Season Review: More records fall as Women’s Golf posts third straight top-2 finish at OAC Championships in 2022-23

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's golf team continued breaking school records en route to posting a third straight top-two finish at the OAC Championships this season under 10th-year head coach Chad Bucci.

In all, the Polar Bears won five tournaments as part of 10 top-three finishes in their 11-event 2022-23 schedule for an overall record of 78-12. The 78 victories marked the program's most since its 104-win season in 2007-08, and ONU was ranked No. 27 nationally by GolfStat.com entering the OAC Championships.

"I couldn't have been happier for what this team accomplished in a lot of big events this year and how they never backed down," Bucci said. "I really felt every time when we went to a tournament, we were going to compete and see ourselves up on the leaderboard."

Northern won three of the five tournaments it competed in during the fall portion of its schedule, including the Heidelberg Fall Invitational, Lourdes Fall Invitational and Bluffton Fall Classic. That stretch saw Northern post some record-breaking performances.

The quartet of junior Grace Honigford (West Chester/Lakota East), sophomores Rhianna Firmstone (Moon Township, Pa.) and Amelia Burger (Centerville) and freshman Marisa Alfes (Bellbrook) matched the 18-hole school record with a 314 in the first round of the Heidelberg Fall Invitational. They later broke that mark with a 310 in the first round of the Berry (Ga.) Invitational and finished third in that event with a 36-hole school-record score of 621, besting the prior mark by 18 strokes.

The Polar Bears picked right back up in the spring, which included victories at the Bluffton Spring Invitational and Polar Bear Easter Classic.

Honigford, Burger, Alfes and senior Isabella Orofino (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) shot a 306 at the Bluffton Spring Invitational to set a new school record for 18 holes. Later, that group combined to shatter the school-record marks for 54 and 72 holes at the OAC Championships. Their 54-hole total of 961 bested the old mark of 976 by 15 strokes, and their 72-hole total of 1301 was 125 shots better than the 1426 posted at the 2007 NCAA Division III Championships. Northern finished as the runner-up to Otterbein at the OACs, and Honigford, Alfes, Burger and Orofino each earned All-OAC accolades by finishing in the top 14 individually.

"All of us had high hopes of winning the OAC, and not having Rhianna showed at the end of the day. But that's why it's so important that other players need to not think that when you're not the top team that you'll never matter," Bucci said. "I have a great roster with a lot of talent, and I hope that they will be more passionate about what lies ahead for this team and how important they mean to this team."

Honigford led the way for the Polar Bears all season, capping her year with a College Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-American Second Team accolade. Her runner-up finish at the OACs marked her third career All-OAC accolade. She shot a 313 at the OACs to break the school's 72-hole record of 325, set by Meagan Brennan in 2007, by 12 strokes. That was after she had already broken her own school record for 54 holes with a 231. Honigford has finished in the top two at the OAC Championships in all three of her seasons at ONU, as she was the 2021 tournament champion and was co-champion in 2022.

Honigford closed the season as a three-time Medalist with a team-best 78.8 average for 18 holes through 20 rounds of play, matching her single-season program record from 2021-22. She competed in 10 events and posted eight top-four finishes, shooting a season-best 73 at the Bluffton Spring Classic. A four-time OAC Golfer of the Week in 2022-23, Honigford earned Medalist honors at the Bluffton Fall Classic, DePauw (Ind.) Invitational and Bluffton Spring Classic and was a College Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-District and WGCA All-Great Lakes Region honoree.

In her three seasons at ONU, Honigford is a two-time WGCA All-America Scholar and 10-time OAC Golfer of the Week selection with 32 top-10 finishes, including 15 Medalist honors, in 35 career tournaments with an average score of 78.9 over 59 rounds of play.

"What can you say about a young lady that not only excels on the golf course but also carries a 4.0 GPA in mechanical engineering," Bucci said. "Grace is a true example that a student-athlete can excel in and out of the classroom and be the best. Her biggest attribute is her demeanor on the golf course. Whenever you approach her, you're going to get a thumbs up, and I know to move on."

Alfes made a significant impact as a freshman in 2022-23, posting seven top-10 finishes, including her fourth-place showing at the OACs. She shot a season-best 18-hole score of 76 in the second round of the Music City Shootout and opening round of the OACs and closed the conference championships with a 320 for the lowest 72-hole score by a freshman, and second-lowest overall, in program history. Alfes finished the season with an 81.4 average over 21 rounds, which tied Burger for second-best on the team.

"A coach can't ask any more than what Marisa has done as a freshman," Bucci said. "She was always around the leaderboard, and I have no doubt she'll be joining Amelia in the winner's circle next year on more than one occasion."

Burger and Orofino both earned All-OAC accolades for the second consecutive season.

Burger posted eight top-10 finishes and averaged 81.4 strokes over 21 rounds, including a career-best 75 in the second round of the Berry (Ga.) Classic and first round of the Illinois Wesleyan Spring Fling. She was named OAC Women's Golfer of the Week on April 11 and finished tied for seventh at the OACs with a 326, which ranks fourth in program history for 72 holes. In two seasons at ONU, Burger is a two-time OAC Women's Golfer of the Week with an average of 82.3 strokes over 42.5 rounds of play and 18 top-10 finishes.

"Amelia is probably one of the fiercest competitors that I have coached, and she'll never settle for anything but to be the best," Bucci said. "I expect a lot from her next year because the word 'fail' doesn't exist in her vocabulary."

Orofino ranked fifth on the team in season average with an 87.0 over 16 rounds. She had two top-10 finishes on the year and added a CSC Academic All-District At-Large Team honor to her All-OAC recognition. She shot a season-best 78 in the Bluffton Spring Classic to match her career-low score from the 2021-22 season and placed 11th at the OACs with a 344 over 72 holes. In four years at ONU, Orofino is a two-time WGCA All-America Scholar and Academic All-OAC honoree with an 86.4 average over 47 rounds and 14 career top-10 finishes.

"I was the toughest on Bella due to the fact she had so much more in the tank than what her scores showed," Bucci said. "She is someone who I will deeply miss and was glad that I could see her grow these last four years. I have no doubt she will have a great future."

Firmstone had four top-10 finishes on the season, including winning Medalist honors at the Heidelberg Fall Invitational for which she earned an OAC Women's Golfer of the Week accolade. She matched her career-low of 74 in the opening round of that tournament and closed the year fourth on the team with an 82.1 average over 14 rounds. An All-OAC honoree as a freshman in 2021-22, Firmstone has 11 career top-10 finishes with an 82.2 average over 32.5 rounds in two seasons at ONU.

"Rhianna is one of the most consistent golfers on the team, and she was truly missed in the OACs due to an injury," Bucci said. "I hope she realizes that she needs to be 100% ready to go because this team needs her to get in the top 20 for next year."

Seniors Torrie Smith (Kokomo, Ind./Western) and Jessica Tubbs (Maumee/Springfield) also played double-digit rounds for ONU during the 2022-23 season, finishing with averages of 90.5 and 91.5, respectively.

Off the course, Honigford, Orofino, Tubbs and senior Olivia Galigher (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) earned Academic All-OAC recognition for their success in the classroom. Honigford, Orofino and Tubbs were also named WGCA All-American Scholars. 

With several top players returning next year, Bucci is excited to see what the 2023-24 season has in store for his team.

"The amount of time these ladies put in over the past year definitely showed, and our schedule for the upcoming season will be tough," Bucci said. "So summer work is a must, and I don't see this team missing a beat next season."