Heart Ohio Junior Golf Association honors its best of the best at 38th annual banquet

WALDO — The Heart of Ohio Junior Golf Association crowned its champions and handed out scholarship awards during its recent 38th annual banquet held at Kings Mill Golf Course.

There were 99 youth from Crawford, Delaware, Hardin, Marion, Morrow, Union and Wyandot counties that competed in HOJGA tournaments this summer.

Galion's Logan Keller earned the top honor with the David J. Wensinger Player of the Year $2,500 scholarship after sweeping the seven events in the 16-to-18 age group to take the rotating trophy. Delaware's Parker Steffanni was second and picked up the Ross Carley Memorial $1,700 first runner-up scholarship, while Pleasant's Dylan Moore was third and got the Wensinger Family second runner-up $500 scholarship. Galion's Nathan McMullen was the HOJGA third runner-up and earned a $500 scholarship, while Pleasant's Dawson Hall was fifth.

Keller also had the low scoring average at 70.6 to earn the rotating trophy. Steffanni was second at 76.8 followed by Moore at 78.4, Hall at 78.6 and Kaden Ottley of Olentangy at 78.6.

Pleasant's Maura Murphy won the girls 13-to-18 age division to take the Amy Wensinger Roberts $1,000 scholarship and rotating trophy. Pleasant's Maddie Murphy was runner-up and received the HOJGA Girls $750 scholarship. Olentangy's Olivia Ross was third, Colonel Crawford's Madison Gray fourth and North Union's Madelyn Taylor fifth in the division.

Maura Murphy led all girls with a 77.2 scoring average followed by Maddie Murphy's 86.2, Gray's 86.6, Ross at 93 and Charlee Brestle's 102.8.

More scholarships were given to 16-to-18 age golfers as Moore earned $750 for the HOJGA Three-Year Consecutive Points award, Ridgemont's Will Browning earned the $500 NUCOR Steel Marion Most Improved award, Olentangy's Henry Terry earned the $500 Charles W. Emans Patriot Award from Danielle Emans, Maura Murphy earned the Marion County Youth Foundation $1,000 award, and Hall earned the $500 Roger Lee Hensel Memorial Scholarship.

The Steve Mills Memorial 13-to-15 Player of the Year $1,000 scholarship was won by Liam Rhea of Fairbanks along with the rotating trophy. Wynford's Clay Rogers took the HOJGA 13-to-15 runner-up scholarship of $750. Colonel Crawford's Bryant Berry was third in the group, while Buckeye Valley's Jace Haunhorst was fourth and Pleasant's Matt Murphy fifth.

Rogers had the low scoring average in the group at 82.6 followed by Berry's 86.4, Rhea's 86.4, Haunhorst's 86.6 and Murphy's 90.8.

Most improved in each class were Browning by 6.4 strokes in boys 16-to-18 with Keller next at 6.2, while Ross topped the girls at 7.3 and Matt Murphy the boys 13-to-15 group at 8.2.

McMullen won the Knights of Columbus $500 Sportsmanship scholarship, and Anna Songer of Pleasant got the HOJGA Girls 16-to-18 Sportsmanship $500 scholarship. Haunhorst won in the boys 13-to-15 group, and Kolton Crider of Pleasant won the 12-and-under sportsmanship honor.

Eagle Club recognition and plaques went to Nate Richardson of Delaware Hayes for an albatross, plus Hall, Keller, McMullen, Maura Murphy, Arden Stansberry of Upper Sandusky, Carson Stroup of Delaware Hayes and Nolen West of Pleasant.

Plaques were given for the most birdies in each division: Keller (25), Maura Murphy (7), Maddie Murphy (7), Rhea (10) and Crider (6).

Keller at even-par 72 and and Maura Murphy at 75 also won the Chad A. Wheeler Best of the Best Tournament at Lincoln Hills in Upper Sandusky after the regular season tournaments. Moore and Hall were second and third in the boys at 73 and 80 respectively, while Maddie Murphy had an 89 and Gray a 93 for the girls top three. Wheeler was the HOJGA Player of the Year in 1990 who died a year later and the tournament at his home course was named to honor him.

Songer sold the most raffle tickets and earned $100, while Steffanni and Bryce Bolenbaugh of Marysville were second and third. Matt Taylor of Richwood won the X Series OS steel irons with a ticket sold by Madelyn Taylor.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Heart Ohio Junior Golf Association honors its best of the best at 38th annual banquet