Category Archives: Player Stories

The rarest of all things in golf is a Hole-In-One on a Par 4 (AKA – Albatross).  Halley made this incredible shot on the 13th hole at the LPGA International Legends Course during the Northeast Conference Championship in Daytona Beach, FL.  The hole is uphill and bottle necks at the green with lateral water hazards on both sides.  The ball bounced twice before the green than landed on the green and rolled right into the hole as it was coming to a stop.  They played the hole at 374 yards for the first two rounds, but on the last day they played it as a reachable Par 4 from the normal ladies tee of 234 yards.  You gotta luv a story like this!  Halley will be back on tour again this year and is also playing on the NCJT Joe Haase Cup team.

Congratulations to Olivia Jereb!  She fired a 2 under par 70 at Punderson on June 12, 2012 and set a new competitive course record from the Red Tees.  Then during the final round of the Tour Championship she shot a blazing 65 to set the competitive course record on the Quail Hollow CC Delvin Course.  The 65 was also the lowest girls score ever record in tour history.  Those were some amazing rounds.  Please share the spirit with Olivia!

NCJT players top the leaderboard at 

International Junior Golf Tour event at Fowler’s Mill

Chesterland, OH –
Fowler’s Mill Golf Course played host to the IJGT this past weekend

In the girls division, NCJT players finished 2nd and 3rd. Danielle Nicholson of Geneva, OH finished second with a two day total of 163 (rounds of 80-83).  Finishing third place was Brynn FitzGerald of Pepper Pike, OH with a two day total of 164 (83-81).

Unsure of whether she would ever receive a college scholarship to play golf, Keely Lavelle was determined to make this dream become a reality. She continued to push herself during the summer before her senior year, particularly by playing with the North Coast Junior Tour.

“Overall, it prepares you if you want to play in college. You learn the rules and etiquette, and you are practicing and hitting balls. It is a good push towards playing better,” said the senior from Hathaway Brown. “It is a really good experience, and the people there are going to help you throughout your career.”

Lavelle talked about the way that the NCJT does such a great job teaching their golfers the rules and etiquette of the game.

“At the session before the season, you have to take the test (on the rules of golf). So they are there to help you, and they make sure you know the rules.

“They definitely make sure you know what you are doing,” she explained. “They are there in carts helping with rules and etiquette. They’re there to support you. It helps me a lot.”

One particular rule was new to Lavelle.  “One time I took a practice swing, and I hit a leaf that fell. The girl had to call me on it,” she said. “It was one of those weird rules that never happens, but you get a penalty for it.”  And, although calling people out is not always easy, golf is a game that relies heavily on a person’s integrity.
“Golf is definitely a life sport,” Lavelle said. “Because there is no official or referee, you have to stay consistent with rules, etiquette, and manners.   “I’ve used (my integrity)—cheating on tests—I’d feel so bad. I just can’t do it. If someone’s cheating, I am so used to calling people out on rules, so I just say, ‘No, don’t do that.’ So (integrity) definitely carries out from golf.”
Lavelle, someone who does not get nervous easily, recalled the first time she heard her name announced at a NCJT match.

“I was nervous—pretty excited. It is such a good feeling getting your name called when you’re up there hitting. The first hole’s always the hardest, then you get used to it, and it’s exciting. I was more nervous about the guys behind me,” she laughed.

And Lavelle insisted that the group of girls she golfed with made it easy for her to overcome the nerves throughout the course.

“I was (nervous), but, doing something new, you are going to get nervous,” Lavelle said. “I got over it pretty fast after a few holes. I decided that I would see these kids all the time—there was no reason for me to be nervous. The girls and boys who play are so nice. It is a good community.”
A huge part of eliminating Lavelle’s nerves was gaining confidence and strengthening her mental game.
“A lot of rounds I have not played my best, and it always came down to a few holes,” she said. “I didn’t focus well, and it carried on downhill.”
Her time with the NCJT has definitely changed her mind set and helped her gain mental toughness.
“Just having time to compete, learn the rules, and learn how to play different shots has allowed me to stop letting one hole bother me.”
Lavelle, who has won one tournament and finished in the top three in several tournaments, credits her time with the NCJT for the improvement she has made within her game over the past three years and the college scholarship she was offered during her senior year.

