JEROMESVILLE — Lexington reached another of its goals Thursday afternoon at Mohican Hills Golf Club.
The Minutemen shot a 317 to win the Ohio Cardinal Conference Tournament and put the finishing touches on an outright OCC championship.
The conference title is determined by a team’s regular season dual meet record and tournament finish. Lex earned seven regular season points after going unbeaten in OCC duals. The Minutemen picked up six more points for winning the OCC tournament for a maximum 13 total points.
Ashland (11 points) was second. Mount Vernon, West Holmes and Wooster tied for third with seven points apiece.
Lexington shared the OCC title with Wooster last fall. The Minutemen wanted the crown all for themselves this year.
“This is fantastic,” said Benji Dreibelbis who carded a team-best 77 Thursday. “I think we’re on fire now. We’re all feeling our swings.”
Nick Stehle backed Dreibelbis with a 78. Taylor Wittmer shot an 80, while Austin Basham fired an 82.
“(Winning the title outright) was one of our goals and we checked that off today,” said Lex coach Greg Smith, the OCC Coach of the Year. “We still left some shots out there, but we worked hard.”
Ashland’s Max Watson fired a 70 to claim tournament medalist honors. The senior was also the OCC Player of the Year, an award based on regular season and conference tournament performance.
So which of the individual accomplishments was Watson more proud of?
“Player of the Year,” Watson said without hesitation. “It shows my body of work.”
Watson’s teammate, Tyler Sabo, and West Holmes’ Carter Hahn tied for medalist runner-up Thursday with matching 76s. Both Sabo and Hahn earned spots on the OCC first team, along with Lexington’s Wittmer and Jack Dials, Mount Vernon’s Maggie Williams and Wooster’s Mason Frazier.
Second team selections included Lexington’s Stehle, Dreibelbis and Trevor Dials, Madison’s Jaekob Conrad, Mount Vernon’s Jordan Hoag and West Holmes’ Evan Yoder. Honorable mention selections were Madison’s Jonah Aumend, Mansfield Senior’s Tanner Harless, Mount Vernon’s Matt Sabula, West Holmes’ Hunter Ellis and Wooster’s Devon Starcher and Justin Roberts.
Lexington, Ashland, Madison and Mansfield Senior will all compete in the Division I sectional tournament at Mohawk Golf and Country Club in Tiffin on Oct. 2. The top five teams and top five individuals not on a qualifying team will advance to the district tournament on Oct. 11 at Red Hawk Run Golf Course in Findlay.
“Right now we are trending in the right direction,” Smith said. “We could have a very good (tournament) season.”
