Minerva girls golf captures district crown, advances to state tournament

While preparing for the Div. I State Tournament to be held Oct. 12-13 at Firestone Country Club, the Minerva girls team may need to spend some time building new trophy cases.

Minerva’s undefeated regular season morphed into a sectional title, and now, the Lady Lions have added some new hardware following their victory in the Div. I East District Tournament. Hosted by Lancaster Golf Course Oct. 2, the tourney saw Minerva roll to victory with a comfortable 16-stroke victory over runner-up Marietta.

The Lions carded an 18-hole team total of 378 and were led by Emery Sell’s 85, which was the fifth-lowest score of the day. Meanwhile, Peyton Beaumariage fired an 89, earning her a tie for ninth-place. Delaney Sell added a 97, while Mady Bartley and Hannah Kirkpatrick each posted rounds of 107.

Minerva coach Kenny Beaumariage knew his team’s resolve would lead to good results, saying, “The course was long and difficult, but we stayed patient and stuck to our gameplay all day.”

In other news, the Eastern Buckeye Conference released its selections for girls’ golf, and not surprisingly, Minerva was well-represented on the list. Beaumariage was named EBC Player of the Year while also being named to the First Team. Joining her on the First Team is Emery Sell, while Delaney Sell was named to the Second Team. Bartley and Kirkpatrick each were given Honorable Mention accolades.

Boys Golf

Sophomore Wil Blackburn saw his season end, but not before one last impressive outing at the Div. II East District Tournament, hosted by Eagle Sticks Golf Club. Blackburn finished tied for 26th after firing an 81.

“Wil played steady golf all day,” said Coach Troy Richeson. “He showed a lot of maturity after a tough stretch and battled back strong. That’s the kind of effort that’s going to pay off big next season.”

The tough stretch Richeson alluded to was when Blackburn ran into trouble on the 10th and 11th holes which ended in a double and triple bogey, Blackburn rebounded, however, finishing his final seven holes at just 2-over par.

“The 81 wraps up a stellar sophomore campaign for Blackburn, who gained valuable experience and confidence on the big stage — tools that will no doubt fuel his push for state next fall,” Richeson said.