“My mental toughness improved. I worked on my game and moving forward (after each hole),” she said. “Playing different courses with different lengths and different places to hit from helped. Some courses were longer, so my driver and long game improved. And the greens were faster, so it helped my short game.

“You get the opportunity to compete, and you are working on your game while competing,” she explained. “You are getting better in bigger tournaments. One tournament prepares you for the next tournament, and the next tournament prepares you for the next. (NCJT) is a good first step for players learning how to play and players just working on their game.”

Lavelle’s hard work and improvement over the past year has definitely paid off. Lavelle recently signed with the University of Washington, a program competing in the talented Division 1 PAC-10 Conference. According to NCAA.com, four PAC-10 women’s golf teams currently rank in the top seven of the NGCA Coach’s Poll.
“Going into the college decision, I didn’t know if I was going to play golf or get a scholarship,” Lavelle said. “(NCJT) has changed my life. I fixed problems with my game, and I met new people. It has changed my life in general.”
–Megan Golden

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Senior Golfer Nicole Trivisonno has signed her National Letter of Intent, and she will now be headed to Ashland University next Fall. When asked about her recent commitment, the three-time North Coast Junior Tour Player of the Year (2006, 2007, and 2009) had only good things to say.

“I like the coach a lot, there’s a good fit with the teammates, and there’s a good academic program,” she said. “Their schedule looks better than a lot of Division I programs’.”

The Lady Eagles are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which includes teams such as Tiffin, Findlay, Ferris State, and Grand Valley State. Ashland is currently ranked third in the East Region, next to Grand Valley State and Indianapolis.

Upon her arrival next Fall, Trivisonno will be joining Head Coach Pam Leonard, currently in her sixth year, who led the program to its first NCAA Division II Regional Golf Tournament in school history in 2009. “She seems really nice. She’s funny. The girls seem to like her, and she knows what she’s talking about,” Trivisonno commented.

Grateful for her experience with the North Coast Junior Tour, Trivisonno expressed no fear heading into her first year as a collegiate golfer.

“(NCJT) provided me with a lot of practice. When you’re young, you can learn the rules and what to do in different situations,” she explained. “It’s practice for when the big tournaments come up.”

One tournament Trivisonno calls her best NCJT memory. “I hit in at 180 yards for an eagle. It was at Quail Hollow,” she recalled.

The other “big tournament” that she might be referring to is the Ohio State Championship, which NDCL snagged away in 2009, thanks to Trivisonno’s dominant performance and leadership. Trivisonno shot a 77 in the final round of the tournament on Ohio State University’s Gray Course. The final match was not an easy one, either, as the girls defeated Poland, a team they had lost to earlier in the season, by 19 shots.

“We kind of had a quote that we always said to each other. We would say, ‘NDCL girls golf 2009, it’s state championship time.’ We all knew we could rely on each other because of our strong lineup. We wanted to win it for each other.” she said. “We only had to beat Poland once. Hard work paid off.”

Following this phenomenal season, Trivisonno collected several honors. She was awarded 2009 North Coast League Player of the Year, 2009 1st Team All-Northeast Ohio, and 2009 2nd Team All-Ohio. The list grew on.

In order to bring her game to the next level and to guide her new team to success, Trivisonno knows what she must improve on. “I am going to keep working out. I will work on my game from 100 yards and in. I am also working on my fairway woods and hitting the ball farther,” she said.

And most importantly, Trivisonno knows what it will take for her game to stand out at Ashland. “I need to think about everything I’ve been working on and get that accomplished,” she continued. “I need to think more positively, and I need to have fun.”
-Megan Golden