Canfield’s Cooper commits to YSU
By Greg Gulas
CANFIELD
Over the past four seasons, Christina Cooper has been one of the mainstays for the Canfield girls golf program.
After signing a national letter-of-intent Tuesday and announcing her intention to attend Youngstown next fall, the Penguins are hoping that she’ll enjoy that same type of success in college.
“I recently made the decision that I wanted to stay home and after watching coach [Nate] Miklos and how his YSU program has grown the past two seasons, I felt that this was the right fit for me,” Cooper said. “He runs a great program and I really liked their work ethic, schedule and plans for the future. I want to grow with the program.”
A rare four-year letterwinner for coach Diane McCall’s Cardinals, Cooper was team medalist and MVP the past three years while leading Canfield to four consecutive All-American Conference championships.
She was a first-team all-AAC selection each season.
“I first met Christina when she was in sixth grade and taking part in my junior golf league. By the time she was in seventh grade, you could just tell that she was going to be a standout and a very special golfer,” McCall said. “It’s a special occurrence when a freshman letters. Her swing was already developed while her work ethic, knowledge of the game and ‘stick-tuitive-ness’ are things that make her so special. Also, her mother, Beth, and grandfather, former YSU football player Dom Vechiarelli, are both great golfers and have helped her as well.”
A Division I, all-district honorable mention as a freshman, Cooper earned second-team all-district accolades her sophomore year and was first-team all-district in both her junior and senior years.
Cooper helped the Cardinals to the Division I state tournament as a junior and finishes her scholastic career with 38.8 (nine holes) and 79.8 (18 holes) averages.
She holds five school records, including lowest nine-hole season average (38.1, set in 2013); a mark which was originally set in 1999 by McCall’s daughter, Ashley.
She also owns the school’s lowest AAC average (37.96, 2013); lowest sectional score (73, 2013); lowest district score (76, 2013) and lowest 18-hole score (73), which she set in 12013 and broke this past season when she recorded a 70 at Brookside Golf Course in Ashland.
In non-scholastic competition she won The Vindicator’s Greatest Golfer of the Valley Tournament in 2013 and finished third this past summer.
Her grandfather also won the 2013 event.
“I caddied for my grandfather and he caddied for me so that was very, very special for both of us,” Cooper said. “I know he was a great football player, but I’ve seen him more from the golf side and he’s a very special golfer. He would always speak to me about going to YSU to get my education and play golf.”
McCall, who just completed her 18th season at the helm and is the only coach the Canfield girls golf team has ever had, has now sent seven players to the Division I ranks, while 28 percent of her players have now moved on to play in college.