×

Dragon golfer Taylor advances

BAZETTA — Olivia Taylor finished the back nine at Tamer Win Golf Club with a 42, right around her 9-hole average.

She began her second nine on No. 1, knowing a shot at the Division I district at the Legends of Massillon, a links course, would be awaiting her.

Taylor shot 44 on the front end for an 86, putting her in a tie for third with Chardon’s Laine Hursh. The two went back to No. 10, a par 4 where Taylor began the day, shooting another par — one of many she had during Monday’s Division I sectional at Tamer Win. Hursh shot a 6, giving Taylor third and Hursh fourth. The top four individuals not on a qualifying team advance to next week’s district in Massillon.

Canfield won the team title with 334, led by medalist Gillian Cerimele’s 34-42-76. Kent Roosevelt (346), Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (349) and Poland (357) were the other district qualifiers.

Niles has played at the Division II level and at Pine Lakes in Hubbard the past couple of years. Playing teams like Canfield and Poland was an unknown for these Red Dragons.

For Taylor to come out and shoot an 86 was great for her and Niles, which hasn’t had a district golfer for more than a decade.

“That was really a great thing for her to accomplish,” Niles girls golf coach Abbey Chieffo said.

She should know. Chieffo lives two houses down from Taylor and saw her develop in the Red Dragons program, shadowing an upperclassmen her freshman year.

Now it’s time for Taylor to give back that experience as she mentors freshman Miranda Bugos.

Chieffo said her junior golfer is the epitome of sportsmanship on the course, showing camaraderie with her teammates and opponents.

“She knows she has a standard to uphold,” Chieffo said.

The passion for the game came when Taylor was 10 years old and she played at a local short holes course with her grandmother, Janet Erdel.

“As soon as I started playing, I fell in love with it,” Taylor said.

On Monday, getting the play on the course came naturally. Taylor knew she needed to hit greens in regulation, hit fairways, putt well and stay out of the rough and hazards.

With Monday’s advancement didn’t come any favors. Her parents had dinner waiting for her, but so was her homework –language arts. No way her teacher would give Taylor a pass for making the district tournament.

“I was hoping, but I don’t think so,” she said.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
     

Starting at $4.85/week.

Subscribe Today