FormerWildcat
10-23-11, 10:02 PM
The Celtics pulled off the double titles yet again. Pretty impressive stuff.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2011/10/23/both-jerome-teams-excel-in-title-roles.html
High-school golf: Both Jerome teams excel in title roles
Celtics boys hold off Centerville; girls win by convincing margin
It’s tradition that the state-championship golf teams line up in front of the scoreboard and pose for pictures for posterity.
There were so many people celebrating on the dais yesterday that a wide-angle lens was required to capture a repeat of history at Ohio State’s Scarlet and Gray courses.
Dublin Jerome showed its might by winning the Division I boys and girls championships.
The feat has been accomplished only one other time, and that also was by the Celtics, in 2005.
The Jerome boys received a 4-over-par 74 from senior Chad Merzbacher and a 76 from junior Mert Selamet to edge Centerville by three strokes in the two-day, 36-hole tournament on the Scarlet Course.
Upper Arlington finished six strokes behind in third (629), and Dublin Coffman was fourth (636).
“It was way more exciting than I thought it would be,” Celtics coach Craig Zesiger said. “Hats off to Centerville — their guys played incredible. I’m so proud of my guys. I told them they had to be a team of five. One or two guys wouldn’t do it. We needed five.”
The Jerome girls were never pushed in winning by 14 strokes over Massillon Jackson on the Gray Course. Senior Joon Hee Shim shot a 4-over 74 and finished fourth overall with a 151. She was supported by freshman Maite Erana (76), freshman Sybil Robinson (77) and sophomore Lexie Toth (80).
Senior Tess Fraser of Marysville shot 74-72—146 to finish second among individuals, three strokes behind freshman Danielle Nicholson of Geneva.
The Celtic girls were confident they could take the gold trophy.
“We felt that if we just played our game and didn’t worry about the other teams that we’d be all right,” Shim said. “We looked at today being another day, another match. We knew if we hit a bad shot that we’d still hold together.”
The key to the championship might have been coach C.D. Butcher coaxing Erana in August to give up volleyball and concentrate on golf. Her family had just moved from Mexico City.
After Erana shot 73 in the team’s first match at Cooks Creek, her volleyball days were over.
“They needed one more girl, and I said I’d give it a try,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what sport I wanted to do. That first round opened the door for me. I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I am grateful. We support one another. We want to be the best.”
Butcher has had outstanding teams, but none quite like this one.
“Everybody is on the same page,” he said. “They get along. They pull for one another. They enjoy golf.”
Fraser, who will sign with Kent State, was excited about her tournament. Nicholson made five birdies on the back nine in shooting 39-31-70.
Nicholson “played great,” Fraser said. “I’m not upset with my round at all. I played well. This course was tough. I gave myself a chance, and that’s all you can ask.”
The Jerome boys had to dig deep to win their first title since 2007 and fourth overall. Merzbacher and Selamet were supported by Brady Bohl (81) and Chad Howard (84).
“We don’t give up — we never, never give up,” said Merzbacher, who shot 77-74—151 to finish one shot behind individual champion Beau Titsworth of Cleveland St. Ignatius. “I’ve never been a part of anything like this in my life. We stay positive. You never see anyone slouching.”
The team’s attitude, Selamet said, held the Celtics together as Centerville came on strong.
“It was nerve-wracking, but we’re a family,” he said. “We knew if we made a bogey that someone else was going to pick you up by making birdie. We were a hungry team. We wanted it.”
mznidar@dispatch.com
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2011/10/23/both-jerome-teams-excel-in-title-roles.html
High-school golf: Both Jerome teams excel in title roles
Celtics boys hold off Centerville; girls win by convincing margin
It’s tradition that the state-championship golf teams line up in front of the scoreboard and pose for pictures for posterity.
There were so many people celebrating on the dais yesterday that a wide-angle lens was required to capture a repeat of history at Ohio State’s Scarlet and Gray courses.
Dublin Jerome showed its might by winning the Division I boys and girls championships.
The feat has been accomplished only one other time, and that also was by the Celtics, in 2005.
The Jerome boys received a 4-over-par 74 from senior Chad Merzbacher and a 76 from junior Mert Selamet to edge Centerville by three strokes in the two-day, 36-hole tournament on the Scarlet Course.
Upper Arlington finished six strokes behind in third (629), and Dublin Coffman was fourth (636).
“It was way more exciting than I thought it would be,” Celtics coach Craig Zesiger said. “Hats off to Centerville — their guys played incredible. I’m so proud of my guys. I told them they had to be a team of five. One or two guys wouldn’t do it. We needed five.”
The Jerome girls were never pushed in winning by 14 strokes over Massillon Jackson on the Gray Course. Senior Joon Hee Shim shot a 4-over 74 and finished fourth overall with a 151. She was supported by freshman Maite Erana (76), freshman Sybil Robinson (77) and sophomore Lexie Toth (80).
Senior Tess Fraser of Marysville shot 74-72—146 to finish second among individuals, three strokes behind freshman Danielle Nicholson of Geneva.
The Celtic girls were confident they could take the gold trophy.
“We felt that if we just played our game and didn’t worry about the other teams that we’d be all right,” Shim said. “We looked at today being another day, another match. We knew if we hit a bad shot that we’d still hold together.”
The key to the championship might have been coach C.D. Butcher coaxing Erana in August to give up volleyball and concentrate on golf. Her family had just moved from Mexico City.
After Erana shot 73 in the team’s first match at Cooks Creek, her volleyball days were over.
“They needed one more girl, and I said I’d give it a try,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what sport I wanted to do. That first round opened the door for me. I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I am grateful. We support one another. We want to be the best.”
Butcher has had outstanding teams, but none quite like this one.
“Everybody is on the same page,” he said. “They get along. They pull for one another. They enjoy golf.”
Fraser, who will sign with Kent State, was excited about her tournament. Nicholson made five birdies on the back nine in shooting 39-31-70.
Nicholson “played great,” Fraser said. “I’m not upset with my round at all. I played well. This course was tough. I gave myself a chance, and that’s all you can ask.”
The Jerome boys had to dig deep to win their first title since 2007 and fourth overall. Merzbacher and Selamet were supported by Brady Bohl (81) and Chad Howard (84).
“We don’t give up — we never, never give up,” said Merzbacher, who shot 77-74—151 to finish one shot behind individual champion Beau Titsworth of Cleveland St. Ignatius. “I’ve never been a part of anything like this in my life. We stay positive. You never see anyone slouching.”
The team’s attitude, Selamet said, held the Celtics together as Centerville came on strong.
“It was nerve-wracking, but we’re a family,” he said. “We knew if we made a bogey that someone else was going to pick you up by making birdie. We were a hungry team. We wanted it.”
mznidar@dispatch.com