MIDDLETOWN — Weatherwax
When Miamisburg senior Jamie Witt walked off the ninth green of Weatherwax’s Highlands course, she thought her high school career was over.
Witt had just recorded a double-bogey on the par-five ninth hole to finish with a 37-42-79 at the Division I girls district golf tournament, and she broke down.
“I thought, I just blew it,” Witt said Thursday after earning the third – and final – individual qualifying spot for next week’s state tournament. “I started crying. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I just blew my chances.’ ”
After sitting in the clubhouse watching scores post for close to three hours, the final obstacle was dodged when Beavercreek’s Gabby Marcum turned in a 41-41-82.
“It was awful (waiting); it was the worst feeling I have ever had,” Witt said. “(When I found out), it was absolute relief.”
Witt will have a teammate with her as junior Molly Skapik earned overall medalist honors with a 38-38-76. Skapik will be making her third straight appearance at state.
“I thought for sure there would be more under 76, but the course was tough today and you never know (what will happen),” Skapik said. “The last two years I have gone to have fun, this year I want to do my best and see what place I can get.”
The Centerville golf teams will continue to travel in a herd. The girls finished third and the boys earned district runner-up honors. Both teams advance to state.
The girls were fifth at the turn but trailed third-place Sycamore by two strokes. Centerville finished with a 353, one stroke behind runner-up Ursuline. Sycamore faded to fifth while St. Ursula finished four strokes back of the Elks.
“It is a very big sigh of relief because we weren’t playing well at the turn and we were still just two strokes out,” Centerville coach Mike Dalton said after his squad moved on as a team for the first time since 2005. “Our goal (on the back nine) was to play with Mason and Ursuline. If we could do that, we thought we could make that jump.”
Being two back jump-started the Elks’ top golfer, Nina Kulkarni, who closed the back nine at even par to lead Centerville with a 44-36-80.
“My adrenaline was pumping every shot because I knew what a good chance we had,” Kulkarni said. “I kept thinking if I make one more putt, that could be the deciding factor. I just wanted to control my part.”
Centerville’s boys led at the turn with 152, but Mason charged on the back nine with a 147 to claim the team title 300-309. Moeller was third while Springboro fell from fourth to seventh on the back nine.
“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Centerville coach Jason Brandeberry said after his team qualified for the fourth straight season. “All those good teams are able to play well on any given nine (holes). But we did what we needed to do.”
Butler’s Shawn Downing was the boys medalist with a 36-36-72 while Miamisburg’s Eric Thompson grabbed the second qualifying spot, tying for second overall, with a 37-37-74.
For Downing, the 90-minute frost delay helped relax him, but not as much as a chip in for an eagle on the third hole of the day.
“I was good to go from there,” Downing said. “I was not hyping myself at all, I just wanted to put a good score up and help the team.”
The Division I state tournament is next Friday and Saturday at Ohio State.