Waynedale boys golf ends season early after OHSAA halts state tournament

“It’s like you're going to see the best movie of your life, and you left before the ending.”

That’s how Waynedale boys golf coach Melinda Budd summed up her team experience at the Division II state tournament Oct. 6-7 at NCR Country Club. In a wild turn of events and something rarely done at this level, the Ohio High School Athletic Association elected not to finish the state championship.

With the second round of golf on Oct. 7 rained out, the OHSAA decided to call it. The OHSAA reverted back to round one and called those the final standings, giving no teams a chance to rally back, even though it was bright and sunny Oct. 8, the following day.

“Our team had such a great attitude heading into day two,” Budd said. “We felt that we could do better, that we could make a push up the standings and maybe into the top five. It’s easy to fold the tent, but they didn’t. I am so proud of each of them for that fight and fighting through just like they always do.”

Junior Cameron Miller was tied for the lowest score in the second round with two other golfers, firing a 1-over-par 32 on eight holes. Jordan Miller had a 7-over-par 34 on seven holes, Hank Miller fired a 42, Logan Troyer a 43 and Cooper Miller a 46 on their first set of nine to open the second round on day two. That opening start to day two pushed Waynedale to as high as seventh and finished at eighth when the second round was called.

With the wild decision not to finish the state championship, Waynedale finished ninth with a team score of 340. It was led by Jordan Miller with a 78, Hank Miller with an 83, Cameron Miller with an 89, and Troyer and Cooper Miller with matching 90s.

“The high level of consistency was amazing,” Budd said. “You could count on six to eight guys every night, broke some school records and had three golfers join our pinnacle club, which you have to average in the 30s for the season to join.”

Joining that elite group was Jordan Miller, who finished third in program history with a 36. Cameron Miller finished with a 38.7, and Hank Miller capped his year with a 39.9. Just missing was Troyer, who finished with a 40.

With all this the Golden Bears swept the top awards for the Wayne County Athletic League as Budd was named Coach of the Year and Jordan Miller was tabbed Golfer of the Year with a .76 differential.

“To improve your game by three strokes in the differential, that’s amazing,” Budd said. “His league scores were phenomenal. He didn’t leave the 30s in any league match.”

Cameron Miller earned first-team honors, joining Thad Weaver (Dalton), A.J. Brown (Hillsdale), and Smithville’s duo of Mason Shutt and Owen Ward.

The second team saw four of the five coming from Apple Creek as Troyer, Cooper Miller, Hank Miller and Hudson Barkman were all selected.

“Cameron was such a great addition,” Budd said. “It was his first year, and he has such a great attitude for golf. It’s pretty impressive when you get six kids named all-league, as our kids could be shuffled around in the lineup, and they picked each other up so much.”

Joining them on the second team was Chippewa’s Burk Hughes.

Earning honorable mention were Dylan Braswell (Chippewa), Isaac Mori (Dalton), Lowen Ferguson (Hillsdale), Landen Timms (Hillsdale) and Talon Foster (Chippewa).