Girls golf: Dublin Jerome, Olentangy’s Jodie Han win Division I district titles
Monday, October 5, 2026
By Michael Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Dublin Jerome’s Mallory Quickel led the Celtics to the District team title Monday at the Links at Echo Springs. Jerome and Olentangy Orange now advance as teams to the OHSAA state tournament in Dayton. Photo: Kevin Rouch
JOHNSTOWN – Mallory Quickel went back to an old message that her coach gave her after back-to-back bogeys on the back nine.
Quickel, a junior, rebounded on the next two holes with a pair of birdies to make it a wash.
She finished with a team-best 1-over par 73 to help the Dublin Jerome girls golf team capture its sixth district title on Oct. 5 at the Links at Echo Springs.
“Our coach (CD Buckner) is really adamant about just staying mentally strong,” Quickel said. “We (take) 10 steps and then you gotta move on. So, I really just kept reminding myself of that and you never know what is going to happen out there.”
Does Quickel actually count the steps?
“I actually do,” she replied. “You have to be very disciplined.”
It was a disciplined team-wide effort for the Celtics, who shot 304 to beat out 11 other teams.
All four of Jerome’s scorers finished in the top 15 of 71 total competitors, including Nikitha Suresh (sixth, 75), Adella Powlowski (12th, 77) and Hebe Li (15th, 79).
The top two teams and top two individuals not on qualifying teams advanced to the Division I state tournament Oct. 12-13 at NCR Country Club in Kettering.
Olentangy’s Jodie Han was emotional after capturing medalist honors at the District tournament in Johnstown on Monday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
The Celtics, who already hold the most state titles in state tournament history, will try for their ninth. They’re joined by Olentangy Orange (second, 304) and individual qualifiers in Olentangy’s Jodie Han (first, 66) and Upper Arlington’s Eva Emerson (tied-fourth, 73).
Han was emotional after walking off the 18th hole after shooting a 6-under 66 to win the individual title. But Olentangy (third, 321) fell short of reaching state as a team for the second consecutive season.
Olentangy had three seniors in Aubrey Davis, Sophia Dreischarf and Kaylee Keys.
“It was good (to win as an individual,” Han said. “I was more overwhelmed by the fact that this was our last tournament together than winning individually. It’s a team sport, at least in high school, and I think that was my main goal was to go in as a team.”
It was a little bit of a different emotion for Emerson, who bogeyed the 18th hole.
The wind played a factor in the difficult last hole.
“I pulled a shot into the bunker,” Emerson said. “I had a good bunker shot out (and) didn’t make the putt. It hung right on the edge.”
Emerson ended up two strokes ahead of four players who were also trying to qualify. So, she sweated it out for about 45 minutes until it was clear that she would advance.
Upper Arlington’s Eva Emerson was one of two individuals that qualified for the state tournament after District play on Monday at the Links at Echo Springs. Photo: Kevin Rouch
“I thought I had to make that putt to make states,” she said. “Last year, I missed it by one stroke, so I thought it was going to happen again this year. So, I was really nervous.”
Pioneers coach Todd Helline is going to need to change a lot of his passwords now that Orange is back at state.
The Pioneers advanced to their first state tournament since 2018, where it finished second. They won state titles in 2016 and 2017.
Orange’s sophomore duo of Amelia Buettner (second, 71) and Amelia Ricker (third, 72) led the way.
Maddie Patton (tied-25th, 83) and Ellie Bach (tied-34th, 87) also scored for the Pioneers, which beat out 10 other teams.
Orange coach Todd Helline knew about the talent coming through the program when he took over before the 2020 season.
“The password to everything I have says ‘2027 is the year,’” said. “I didn’t think it was going to be 2026. So, the fact that we’re here a year early is pretty awesome. I knew we were really good and we had a chance. Still, in the back of my mind, I thought it (would be) next year.”
Olentangy Orange’s Amelia Buettner paced Olentangy Orange at the Districts in Johnstown Monday. The Pioneers are one of two teams to advance to the OHSAA state tournament. Photo: Kevin Rouch