Titans Place Third Behind Marcelo’s 79 at North Ridgeville Invitational

LAGRANGE, Ohio - Berea-Midpark placed third with a team score of 334 at the North Ridgeville Invitational on Thursday, led by Oliver Marcelo’s 79 and Luke Higgins’ 81. The Titans finished four strokes behind Southwestern Conference champion Avon and three behind SWC runner-up Olmsted Falls in a tightly contested team race.

Avon won the invitational with a 330, while Olmsted Falls took second at 331. Berea-Midpark followed at 334 after battling a difficult course and a strong field. Only four strokes separated the top three teams, leaving little room for error across the Titans’ four counting rounds.

Marcelo posted Berea-Midpark’s low round with a 79, the Titans’ only score below 80. Higgins followed two strokes back with an 81, giving Berea-Midpark a combined 160 from its top two finishers. Their rounds kept the Titans within striking distance of the leaders throughout the tournament.

Thomas Harrington added an 86, and Gavin Wagner completed the team total with an 88. The four scores combined for exactly 334, with only nine strokes separating Berea-Midpark’s first and fourth counting golfers. Harrington and Wagner’s rounds proved important as the Titans secured their place among the top three teams.

The tournament began at 9 a.m. under clear skies, with the temperature at 54 degrees and winds at 8 mph. Berea-Midpark’s balanced scoring helped it navigate the demanding conditions and remain close to two of the SWC’s top programs, finishing just three shots out of second place and four from the championship.