(Lance Hulme/Staff)
Tension permeated the air as I stood at the final hole of The Ohio State University Gray Course. Beneath a bleak sky juxtaposed with the fall foliage, I wondered, “Was all of it enough?” Two anxious days of golf, hundreds of hours of practice, long matches bleeding into the night, balancing schoolwork with the demands of the sport, and countless other sacrifices to get here. My worries blew away into the cool winds of autumn as a wave of relief reached CA supporters and then me. I had my answer: it was. Columbus Academy’s girls golf team won the state championship.
On a sunny Friday, October 13, the first round of states, the Vikes leapt in front to a 4-stroke lead (307) over second place Garaway (311). Freshman phenom Eva L. led with a 75, Sydney F. achieved a personal record of 77 which tied her with Angela H., Caroline Z. kept pace with a 77, and Ella T. capped off the day with a 97. Third place Independence was a distant 47 strokes behind Academy, so the results of Friday set up a two-horse race for the title on Saturday.
Wet conditions mired the second round on October 14 in difficulties. Heavy rain before the 10 a.m. tee time caused a 1-hour delay and congestion. Still, the team remained unphased. Rather than give up the lead, it built on it. Eva repeated her team best of 75, Caroline shot 76, Angela and Sydney wowed with 81 each, and Ella improved with a 92. The highlight of the day came on hole 17, where Ella sank an improbable hole-in-one covering 129 yards. Eva ended the Vikes dominant day and season with an exclamation point: draining a 20-foot putt on hole 18. She tied for second overall with 150, Caroline finished sixth place with 154, Angela and Sydney both placed 12th with their 158 totals, and Ella’s efforts landed her inside the top 45 golfers.
The girls prevailed over Garaway with 313 on the day for a total of 620. The score not only clinched the title, but also set a new Division II record, besting Lima Central Catholic’s previous mark of 630 in 2020. The Pirates finished the tournament second place with 637. The title makes it two in a row for Coach Freytag’s squad in just its fifth year as a team. It added another piece of hardware to a growing trophy case already housing three district titles and a trio of league titles.
When asked in 1923 why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, famed mountaineer George Mallory gave his legendary reply: Because it’s there. One hundred years later, his words reverberate across the green links of Ohio as they did among the towering peaks of the Himalayas. Why did these girls desire to conquer states a second time? Surely once was enough, right? Because it was there. Because they could do it. Because they would do it. Because, in the end, they did do it. To them, it was their own Everest. Unlike the result of Mallory’s summit attempt, which remains shrouded in mystery, this one was unquestionable. It will be written into the history books of Columbus Academy athletics, solidified with a flag raised outside Academy Hall, immortalized in a banner hanging from the walls of the Mack.
As I watched the team celebrate with their trophy and medals under the awning while rain pelted down, I felt as if I witnessed a mountain-top summit. The golfers stood alone with the world at their feet. However, the moment was bittersweet. It will not be the same without the departing seniors. Co-captain Angela ends her illustrious career for the Maroon and Gray as a two-time state champion to go with her three league and district wins. Fellow co-captain Sydney wrapped up her two year stint as a state champ with two league and district titles. Although they will no longer play for Academy, they should feel proud leaving behind incredible legacies for the school. As a senior myself, I will miss writing articles for the team. It was a privilege to cover this group of stunning women and share their success through The Academy Life. They worked so hard this year and deserve every bit of it. Congratulations to these state champions!
“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.”-Edmund Hilary
