompson (93), Gentry Valentine (101), and Javery Valentine (113).
Kai Dauber of Bryan also competed and finished with an 85.
Ottawa Hills claimed the district team title with a 321, followed by Liberty Benton (332), St. Marys Memorial (339), Ottawa-Glandorf (341), Bellevue (343), Eastwood (354), Archbold (360), Willard (362), and Vermilion (365).
The Division II state tournament was held on Monday and Tuesday, October 6-7, at NCR Country Club South Course in Dayton.