Jake's List: Who are the top Richland County high school golfers teeing it up in 2022?
Golf season is the official start to the 2022-23 high school sports season here in Richland County.
The first day of coaching is just like every other sport on Aug. 1 but the season begins on Aug. 4 with teams scheduling their first matches of the year. The sectional tournament for Division II and III boys and Division II girls runs from Sept. 26-Oct. 1 with Division I boys and girls going from Oct. 3-8. The district tournament for Division II and III boys and Division II girls is Oct. 3-8 with Division I boys and girls going from Oct. 10-15.
Division II and III boys and Division II girls will play their state tournament on Oct. 14 and 15 with Division I boys and girls playing on Oct. 21-22. The season will come to an end on Oct. 30.
In this week's Jake's List, we take a look at the top 2022 male and female golfers who will be looking to make a deep tournament run come October. Let's find out who they are.
Top 5 Male Golfers
T5. Trevin Smith, Lexington and Will Magers, Shelby
We have a tie at No. 5 in the top male golfers of 2022. Lexington's Trevin Smith and Shelby's Will Magers both fired matching 90s during the district golf tournament with Smith's coming at Shawnee Country Club in the Division I tournament and Magers's at Catawba Island Club in the Division II tourney. Smith was solid all day shooting a 47-43-90 while Magers showed poise overcoming a slow start to finish his back nine with a great score going 51-39-90 for the day. Smith returns for his senior season while Magers is just a junior in 2022, but both will be looking to achieve their ultimate goal of making it to state.
4. Brody Miller, Shelby
Miller returns in 2022 after positing a respectable 44-42-86 at last year's district tournament to finish up his junior season with a Top 20 finish. Miller shot a 44-42-86 for the day and missed out on an individual qualifying spot by just nine strokes. Back for his senior year, Miller is expected to challenge for one of those two individual qualifying spots in that tough Division II tournament.
3. Carson Brubaker, Shelby
The Whippets have three players in the Top 5 and Brubaker is the gem of them all. At last year's Division II district tournament, he shot a 42-43-85 to tie for 16th overall as a junior. As a team, Shelby shot a 352 to take fourth out of nine full teams and with guys like Brubaker and Miller back in leadership roles, the Whippets will be hunting for one of those Top 2 team qualifying spots in 2022.
2. Isaac Vance, Lexington
Vance has a promising junior season that should carry him over to his 2022 senior year. Last season, he finished 18th with a 42-39-81 in a very tough Division I district tournament. It was six strokes outside of a state individual qualifying spot so as a junior, he was right in the hunt. Now, as a senior, Vance has every shot in the bag to be the No. 1 golfer for Lex this season. He proved that during the sectional tournament when he shot a 39-41-80 for the top score on the team. It was good enough to lead Lex out of the sectional tournament as a team. He has the leadership qualities necessary to do it again.
1. Troy Chapman, Lexington
Chapman was the lone Richland County male golfer to make it to state last year and he will be seeking a return trip just as much as he is seeking pins on soft greens. Chapman overcame a tough performance during the sectional tournament when he shot a 41-47-88 and showed a ton of poise during the district tournament with a phenomenal 38-37-75 to grab one of just two individual state qualifying spots. But now, he has plenty of fellow seniors on his team and would love to have some company at state in 2022.
Top 5 Female Golfers
5. Anzaya Estep, Ontario
Last year as a sophomore, Estep showed progress during the Division I district tournament when she shot a 56-47-103 which tied her for 35th overall. It was outside of any state qualifying spot, but the theme for Estep's offseason was likely consistency. She shot a 48-46-94 at the sectional tournament which would have given her a Top 20 spot at districts with a repeat score. That consistency will be key.
4. Trynity Wolfe, Lexington
Wolfe returns for Lady Lex after helping her team win a sectional championship and nearly netting the final team qualifying spot during the district tournament missing out on second place by just nine strokes. Wolfe shot a 52-42-94 to tie for 18th overall at districts, a nice improvement from her 47-49-96 at sectionals. Wolfe joins four other seniors on the golf team this season and with that kind of experience, Lady Lex might just challenge for a team state-qualifying spot.
3. Hannah Smith, Lexington
Smith developed into Lady Lex's No. 1 golfer by the end of the season in 2021 and will undoubtedly be the go-to player in 2022. She claimed an individual sectional championship during the Division I tournament when she fired a 38-40-78 pacing her team to a sectional title. She followed that up with a sixth-place finish during the Division I district tournament with a 44-43-87 narrowly missing out on an individual state-qualifying spot. Smith brings back a ton of experience and leadership in 2022 and will be looking to make the most of her senior season.
2. Sarah Hoak, Plymouth
Last season, Hoak was the consistent No. 1 golfer on the boys team at Plymouth (there is no girls team). When it came to postseason play, she had to compete as an individual in the girls tournaments and had a nice showing in sectionals with a 41-45-86 to take fifth overall. Unfortunately, only the Top 3 individual scores moved on to districts and those were 71, 75 and 79. Had she played in the Division I tournament, Hoak would have nabbed an individual district qualifying spot with ease with the eighth-best overall score and the second-best score among individual qualifiers. Now a senior, Hoak is on the hunt for a district qualifying spot and with two of the three individual district qualifiers gone from last year's sectional tournament, there may be no stopping her.
1. Brooklynn Adkins, Ontario
Adkins has been one of the most consistent golfers in Richland County over the last three years and 2022 should be no different. Last year, Adkins fired a 42-40-82 to nab the first individual district qualifying spot and had a matching performance at districts with a 39-43-82 to take fourth overall. Unfortunately, only the Top 2 individual scores (73 and 75) not on a state-qualifying team advance so Adkins missed out on state by just seven strokes. Now a senior, Adkins is motivated now more than ever to go out on a high note and expect her to do just that.
jfurr@gannett.com
740-244-9934
Twitter: @JakeFurr11
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Jake's List: Richland County high school golfers carry high expectations
