New leaders are atop the leaderboard at the 11th edition of the Matt Mishler Junior Portage County Amateur as the rain held off and youth golfers from the greater Portage County area had the opportunity to score well on the first day of the two-day tourney.
Leaders include Kyle Smith of Kent at the top of the Boys 16 to 19 age division, Hanna Finley of Kent with a comfortable lead in the girls 16 to 19 age division, Cory Gasaway of Mogadore leading the boys 13 to 15 and Braydn Harris of Kent currently owning the to of the girls 13 to 15.
It would be all Kent except for the youths in the boys and girls divisions ages 12 and under where Jude Thiry of Mogadore owns a one-stroke lead over his competition and Ashlyn Leavery of Streetsboro fired the low score for the girls.
BOYS 16 TO 19 AGE DIVISION
Kyle Smith (pictured above), a recent graduate of Kent Roosevelt where he was a member of the boys varsity golf team, grabbed the early lead by two strokes when he fired a five-over-par 75.
Smith who will play golf this fall for Notre Dame College in South Euclid has been in the to five of the Junior Amateur in previous years but it looking to win the event for the first time.
Only a few strokes behind is Darin Hudak of Tallmadge, two-time champion of the Jr. Am’s 13-to-15 age division and now only two strokes off the lead going into the second day.
The 2017 champion, Laszlo May of Rootstown, completes the championship threesome seeking to be at the top of the leaderboard when play concludes today at Sunny Hill Golf Course.
GIRLS 16 TO 19 AGE DIVISION
While Grace Thompson, co-captain of the Kent Roosevelt Lady Riders team was causing a memorable round with her hole-in-one following the ace of Hannah Stone of Rootstown, Hannah Finley of Kent (pictured) was playing a solid round of golf over the entire 18 holes.
Finley, a recent graduate of Hoban where she was a member of the Lady Knights varsity golf team, will attend St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana in the Fall to play golf.
But first, she would like nothing more than to beat Thompson, the defending champion of the girls oldest age division from 2017.
Finley fired a 78, just eight-over-par, to lead the division by seven strokes.
Joining Finley and Thompson in the championship pairing is the 2017 champion of the girls 13-to-15 age division, Lauren Garner of Kent.
BOYS 13 TO 15 DIVISION
Cory Gasaway (left) had a solid season as a freshman member of the Mogadore Wildcats during the 2017-2018 season.
Now, in his first Portage County Junior Amateur, Gasaway carded a six-over-par 76 to lead Jason sears of Kent who shot an 85.
Gasaway will try to fend off Sears and Charlie Huscroft of Kent, who scored an 86
GIRLS 13 TO 15 DIVISION
It will be an 18-hole-round to watch in the girls 13 to 15 age division with Braydn Harris (right) in the lead after scoring an 85 and Maren Seaholts, a freshman of Kent, only four strokes behind, firing an 89.
Sydnie Leavery of Streetsboro, another freshman who will play for the Lady Riders in the fall, scored a 96 who will play in the final pairing of the division.
GOLFERS 12 AND UNDER DIVISION
Jude Thiry of Mogadore is having a solid week.
Thiry earned a medal in the Kids Am for his first place finish in the boys 10 to 12 age division and now leads the 12 and under division in the junior amateur by one stroke over Rowan Baynes of Kent.
Ashlyn Leavery of Streetsboro fired a 50 in the girls 12 and under and holds the top spot on the leaderboard over Maddie Kost of Kent.
TODAY’S ACTION
Tee times begin today at 8:35 a.m. at Sunny Hill Golf Course in Brimfield as the two-day tournament concludes.
Trophies, medals and gift certificates will be awarded at the conclusion of each age division today.
ROUND 1 RESULTS:
11TH MATT MISHLER JUNIOR AMATEUR
Windmill Lakes Golf Course, Ravenna
Monday, July 23, 2018
BOYS 16 TO 19
Kyle Smith, Kent 75
Darin Hudak, Tallmadge 77
Laszlo May, Rootstown 80
Joey Vitali, Warren 81
Marek Seaholts, Kent 81
Luke Radis, Aurora 81
Casey Troyer, Kent 82
Carter Troyer, Kent 83
Griffen Wise, Kent 86
Mason Moldvay, Kent 90
Ian Benoit, Mantua 97
Adam Whitacre, Rootstown 100
Alex Smigel, Kent 107
Spencer Crone, Ravenna 115
Brennan Schlaubach, Rootstown DNS
Brandon Stephenson, Rootstown DQ
GIRLS 16 TO 19
Hannah Finley, Kent 78
Grace Thompson, Kent 85
Lauren Garner, Kent 94
Emma Picicco, Kent 95
Hannah Stone, Rootstown 100
Abbey Keller, Kent 111
BOYS 13 TO 15
Cory Gasaway, Mogadore 76
Jason Sears, Kent 85
Charlie Huscroft, Kent 86
Nathan Ryan, Akron 91
Gavin Markham, Kent 97
Mason Bartholomy, Rootstown 98
Ian Burkey, Kent 100
Conrad Cohn, Aurora 125
GIRLS 13 TO 15
Braydn Harris, Kent 85
Maren Seaholts, Kent 89
Sydnie Leavery, Streetsboro 96
Sarah Lenzo, Kent 100
Isabella Mineo, Kent 108
Ayden Pettigrew, Edinburg 111
Morgan Bauza, Kent 118
Samantha Winterich, Kent 119
BOYS 12 AND UNDER
Jude Thiry, Mogadore 46
Rowan Baynes, Kent 47
Christian Mineo, Kent 52
Brandon Arnold, Deerfield 61
GIRLS 12 AND UNDER
Ashlyn Leavery, Streetsboro 50
Maddie Kost, Kent 65
