Heart of Ohio Junior Golf Association honored LPGA Heather Lester, Head Golf Professional Assistant at the Golf Club of Indiana and PGA Head Professional Paul Hollenbaugh at New Albany Golf Club.

Each spoke of steps taken in their lives to achieve success in their careers. With focus on HOJGA’S new girls’ division and women’s golf, Hollenbaugh, whose daughter is rated as one of Ohio State’s top players, conveyed the personal importance of direction and responsibility needed in contacting college coaches to pursue opportunities available.

Alex Crowe 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 111 points to top the 16-18 division, which entitled him to receive the Player of the Year rotating trophy and the rotating low-scoring trophy with his average of 73.

Minoy Shah of Pleasant was second with 96 points and received the Ross Carley Memorial Player of the Year 1st Runnerup $1700 scholarship award. Alex Pratt of Pleasant and Spencer Keller of Galion tied with 95 points each; therefore, second runnerup was determined by stroke average per tournament. Pratt was presented the Wensinger Family Player of the Year 2nd Runnerup $500 award, and Keller, the HOJGA Player of the Year 3rd Runnerup $500 scholarship.

Mason Rinehart of Pleasant was honored with the HOJGA 3-Year Accumulative Point $750 scholarship and Nathan Newell of Pleasant received the NUCOR Steel Marion “Most Improved” $500. Pratt was voted best sportsman 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 Isaac Dillon of Elgin. Bronson Dalenberg of Galion was presented the Charles W. Emans Patriot $500 scholarship award.

Pratt was second in low-scoring average with 73.8, followed by Shah at 75.2, Keller at 75.4 and Dillon with 78.6.

Logan Keller of Galion was winner with 120 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 received the low-scoring average trophy with his average of 79.4. Chase Brackenridge of Fairbanks was second in points at 112. Henry Terry of Olentangy was next at 80, Nathan McMullen of Galion at 67 and Kaden Ottley of Olentangy at 64. Brackenridge was second to Keller in low-scoring average at 79.6, McMullen 85.0, Terry 87.6 and Ottley 87.8.

Dina Shah of Pleasant, who earned 131 points, was presented the Amy Wensinger Roberts Girl $1000 Scholarship award and the rotation trophy. Maura Murphy of Pleasant was second with 111 points. with Lucy Myers of Col. Crawford, 103 for third. Murphy was low-scoring average winner at 79.4, receiving a rotating plaque, and Shah was next at 79.8, and Myers at 86.2

Other sportsmanship winners were McMullen in 13-15 division, Myers in Girls, and Jenson Stover of North Union in the 12 and under group. All honorees in each division received plaques.

Eagle Club plaque honorees in 16-18 were Pratt, Shah (2) and Tyler Ufferman of Galion; in 13-15 McMullen and Terry. Plaques were also presented for most birdies of the season in 16-18 to Crowe with 26, Brackenridge 8, Maura Murphy 8, and Most Pars by Asher Gates of River Valley with 13.

Noah Burke of Bucyrus was top seller of raffle tickets and won $100. The winner of the raffle prize – a set of TaylorMade M2 irons was Dave Riley of Marion.

Heart of Ohio Junior Golf Association also held the Chad A. Wheeler Memorial “Best of the Best” tournament in honor of Wheeler, who was Player of the Year in 1990 before passing in 1991 and has been commemorated since with the challenging event held in his honor at his home course, Lincoln Hills. Winners and runners up in the HOJGA tournament series of the 16-18, 13-15 and Girls divisions were eligible for the event.

Dina Shah of Pleasant and Isaac Dillon of Elgin tied for first on the par 36, played twice-72 par course, each scoring 77. Dillon played from white tees and Shah from women’s tees. A playoff followed, and Shah won on the first hole with a birdie, edging Dillon to second. Minoy Shah of Pleasant picked up third at 78, while Galion’s Nathan McMullen took fourth at 79. Logan Keller of Galion was next at 80, Alex Pratt of Pleasant 81, and Maura Murphy of Pleasant 85.

Information received from Carol Markey.