The Columbus Academy girls golf team is running away from the field at the OHSAA Division II state tournament. The Vikings shot 306 as a team Sunday at Firestone Country Club in Akron to build a 42-shot lead over Chagrin Falls through the first of two rounds.
Senior Eva Lim, the two-time defending individual champion, led Academy with a 4-over-par 74 — 10 pars and three birdies, two of them on the back nine to offset three bogeys. She is tied for sixth individually, six shots behind Cincinnati Madeira junior Ellie Hartung, the only golfer to shoot below par Sunday. Sophomores Niya Chebli and Ava Hammond both shot 77, junior Claire Zeiger had a 78 and senior Meera Srini shot 83.
Academy, the four-time defending Division II champion, built a 20-shot lead through eight holes and doubled it in four. Last year the Vikings led Madeira by 10 strokes after day one — a margin that stood when heavy rain canceled the final round. This year Chagrin Falls is second at 348 and Madeira third at 350, followed by Ravenna Southeast (360), LaGrange Keystone (361) and Milan Edison (364).
The final round is Monday at Firestone, which is hosting the Division II tournament for the second time in three seasons. The field played through on-and-off rain late Saturday and early Sunday from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias.
