s Ariel Witmer s First area girl to win state golf title

For her last year of

high school golf, South Range senior Ariel Witmer said she had two goals: take it seriously and have fun.

She forgot to mention a third — win a state title.

Fortunately, she had a few friends to remind her.

“A couple of my friends said, ‘I knew you would do it, you’re my hero,’ ” she said. “They were acting like I had it no matter what. And my family knew I had a really, really good chance of winning.”

Witmer, a state qualifier her first two seasons, just missed a trip to Columbus as a junior. This fall, the OHSAA split the girls golf competition into two divisions for the first time, clearing a path for Witmer to become the first area girl to win a state golf championship.

Witmer shot 139 over two days to win by eight strokes on the same weekend when Poland claimed the Div. II girls team title. Witmer’s score would have won the Div. I title by six strokes.

“When it came to [sectional] and district, I said, ‘I have to do it because I’ll never be able to go back again,’ ” she said. “I did it.”

Witmer’s grandfather started her playing golf at 5 and she played her first tournament at 7. After going through a stretch in middle school where she hated the game, she renewed her love for golf as a freshman at South Range, where she was the MVP on the boys team.

Witmer earned a scholarship to Division I Longwood University in Virginia and plans to major in biology or music.

“I’m really excited,” she said. “I’m kind of worried about homesickness, but the team is amazing.”