Photo by Kim North Earning all-conference honors during Wednesday’s second annual OVAC Girls Golf Tournament at Belmont Hills Country Club in St. Clairsville were, from left, Wheeling Central’s Maddie Potts; Edison’s Kallie McKeegan; St. Clairsville’s medalist runner up Olivia Baker; Morgantown medalist Angela Yao; and Fort Frye’s Kohen Coursen.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — For the first time in school history Morgantown has enough girls to field a golf team, and the Mohigans hit a bulls-eye.

Wednesday during the second annual OVAC Girls Golf Tournament, Morgantown finished atop the 16-team field with a score of 350, which was 23 shots better than Fort Frye, which claimed the inaugural event last year at the Crispin Golf Course inside Oglebay Park.

“This is the first year with enough girls to enter as a team,” Morgantown head coach Christian Root said. “This was a target for us. It’s been a really exciting year.”

Morgantown freshman Angela Yao also captured medalist honors over a field of 99 players with a superb 1-under-par 71. That was one stroke ahead of St. Clairsville’s Olivia Baker, who was the 2023 medalist.

“Angela has been shooting lights-out all year and she continued that trend today,” Root noted. “I’ve been really, really pleased with her play and I’m excited to have her on our team.”

This was the first time Yao had played the 18-hole layout in eastern Ohio.

“It was pretty hilly, but it was in very good condition,” Yao said of the course. “I didn’t have any expectations when I came here, except to have fun and I did.”

Besides Yao, other Mohigan scorers were Evyn Trembush (88), Kayleigh Kellogg (89) and Claire Kendzerski (103). The fifth member of the team was Caroline Kendzerski (105).

Root said two of his players played 18 holes for the first time ever in a tournament.

“Very pleased. All of the girls have been putting in the work that you need to be successful.

Angela shooting under-par is amazing,” Root added. “Evyn, another frosh, shot a personal best. It was fun to watch them.”

In addition to Yao and Baker, also earning all-conference laurels were Wheeling Central’s Maddie Potts (81), Edison’s Kallie McKeegan (81) and Fort Frye’s Kohen Coursen (83).

The tournament was moved from Crispin this year due to course conditions.

Columbiana finished third at 387, with Edison (402) and Marietta (406) rounding out the top 5. John Marshall (408) was sixth, St. Clairsville (412) seventh, Wheeling Central (415) eighth, Warren Local (428) ninth and Southern Local (441) 10th.

Also placing were Brooke (455), Caldwell (459), Beaver Local (462), Wheeling Park (475), River (491) and Weir High (541).

East Liverpool, Martins Ferry and University only had three players each, while Monroe Central and Shadyside had two each. Barnesville, Frontier, Harrison Central, Heartland Christian, Oak Glen, Union Local and Wellsville had one each.