Seven Hills senior Matia Kastner claimed the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III boys golf state championship on October 13, delivering a composed final-round performance to finish with a two-round total of 138 at NorthStar Golf Club. The victory capped Matia Kastner’s high school career with the biggest result of his state tournament journey and gave Greater Cincinnati another individual champion in a memorable week for Ohio school golf.
Matia Kastner opened the tournament with a 71, leaving him among five golfers tied for the lead heading into the final round. With the title wide open, he produced a 67 on the second day to separate himself from the field and secure the championship by four strokes. The closing round proved decisive: after beginning the final day in a crowded tie, Kastner found the scoring needed to turn a shared lead into a clear victory.
For Matia Kastner, the result marks a major step forward in his high school career. He finished 28th in the Division III state tournament as a junior in 2025 and tied for 23rd as a sophomore. Those earlier appearances gave him experience on the state stage, and this time he converted that familiarity into a championship. Matia Kastner becomes the 24th Greater Cincinnati individual to win an Ohio boys golf state championship since 1928, according to the report.
Matia Kastner’s 138 total reflected the consistency required across two rounds and the ability to make a move when the pressure was highest. The 71 in the opening round kept him in contention, while the 67 in the final round supplied the separation. Winning by four strokes also gave him room over the chasing group, underscoring how strongly he finished after starting the day tied with several rivals.
Seven Hills finishes seventh as region shines
Although Matia Kastner’s individual title was the headline for Seven Hills, the school also competed in the team standings. The Stingers combined for a 672 to finish seventh overall. Jason Zhou was the next Seven Hills finisher, shooting 169 to tie for 42nd. Leo Cai carded 181 and tied for 58th, Rishik Shukla shot 184 to tie for 61st, and Sid Sirigam finished with 188, tying for 64th. The team result placed the school among Ohio’s leading Division III programs, while its senior champion delivered the standout individual performance.
Cincinnati Country Day freshman Griffin Long also represented the region in the Division III field. Long finished with a 157 to take 21st place, adding another notable local result to the tournament. Across the Greater Cincinnati area, the week featured achievements in multiple divisions, reinforcing the region’s strength in high school golf.
For Matia Kastner, the title was the culmination of a steady progression through three state tournament appearances. His earlier finishes showed that he could compete at the state level; the 2026 result showed that he could finish ahead of the field. The final-round 67 was particularly important because five players had been level after day one, leaving little margin for hesitation. He responded with the low round that mattered most and emerged as the Division III champion.
The tournament also produced strong team results elsewhere in the region. In boys Division I, St. Xavier finished as state runner-up with a team total of 599, 25 shots behind champion Dublin Jerome and four ahead of third-place New Albany. St. Xavier sophomore Zac McGrath led the Bombers with a 144, good for fourth individually. Seniors Patrick Paquette and Peter Boylan each shot 150 and tied for 14th, while William Schaltz recorded 155 for 28th and Jax Denton shot 162 to tie for 52nd.
Lakota East finished ninth in the Division I boys team standings with 635. Senior Brody Hayes led the Thunderhawks with a 148, tying for 10th individually. Loveland junior Casey Kopecky tied for 21st with 152, while Milford’s Brock Shuluga tied for 34th with 159. Moeller placed 11th with 645, led by Tripp Johnson and Brady Puthoff, who each shot 159 and tied for 34th.
The girls Division I competition brought further Cincinnati-area highlights. Lakota East finished sixth as a team with 644, led by junior Jenna Schmidt, whose 146 placed her ninth individually. Sycamore took seventh with 654, and Anderson finished 10th with 691. Magnificat won the team title with 593, while Olentangy’s Jodie Han claimed the individual championship with 129 over two rounds, setting a new girls state tournament record for the lowest two-day score, according to the article.
Those results made October 13 a significant day for the region’s high school golf programs, but the Division III boys championship belonged to Seven Hills senior Matia Kastner. Matia Kastner’s closing 67 transformed a shared first-round lead into a four-stroke victory and provided a memorable finish to his high school career. His championship adds his name to Greater Cincinnati’s long history of state golf winners and gives Seven Hills a title to celebrate alongside its seventh-place team finish.