Sycamore High School freshman Savanna Blackmore won the Division I individual district golf championship Oct. 6, firing an even par 71 at Heatherwoode Golf Club in Springboro and leading the Aviators to the team district title.

The following week, Blackmore tied for 12th at the OHSAA Division I state tournament at NCR Country Club in Kettering. She shot 74-76 for a two-day total of 150. Sycamore finished seventh as a team with a 654.

Not bad for a player her teammates call "The Rookie."

Blackmore's father introduced her to the game at age six, giving her at-home lessons and building a backyard putting green, according to a profile in The Leaf, Sycamore's student newspaper. She told The Leaf she started competing in tournaments at seven and came into her first high school season hoping to make varsity.

She got far more than that. Blackmore's 71 at districts beat Lakota East junior Jenna Schmidt by one stroke, according to the Journal-News. Sycamore's team score of 323 topped the field, finishing six shots ahead of Lakota East. The Cincinnati Enquirer nominated Blackmore for girls golfer of the week after her district performance.

At the Oct. 12-13 state tournament, Blackmore's 150 tied placed her in a three-way tie for 12th, according to OHSAA results. Sycamore teammates Marley Brumfield and Allison Ward each shot 166, tying for 37th. Lucia Hardison added a 172, and Clara Alexander finished at 175.

Rocky River Magnificat won the team title with a 593. Lewis Center Olentangy junior Jodie Han took the individual crown with a record-setting 129, according to the OHSAA.

Blackmore told The Leaf she credits her short game for saving strokes and focuses on managing mistakes rather than letting them compound. She said she is already looking beyond high school.

"I want to play golf in college, hopefully on a Division I scholarship, so doing well in the high school season will leave a good impression," she told The Leaf.

Milford's Ellie Fight also competed at state, tying for 49th with a 172. Blackmore has three more seasons to build on her debut.