Heart of Ohio Junior Golf Association honored Dennis Jesse, corporate sponsor and guest speaker, as well as junior members and volunteers at the 33rd Year-End Awards Banquet held at Kings Mills Thursday.
In his youth, Jesse worked under professional Ross Carley at the Marion Country Club. He graduated from Marion Pleasant High School and The Ohio State University in business marketing, and later began his own company, Jesse Marketing Associates LLC in Sarasota, Fla.
He conveyed to juniors that listening is very important in developing your goals in reputation: “It’s about being the best person you can be.”
Justin Brackenridge of Fairbanks received top honor of the season and was presented the David J. Wensinger Player of the Year $2000 scholarship award and rotating trophy by Dr. Jerry Wensinger. He scored 98 points to top the 16-18, and his low-scoring average of 75.4 entitled him to the Low-Scoring Average rotating trophy.
Hayes Bentley of Northmor was runner-up to Brackenridge with 83 points and received the Ross Carley Memorial Player of the Year First Runner-up $1700 scholarship award presented to him by Dennis Jesse. Travis Brake of Fairbanks, who earned 60 points, was presented the Wensinger Family Player of the Year Second Runner-up $500 award by Dr. Wensinger and Alex Pratt, with 59 points, was third runner-up to Player of the Year and received the HOJGA $500 scholarship award.
Nathan Stewart of Delaware Christian was honored with the HOJGA Three-Year Accumulative Point $750 scholarship and Bentley received the NUCOR Steel Marion “Most Improved” $500 scholarship award and was voted by his division juniors to receive the Knights of Columbus Sportsmanship $500 award. The Marion County Youth Foundation M.E.R.I.T. $1000 scholarship was awarded to Jesse Schertzer of Ridgedale. Brennon Newell of Pleasant was recipient of the Charles W. Emans Patriot $500 scholarship award.
Bentley was second in the 16-18 low-scoring average with 78, Stewart was third at 80, Brake finished fourth with 81.8 and Pratt was fifth at 82.2.
Minoy Shah of Pleasant was winner with 106 points to top the 13-15 group to receive the rotating trophy and the HOJGA 13-15 Player of the Year $750 scholarship award. He also won the Low-Scoring Average rotating trophy with his average of 79.4. Alexander Crowe of Fairbanks was second in points with 95, Pleasant’s Mason Rinehart was third with 76, Dina Shah had 54 and Thomas Kaufman of River Valley had 52 to round out the top five in points.
Crowe was second in low-scoring average at 80.2, followed by Rinehart at 82.4, Kaufman at 84.6 and Dina Shah at 86.8.
Other Sportsmanship winners were Kaufman in the 13-15 division and Kaden Ottley of Olentangy in the 12-and-under group. All honorees in each division received plaques.
Eagle Club plaque honorees in 16-18 were Logan Bocsy (1) of Fairbanks and Brackenridge (2). Kaufman had one in 13-15. Plaques were also presented for Most Birdies of the Season in the 16-18 division to Bentley with 15 and in 13-15 were Shah, Crowe and Rinehart, who tied with seven each. Ottley won most pars in 12-and-under with nine.
Max Longwell of Galion and Rayma Smith of Marion Grant tied as top sellers of raffle tickets and each won $50. The winner of the raffle prize – a complete set of Tommy Armour Irons KBS Tour 95 was won by Kelli Martin of LaRue. Seller of the ticket was Kaleb Martin.
