Returning state champion Bartlett highlights 2024 high school storylines, golfers to know

The final weeks of July begin the high school sports season in Ohio and Kentucky as preps golfers begin their seasons on July 22 in Kentucky and July 29 in Ohio. Last season was another full of success for local golfers, including many returning athletes like Wyoming senior Finley Bartlett who won the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II individual state championship.

Here are some of the top returning golfers and storylines to watch in the fall of 2024.

Finley Bartlett on the hunt for another state title

It will be a challenge for Finley Bartlett to match the season he had in 2023.

As a junior, Bartlett was the Cincinnati Hills League Athlete of the Year for the second-consecutive season before going on his OHSAA postseason run. Bartlett began his run at the sectional tournament at The Mill Course where he shot a 67 to finish as medalist by two strokes. His Wyoming team also won the team title with a 293, beating runner-up Madeira by 11 strokes.

In the district tournament at Heatherwoode, eventual state champion Alter beat Wyoming in the team standings, but it was Bartlett again the individual medalist. With a 67, Bartlett finished ahead of Clinton-Massie's Andy Steed by a stroke to win ahead of the state tournament.

Bartlett completed his postseason sweep at the Division II state tournament. Bartlett was in good standing after day one, shooting a 74 to enter the final round tied for fourth place. The next day, Bartlett shot a 72, finishing the season with a combined 146 total, good for the individual state championship by two strokes over Steed. Wyoming also finished as state runner-up with a team total of 595, falling 51 strokes behind champion Alter.

Back on the hunt for his second-straight OHSAA championship, Bartlett would become the first area boys golfer to win consecutive championships since Lakota West's Korey Ward won Division I titles in 2008 and 2009.

The entire Wyoming team may be on a championship hunt as well. With Bartlett leading the charge, four of Wyoming's five competitors at state return, including Jack Webb who shot a 158 at state to finish top 20.

Other Ohio boys golfers to watch

Clinton-Massie's Andy Steed, who finished second behind Bartlett at state and the district tournament, also returns as a senior in 2024. Finishing tied for 38th in the Division II state tournament was Roger Bacon's Allister Fike who was just a freshman last season.

In Division I, Elder's Cayse Morgan returns for his senior year after a successful junior campaign. Morgan was the Greater Catholic League South Athlete of the Year before winning his sectional and district tournaments, qualifying for the Division I state tournament where he placed third with a 142. Morgan was the only underclassman to finish in the top six at state.

For boys in Division III, Billy Good of Seven Hills is the top returner after finishing tied for 22nd at state with a tie for first at districts while finishing third at sectionals.

New crop of talent will step up for Ohio girls golf

After graduating a stellar group of girls golfers from last season, some emerging talents will get to break through in 2024.

On the individual leaderboard of last year's Division I district tournament, nine of the top 13 individual finishers were seniors, including each of the top five placers.

Sycamore junior Eva Becerril led the Greater Miami Conference in average as a freshman in 2022 and was third last season. She is the top local returner from last year's Division I state tournament where she shot a 154 to finish tied for 19th, helping Sycamore to a top-five finish as a team.

Close behind Becerril in both the district and state results were a trio of returning Springboro golfers in Kinsley Brown, Taylor Dunkle and Elise Dunkle. All three finished in the top seven of scoring in the Greater Western Ohio Conference and were first-team All-Conference. They helped lead Springboro to the state tournament where the Panthers finished in sixth.

In the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, Lebanon's Riley Johnson graduated last year after pacing the conference in average for her final three seasons. Johnson's teammate, Olivia Donovan, was a freshman last year as she took the torch from Johnson. Donovan was third in the ECC behind Johnson and returning Anderson senior Ayla Brugger. Donovan (as well as Johnson) finished in that sixth-place tie at the Division I district meet after Donovan finished tied atop the sectional standings at Walden Ponds.

Lakota West's Paige Treherne and Mount Notre Dame's Campbell Drum also had postseason success, finishing first and second, respectively, at the Hamilton Elks sectional.

The situation for Division II golfers is different with more underclassmen leading the way last season, including Fenwick's Sophie Rush who finished top 15 at state last season as a junior.

Badin freshman Taylor Zoz was the lone freshman to get first-team All-GCL Coed honors last year before finishing atop the sectional standings with Fenwick's Emma Lohman before a fourth-place finish at districts, missing a playoff to advance to state by a single stroke.

Mariemont's Charlotte Soller was a sophomore last season when she led the Cincinnati Hills League in average, securing the league's Player of the Year award.

Reagan Ramage returns for final run with Cooper

Cooper cruised to the Region 7 championship last season, shooting a 313 to runner-up Ryle's 366. Five Cooper golfers finished top 10 in the region, but just one returns in 2024.

Western Kentucky commit Reagan Ramage has dominated the region, winning individual medalist while leading Cooper to the team title in consecutive seasons.

At the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state tournament last season, Ramage shot a 72 after the first round and was tied for second place. After shooting a 76 on day two, Ramage finished her junior season tied for fourth in the state with a total score of 148.

Regional runner-up and top-25 finisher at state, Anika Okuda also returns for her senior run. The Ryle standout had a 75 in the Region 7 meet before a 165 at state. Notre Dame's Didi Jiradamkerng also had a top 50 finish at state, tying for 43rd with a 170. Jiradamkerng placed fifth in the region.

Returning Kentucky boys golfers with postseason success

After finishing in third at the Region 7 tournament as a sophomore last season, Ryle's Paxton McKelvey led the Raiders to state where the team finished in seventh as McKelvey was the highest local finisher. McKelvey shot a 155 over the two state rounds, finishing tied for 25th with the 11-over-par finish.

At the Region 7 tourney, McKelvey finished a stroke behind St. Henry's Ben Carter who had a runner-up finish as a junior. Will Carter, who finished as regional runner-up as a sophomore in 2022, finished in seventh last season.

Highlands senior Hank Shick returns after winning the Region 8 individual championship in each of the last two seasons. After shooting a 72 at regionals as a sophomore in 2022, Shick shot a 74 in a three-way tie atop the standings last season with Newport Central Catholic's Caleb Eaglin and Harrison County's David Korona. Shick had a birdie in the playoff hole to take medalist honors.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Returning state champion Bartlett highlights 2024 high school storylines, golfers to know