A field of 134 will play in the 42nd annual Kenny Novak Junior Tour Championship next week at Barrington Golf Club when the Northern Ohio Section of the Professional Golfers Association conducts its final junior event of the summer.
The event honors the memory of Kenny Novak, a terrific golfer and all-around athlete, who died a heroic death when he drowned while saving the life of one of his friends.
For years the tournament was held at Club Walden, where Novak’s family were members. With Walden undergoing significant alterations the event has been moved to Barrington in Aurora.
The event includes players from throughout Northern Ohio. Winners of the Section’s regular-season tournaments automatically qualify, and the field is supplemented by the leaders on the season-long points lists.
The 36-hole event takes place Monday and Tuesday (July 28-29) beginning at 8 a.m.
The boys will compete in age groups 11-13, 14-15 and 16-19. The girls will compete in age groups 11-15 and 16-19.
Six former champs and numerous high finishers are entered, including:
CADEN BOYD (Concord Township), who returns to defend the 16-19 title he won in 2024 at Walden
DEXTER JAMES (Hudson), who was the 14-15 year-old winner in 2024 but now competes in the 16-19 age group.
MASON BEATTY (Norwalk), winner of the 11-13 age group last year and now competing in 14-15.
SARAH VOJTKO (Stow), won the 11-15 grouping last year but will compete in the 16-19 bracket.
ELIJAH STEWART (East Liverpool), has graduated to the 14-15 age group after winning the 11-13 grouping in 2023.
MICK AMBROSE (Canfield), was the 14-15 winner in 2023 and now competes in the 16-19 bracket.
As this is the 28th – and final regular event of the summer (followed only by the Junior Ohio Cup in mid-October) – the Kenny Novak/Section Championship could influence the 2025 NOPGA Junior Players-of-the-Year and in some cases the members of the Junior Ohio Cup team.
Here are the current points leaders and contenders in the five races. (x=Denotes the player is entered in the Tour Championship.)
BOYS 16-19
Player (Residence) | Grad Year | Events Played | Points
x-Dexter James (Hudson) 2027 21 2,447.92
x-Wren Spires (Medina) 2027 14 1,623.44
x-Griffin Pickett (Painesville) 2027 13 1,265.83
x-Jacob Rainieri (Mogadore) 2027 14 1,264.78
Dominic Castelluccio (Westlake) 2027 11 1,029.74
x-Mick Ambrose (Canfield) 2027 6 1,029.16
GIRLS 16-19
x-Kayla Knaze (Fairview Park) 2027 13 2,265.00
x-Yumi Kohara (Cuyahoga Falls) 2027 15 2,090.41
x-Julia Gulla (Sagamore Hills) 2025 7 1,415.00
x-Kate Vickerman (Medina) 2026 16 1,290.21
x-Annelise Stencel (Akron) 2024 7 1,280.00
x-Rylee Roth (Brunswick) 2027 17 1,241.00
x-Julia Van Bokkelen (Hudson) 2025 16 1,225.00
BOYS 14-15
Ryan O’Leary (Westlake) 2028 16 2,148.33
Nicholas Pollak (Aurora) 2029 11 1,850.84
Ryan Creech (Chesterland) 2029 14 1,850.00
x-Elijah Stewart (East Liverpool) 2023 9 1,795.00
Lucas Cutlip (Stow) 2028 13 1,491.67
x-Dylan Phillips (Chesterland) 2028 7 1,445.00
GIRLS 11-15
x-Korrine Knaze (Fairview Park) 2029 14 2,950.00
Kellan Gleason (Avon) 2028 9 1,730.00
x-Rachel Rush (Hudson) 2029 13 1,689.16
x-Sophia Clarico (LaGrange) 2028 6 1,295.00
x-Chloe Wu (Solon) 2031 9 1,290.00
BOYS 11-13
x-Coleson Paez (Rocky River 2030 11 2,705.00
x-Jaxson Trebets (Rocky River) 2031 8 1,345.00
Anthony Sarmiento (Westlake) 2031 5 1,100.00
x-Flynn Houston (North Canton) 2031 7 1,075.00
x-Braeden Bernhardt (Avon) 2030 4 980.00
x-Blake Walchalk (Uniontown) 2030 4 800.00
Bentley Bush (Toronto) 2030 4 800.00
Evan Ketchem (Massillon) 2032 5 795.00
x-Owen Albrecht (Akron) 2031 4 790.00
