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Brookfield’s top performance is second best in Division III

Tribune Chronicle file / R. Michael Semple Brookfield's Conner Stevens watches his drive from the par 4, No. 9 tee box during the Division III sectional at Riverview Golf Course in Bazetta. The Warriors won sectionals, districts and finished second at this weekend’s Division III state tournament at NorthStar Golf Club in Sunbury, just north of Columbus.

Brookfield boys golf coach Larry Smoot had a number in mind as his Warriors entered the Division III state golf tournament, and it wasn’t No. 1.

Smoot wasn’t necessarily focused on finishing first. His concern was on Brookfield playing as best it could, and the Warriors did that — and then some.

“In my head, the number I wanted to shoot was 310,” said Smoot of the four-person team score he was hoping for at the NorthStar Golf Club in Sunbury. “And then we shoot 309 and 308, so we did better than I what I thought. I didn’t know if we could shoot 310. To me, that’s what I thought it would take to win.”

It took even more.

The Warriors actually set a tournament record at Northstar by shooting a two-day score of 617, but Columbus Wellington School bettered the mark with a 610, which was enough to earn the D-III state title. Brookfield was second, with Canton Central Catholic in a distant third at 664.

The Warriors’ Conner Stevens finished second overall with a 3-over 147 that was two shots shy of Tyler Jones’ 145. Both marks were slight improvements from last year’s impressive finish, when Brookfield placed fifth as a team and Stevens was third individually.

“All three (players) struck the ball well, putted the ball well, stayed out of trouble for the most part,” Smoot said. “The course has a lot of hazards, and they did really good of avoiding danger.”

The three he was referring to was a junior trio of Stevens, Justin Atkinson and Anthony Clark.

Each finished in the top five overall. Atkinson was fourth with a 73-77–150, and Clark tied for fifth with a 74-77–151. Their fourth player, junior Jake Shingledecker, had a solid showing as well, finishing 23rd overall with a 169.

The problem was Wellington shot a remarkable score of 295 on Friday, with each player shooting under 80 to give the Jaguars a 14-shot lead going into the second day. Brookfield had the best score on Day 2, with its 308 bettering Wellington’s 315.

“It was too big of a lead,” Smoot said. “We came back. At one point, I was trying to race around and find out where everybody stands and help everybody out, and at one point, we got to about four shots behind (Wellington). … I kept telling the kids, ‘We’re just going to keep chopping wood, take one swing at a time and try to knock them down one piece at a time,’ and I think we did that for a while. It just wasn’t enough.”

Stevens, who shot 74 and 73, would be a state champion if not for Jones of Worthington Christian shooting a 70 on Saturday, the lowest score of anyone in Division III on either day.

Brookfield’s finish was the best in school history, breaking the mark they set last year. The fact they played their best on the biggest of stages was impressive even to Smoot, who admittedly has high expectations for the Warriors.

“One of the tournament directors told me this: For Division III golf at Northstar, (Friday) Wellington shot 295, and that was the tournament record,” he said. “We shot 309. That also beat the tournament record to that point. The old record was 316, and we beat that both days. If anyone would’ve told me we could break 310 both days, I would’ve taken those scores.

“You have to tip your cap to Wellington and give them credit. That first day set the tone.”

The overall team record at Sunbury was 634, set by Gilmour Academy in 2010.

In the Division II girls tournament at the Ohio State University Golf Club’s Gray Course, Cardinal Mooney placed sixth overall with a score of 737. Hadley Spielvogel (86-83–169), Jayne Bernard (89-84–173), Alexandria Patrone (97-95–192) and Alyssa Rapp (99-104–203) powered the Cardinals. Spielvogel 169 was 20th overall.

Lima Central Catholic won the tean title with a 652. Jami Morris of Shaker Heights and Kyleigh Dull tied for first in the individual standings with 147.

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