AKRON – Columbus Academy girls golf coach Maggie Freytag consistently emphasizes to her team, regardless of situation, course or stakes, to block external distractions and focus on themselves.
Up and down the lineup Monday, the Vikings did exactly that in closing out their third consecutive Division II state championship.
At the top, sophomore Eva Lim trimmed a stroke from Sunday’s first-round total, shooting a 1-over par 71 to finish at 3-over 143 for the two-day tournament at Firestone Country Club and win her first individual title.
In the No. 5 spot, sophomore Meera Srini dropped 12 shots, carding an 85 Monday, and that was key in Academy pulling away from the field to shoot 668 as a team, well ahead of runner-up Cincinnati Madeira (695) and Sugarcreek Garaway (702).
“Everybody counts, every stroke counts,” Freytag said. “Not everyone played exactly the way they wanted, but the weather played a part. I’m thrilled for the entire team. To three-peat, it’s unbelievable.”
A day that began with chilly rain and never got warmer than the low 50s featured some sunshine, then clouds, then more sun as the tournament finished at mid-afternoon.
State runner-up as a freshman, Lim finished four shots ahead of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy freshman Sophia Zink. She is central Ohio’s first individual champion in Division II since Academy’s Morgan Ransom in 2010 and 16th overall regardless of division.
Lim credited her putting, dropping that total from 34 Sunday to 29 Monday.
“I set my goal not to three-putt today, and I didn’t,” Lim said. “It wasn’t a great round; I wasn’t getting birdies on every hole, but I think I did better than (Sunday). If I missed a green, I didn’t freak out. I got up and down most of the time. That I gave myself a chance in these hard conditions is what matters.”
Senior Caroline Zeiger (158, eighth place), Srini (187, 25th) and sophomore Rosemary Jenkins (190, 36th) rounded out the scoring for Academy, which led Garaway by 11 shots after the first round.
“A lot of us weren’t super happy with their scores (Sunday), but we could still play well today,” Srini said. “It’s the great thing about golf. Each hole can be different. We can still save our score.”
Led by senior and third-place finisher Paige Weiss (152), Westfall was sixth as a team (731).
Weiss shot 75 Sunday and 77 Monday.
“It’s a tough course; the greens are very serious with some very tricky putts out there,” Weiss said. “I tried to play my game and keep everything simple.”
Seniors Caroline Sever (186, 31st) and Marianna Packer (191, 38th) and sophomore Michelle Pickett (202, 47th) also scored for the Mustangs, who returned most of their lineup from last year’s eighth-place team.
“Some of the better players here who might be frustrated with their scores do not realize how hard this whole facility plays,” Westfall coach Jonathan Barker said. “I think it’s five to 10 strokes harder for 36 holes than (Ohio State’s) Gray (Course, the tournament’s previous home). It’s so much more challenging with the various changes in elevation, the undulation and the bigger greens. This separates great golfers from the good ones.”
Columbus School for Girls senior Kristina Ma overcame back issues to finish fourth (156) with two rounds of 78.
“I had some clutch up-and-downs and some clutch shots on the front,” Ma said. “My approach shots were much better today. My contact was better and my accuracy was more consistent.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Academy girls golf earns state title three-peat
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