The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY JEREMY SCHNEIDER | MIRROR SPORTS — Needing to rent more golf carts from a different site to accommodate the number of golfers is a pretty good indication a summer golf outing was a success.
The Maumee Athletic Boosters, the Panther Pride Foundation and the Kazmaier family came together last Friday to host the 31st annual Richard Kazmaier Golf Outing at Belmont Country Club in Perrysburg.
With more than 110 golfers entered, Belmont could not supply enough carts, so more were brought in from elsewhere.
“With never having helped with a golf outing and knowing next to nothing about golf, I would say it was a very successful event,” said Boosters president Holly Farthing.
The event helped raise money for the Richard Kazmaier scholarship for Maumee students. Kazmaier was a 1948 Maumee graduate and won the Heisman Trophy in 1951 while playing football at Princeton. Maumee students apply for the Kazmaier scholarship with an essay detailing how athletics have impacted their lives.
With participation dwindling in the recent years, the Boosters stepped in to help organize the event, which was moved to Belmont this year.
According to Farthing, the goal was to have 88 golfers in the field. Not only did the response amount to 112 golfers registered, but there were even more requests after the deadline.
“The Maumee Athletic Boosters are a truly invaluable group to our athletic programs,” Maumee athletic director Cam Coutcher said. “Not only do they support our programs monetarily, but they also help plan events for our student-athletes and community members. There’s no ego and the members of the boosters are in it to create an amazing experience.
“The Panther Pride Foundation is equally important and without them, we wouldn’t have the facilities we do. They are very intentional with their planning and execution, and they’re great to work with.”
The first-place team consisted of Randy Fifer, Kurt Shustel, Mark Sazada and Ed Spatz, with second place going to the team of Loren Dirr, John Boles, Ron Buehrer and Mike Zalar.
Nick Eastby won the closest-to-the-pin competition, while Sarah Makzewski and Tyler Fennell won an award for the longest drive.
Skins winners were the team of Evan Karchner, Brendan Karchner, Tim Wilhelm and Shawn Roberts on hole 15 and Todd Ery, Troy Ery, Jason Wagner and Coutcher on No. 3.
“It was great to see so much support for Maumee athletics and the additional funds will be spent on our athletes,” Boosters vice president James Nino said.
