Boys golf: Owen Heilmann survives Division I district tournament playoff to advance
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
By Michael Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Olentangy Berlin’s Owen Heilmann won a four-person playoff at Apple Valley Golf Club Tuesday to nail down the final state tournament spot. Photo: Kevin Rouch
HOWARD – For about an hour Owen Heilmann had no control over his future on Oct. 6 at Apple Valley Golf Course. The Olentangy Berlin boys golfer kept loose, hit some balls off the driving range and practiced his putts. All the while, he had no idea if he’d need it.
But Heilmann did.
Heilmann outlasted three others in a playoff to finally punch his ticket to the Division I state tournament Oct. 12-13 at NCR Country Club in Kettering.
“I think you just accept that you have no control,” Heilmann said. “It’s (about) getting ready … preparing like I was going to be in a playoff. But you just accept that you don’t have any control and move on.”
Harrison Young took home top honors and led Dublin Jerome to the team title that was settled without too much drama. No, that was saved for Heilmann and Grove City’s Eastin Carlson, who battled it out for the final qualifying spot.
The top three teams and three individuals not on qualifying teams advanced.
In one of the last groups on the course, Westerville North’s Clark McGeorge bogeyed his 18th hole to set up a four-player playoff that also included Dublin Coffman’s Lincoln Scherer.
Heilmann made an 18-foot putt on the first playoff hole to advance with Carlson as McGeorge and Scherer were eliminated.
Both players parred the second hole and Heilmann parred the third hole, and Carlson missed his shot to extend the match.
Dublin Jerome’s Harrison Young, the medalist at the OHSAA district tournament Tuesday at Apple Valley Golf Club, is headed to the Division 1 state tournament in Dayton. Photo: Kevin Rouch
“It’s awesome,” Heilmann said about his first trip to state. “It’s always been one of my dreams in high school golf. Now I get to see what I can do at states. It was nerve-wracking all day, 100%.”
Heilmann joined Thomas Worthington’s Edison Hill and Upper Arlington’s Rocco Humphreys as the individual qualifiers. Hall and Humphreys each shot an even-par 72.
Dublin Jerome ran out to an early lead and didn’t look back, ending any drama to determine the team championship.
The Celtics shot a minus-8 280 to run away with their third consecutive district championship, beating out second place St. Charles (295), New Albany (296) and nine other teams.
Young shot a minus-5 67 to beat out teammate Blaise Barnum and St. Charles’ Hudson Burkey, who each shot a 69, as well as 69 other competitors for the individual championship.
Young had to watch from the sidelines last year while battling walking pneumonia as Jerome went through its postseason that culminated in the program’s 10th state title.
Young used it as a learning experience.
“I think it’s just staying patient,” he said. “It’s almost like playing checkers versus playing chess. You don’t need to force anything.
“I hit one left in the trees (on hole) nine today. I pitched it out and almost made par and I was just happy. One thing you can’t do is make silly double bogeys. If the worst you do is a bogey, then you’re fine.”
Upper Arlington’s Rocco Humphries makes a putt on #18 to qualify as an individual for next week’s OHSAA state tournament in Dayton. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Brady Barnum (fourth, 71) and Colton Altenberg (tied-ninth, 73) rounded out the scoring for the Celtics.
“We have five guys that, on any given day, can win a tournament,” Young said. “I think it really showed today when you get the top two finishers and then a top five finisher as well. I think this time next week, all five guys can be at the top of the leaderboard.”
Outside of Burkey, Pierce Stealey (tied-fifth, 72), Harry Hadden (tied-16th, 75) and Benjamin Scheiwer (44th, 79) scored for St. Charles, which is making its 14th state appearance at state.
New Albany needed a fifth-place tiebreaker to advance out of the sectional tournament Sept. 29 at Turnberry.
Led by Jackson Blanda (tied-fifth, 72) and Elijah Hallbromberg (tied-ninth, 73) the Eagles are heading to their second consecutive state tournament and fifth overall.
Ethan Hall (tied-16th, 75) and Nicholas Thompson (tied-20th, 76) were the Eagles’ other two scorers.
“They showed up and they were more confident and they were prepared,” said New Albany’s Carson Stone, who coaches the team with Kyle Mitchell. “(It was a) completely different state than they’d been in the last couple events. Credit to them – they were fully ready to go.”
Hudson Burkey led St. Charles as the Cardinals qualified for one of three team slots for state tournament play from district play at Apple Valley Golf Club Tuesday. Photo: Kevin Rouch