ThisWeek Dublin Villager
Page A16
October 24, 2013
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Boys Golf
Boys Golf
ByAARON BLANKENSHIP THISWEEKSPORTS.COM
ByAARON BLANKENSHIP THISWEEKSPORTS.COM
Coffman senior Nick Sparling won the Division I state title for the second consecutive year. He carded a 70 in the first round and a 76 in the second for a 146 total, finishing four strokes ahead of the runner-up, Toledo St. John’s Jack Mancinotti (150). “It’s been fun to come back and verify what I did here last year,” Sparling said. “Other people tried to put pressure on me to win again, but my mindset was that I had nothing to lose because I had already won here before, so I didn’t feel as much pressure as I felt last year.” Sparling had a three-stroke lead after the first round, but was 5-over par through his first five holes in the second round before getting back into a groove. “A lot of kids would have folded under the pressure of playing with the lead and then finding yourself 5-over through five holes, but the way Nick fought back showed a lot about why he’s special,” coach David Woodmansee said. “I think Nick deals with pressure better than anyone I’ve ever seen. He dug down deep and turned in one of the gutsiest performances I’ve ever seen in all of sports. He played fantastic on the back stretch with a lot of birdies in this horrible weather and showed everyone that he’s a true champion.” Sparling also was OCC-Central Player of the Year for the
Robinson’s performance in round two also was crucial, as she followed an opening-round 80 with a 75 for a 155 that gave her 11th place overall and second-team all-state honors. Junior Maite Erana and her freshman sister, Marianna Erana, each shot 80 on the first day and 78 on the second for a 158 that tied them for 17th. Also competing was sophomore Reagan DiIorio (185). Jerome was four strokes out of the lead entering the final day of competition a year ago
When the weather took a turn for the worse in the second round of the Division I state tournament, Brady Bohl of the Dublin Jerome High School boys golf team heard several of his opponents complaining about having to play through the wet, chilly and windy conditions. Knowing that the Celtics had thrived under adverse conditions all season, the senior captain couldn’t help but smile. “When we got here and saw how bad the weather was, I told coach (Craig Zesiger) that if we were allowed to play in it, we were going to win because we’re the toughest team in the state,” Bohl said. “While other teams don’t like playing in this kind of weather, we do well in it, and we’ve won every tournament that’s been played in rainy and cold weather this season.” The Celtics went on to capture their third consecutive state title, winning the 36-hole, 12team tournament held Oct. 18 and 19 at Ohio State's Scarlet Course with a 641. They finished five strokes ahead of runner-up Pickerington North (646) and six ahead of thirdplace Cincinnati St. Xavier (647). Jerome became the first boys program in Ohio to win the large-school division of the state tournament three years in a row since Columbus Aquinas accomplished the feat from 1953-55. The state championship is
GIRLS >> A26
BOYS >> A25
Sparling captures second state title
Weather can’t slow Jerome’s three-peat
Jerome’s Sybil Robinson (right) hugs teammate Maite Erana after finishing their round Oct. 19 in the Division I state golf tournament. The Celtics won their third consecutive title. JOSHUA A. BICKEL/THISWEEKSPORTS
Girls Golf
Celtics make it three in a row By JARROD ULREY THISWEEKSPORTS.COM
As the Dublin Jerome High School girls golf team accepted the disappointment of settling for second in the Division I district tournament on a warm day Oct. 8, coach C.D. Butcher described his players as “mudders” who often play their best when the weather worsens. During the second day of the state tournament Oct. 19 on Ohio State’s Gray Course, the Celtics came through when they got the rain and cold that senSPARLING >> A17 ior Lexie Toth said they had
been “praying for.” Jerome trailed by three strokes entering the final round after an opening-round 313 on Oct. 18, but the 309 that the Celtics carded the next day gave them the championship for the third consecutive season with a 622. Massillon Jackson was second (632), followed by Rocky River Magnificat (640) and Dublin Coffman (646). Magnificat led with a 310 after the opening round. Jerome shot 627 to win the 2011 title and 629 to capture the title last year.
“We love (the bad weather),” junior Sybil Robinson said. “It really separates the good players from the players that can get away with shots in good weather. I think telling ourselves we’re good in the cold helps us.” “You lose half the field because of the cold weather,” said Toth, who shot 73 in the first round and 78 in the second for a 151 that gave her a tie for fourth with four other players as she made first-team allstate. Watterson junior Erin Harper won the individual championship with a 145.
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