The Bombers girls golf team is off to a great start to the 2025 golf season as they look to win their fifth straight WRC Title under Head Coach Kip Freeman.
Match photos click here.
The Bombers girls golf team is off to a great start to the 2025 golf season as they look to win their fifth straight WRC Title under Head Coach Kip Freeman.
The defending WRC champions, led by first team All-Conference golfers Stefania Mighton and Ava Solak, both juniors, began their season undefeated heading into their match with their rival Hilltoppers August 27 at St. Denis Golf Course.
With early season victories over the Lakeside Dragons (189-281), Chardon Hilltoppers (183-233), Mayfield Wildcats (195-198) and Lake Catholic Cougars (173-175), Coach Freeman recorded his 200th career win.
Then the Bombers defeated the Hilltoppers, 179-223, to stay undefeated at 7-0.
Freeman said it was nice to get the milestone victory as he improved his career record to 200-43. But he gave the credit to the excellent Kenston athletes he has had the opportunity to coach throughout the past 15 years.
“It was kind of nice, it’s sweet, but it’s all because of the kids that I have, the talent that I’ve been blessed with for the last 15 years,” Coach Freeman said.
In leading a successful high school golf program, Freeman said one key to success has been the importance of teaching good full-swing fundamentals and helping his athletes improve their short game through dedicated practice.
“I think a lot of it (developing successful golfers) happens in practice, where we fine tune their swings and we work hard on the chipping and putting. Once we get to the matches, it’s pretty much what you get is what you get,” Coach Freeman said.
Helping him get his 201st career victory on August 27 were Mighton, who shot a 40, and Slovak, who carded a 42.
Mighton said the Bombers played well on a course they had not seen before.
“It was a new course, but I really liked it,” she said. “The greens were a little bit faster, and it was really hilly (course).”
As the medalist for the match, carding the low round of the day, Mighton started well and was pleased with how she was hitting her irons on the approach shots during that round.
Solak recounted that her round started slow, but she was able to improve throughout the day. In fact, she finished her round with a birdie on the last hole, draining a 20-foot putt.
Overall, through the first month of the season, Coach Freeman is happy with how the Bombers have improved and become more consistent.
“We started off pretty good,” Freeman said. “We’ve had some rounds where we were not as good as others. But right now, we’re kind of settling in and we’ve been pretty consistent the last four or five matches, and our scores have reflected that.”
Despite the loss, the Hilltoppers have also been improving throughout the season. In fact, before taking on the Bombers, the Hilltoppers had won four matches in a row.
Chardon collected its first victory of the season August 18 against the Madison Blue Streaks (203-219) at Erie Shores Golf Course. The team was led by Cameron Gerlica (44), Sofia Finomore (48), Riley McKenna (54) and Kaitlin Rosipko (57).
The Hilltoppers followed with victories over the Eastlake North Rangers (226-266) August 20, Willoughby South Rebels (222-244) August 25, and the Rangers (230-263) again August 26 at Lost Nation Golf Course. In their victory over the Rangers, the Hilltoppers were led by Gerlica, who shot a season-low 43.
Chardon Head Coach Rachel Gaspar was happy with how her team competed against the Bombers.
“They did really well,” Coach Gaspar said. “Kenston is a tough group. But the girls persevered, even when it got hard and kept going.”
Shooting Chardon’s low round of the match against the Bombers was senior Cameron Gerlica, who had high marks for the season overall so far.
“Today was a really beautiful day, it was a lot of fun,” Gerlica said. “The season is going really good, we’ve been having a lot of fun, and for me personally, I have been consistently in the low to mid 40s.
“I am hoping to break 40 pretty soon. I have definitely been getting close, just a couple things to work on.”
