Great day means runner-up honor for Schmitmeyer

Compiled by Colin Foster

Jill Schmitmeyer saved her best for last.

Playing her final round of high school golf - on one of the toughest courses, no less (Ohio State's 5,560-yard Gray Course) - the St. Marys senior shot one of the best rounds of her life.

After shooting an opening round of 73, she encored with a 69 to finish with a 2-over 142 to share runner-up honors with Independence's Sophia Trombetta at the Division II state golf tournament.

"I'm really happy with how today went," Schmitmeyer said. "I hit the ball great. I made the putts I needed to. It just all fell my way. I'm really happy I could end my career this way."

Eaton's Sarah Willis, playing in the same group as Schmitmeyer, repeated as state champion with a two-day total of 139 that included a 3-under 67 on Saturday. Willis and Schmitmeyer were even most of the day, but Schmitmeyer double bogeyed the par-3 13th and Willis went on to birdie the final three holes.

"It was exciting," Schmitmeyer said. "It made it interesting because I knew where I stood with them and I could kind of keep track of where I was throughout the whole round and kind of battle it out. It really made me take it hole by hole and made me focus."

Schmitmeyer became a two-time All-Ohioan in her third appearance at state, jumping three places after a fifth-place finish in 2016.

"I missed qualifying by a stroke my freshman year, then I went and got 19th and then I jumped to fifth last year," Jill said. "I just wanted to keep improving every year, so to finish second really means a lot to me. I feel like I played well, too, both days. I'm just really happy with the way everything has gone."

"This was a fabulous final round," said her coach and dad, Steve Schmitmeyer. "It was just the one bad par-3 that she had the double bogey on (hole 13). But she had so many again today. She got a couple of them to go in. ... We're just really ecstatic with the 1-under 69 round. Words in no way can describe what I'm feeling right now."

St. Henry's first state trip ended with a 12th-place finish, collecting a two-day total of 761. The Redskins shot a 380 on Friday and then a 381 on Saturday.

Ellen Naumann tied for 29th with a two-day total of 173. Karleee Staugler had a 184, Allyson Hemmelgarn a 198, Claire Clune a 206 and Elizabeth Rockwell a 218.

"We came in yesterday with a 380 and I'm thinking 'Hey, that's a great score,' " St. Henry coach Gary Broering said. "But then I came to the realization that we're at the state level. There are a lot of great players here. There were a lot of great scores.

"The girls are maybe a little disappointed, but hey, we were at state. It was a great experience and we enjoyed it."

Independence claimed the team title with a score of 652. Runner-up honors went to Shelby (663) and bronze belonged to Lima Central Catholic (667). Versailles placed 10th with a 739.