Hathaway Brown, Highland, Magnificat, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, and Walsh Jesuit are expected to field top teams this season.
View full sizeStephanie Horvath helped lead Highland to its best season and eighth in the state last year.Notable golfers
Ellen Dreher, Sr., Magnificat: Along with fellow senior Lia Labate, she will be asked to provide valuable leadership for an otherwise young team. She averaged 44 per nine holes last year.
Brynn Fitzgerald, Jr., Orange: She was the co-medalist in the Division II sectional at Punderson with a 74. She averaged 78 strokes over 18 holes and 39.6 for nine.
Tasita Garcia, Jr., Cuyahoga Heights: Her 36-hole total of 159 at the Division II state meet was the best from an area player. Look for an even better performance this year.
Natalie Goodson, Sr., Hudson: With the Division I state tournament limited to 18 holes because of inclement weather, she shot 82 and finished in a tie for 24th. She is better than that and will prove it this year.
Nicki Henry, Sr., Kenston: The Plain Dealer golfer of the year and an All-Ohioan, she averaged 78.8 strokes for 18 holes. She was the Division I district medalist at the Legends in Massillon and finished in a tie for 10th at the state meet on the OSU Gray Course.
Stephanie Horvath, Jr., Highland: One of the reasons Highland put together the best season in school history, as she averaged around 40 strokes for nine holes and finished in a tie for 36th in the state meet.
Emily Jereb, Soph., Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin: A main cog in NDCL's drive to the Division II state championship. Was the team's top performer in Columbus with rounds of 82-84 which produced a tie for 13th.
Nia Marshall, Soph., Hathaway Brown: A fine athlete, she shot 185 in the state tournament last year, fueling the Blazers' fourth-place finish in Division II. Also an excellent basketball player.
Jessica Porvasnik, Soph., Highland: She might be the
best player in the area. As a freshman she finished in a tie for 17th in last year's Division I state meet and has had a productive summer.
Ashley Yarbrough, Soph., Hathaway Brown: Was her team's best player in the state tournament with rounds of 89-91.
Notable teams
Hathaway Brown: The Blazers have a solid nucleus back from the team that finished fourth in the Division II state meet in sophomores Nia Marshall and Ashley Yarbrough, junior Annie Ames and senior Madeline Horner.
Highland: The Hornets had the best season in school history last year, finishing eighth in the state. It can be even better this year, led by super sophomore Jessica Porvasnik and juniors Stephanie Horvath and Lauren McKinzie. Look for Horvath's younger sister, Rachel, to be a contributor. Porvasnik might be the best player in the area.
Magnificat: Returnees Ellen Dreher and Lia Labate will be joined by freshmen Ali Nageotte, Cara Kelley and one other player to form what probably is the best team west of the Cuyahoga River.
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin: Led by sophomore Emily Jereb, the reigning Division II state champs have three other solid players in senior Danielle Misencik, senior Nikki Sarkisian and junior Talia Trovato. A return to Columbus is not out of the question.
Walsh Jesuit: Senior Alyssa Gilbert, juniors McKenzie Bell and Julia Hoffman and sophomore Julia Geiger helped get the team to the Division I state tournament in what was considered a rebuilding year.