Fairbanks High School senior Mary Weisburn, center, signs to play golf at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She is pictured with, from left, MVNU coach Mike King, her mother Laura, father Joe and Fairbanks head coach Chuck Lehman.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Mary Weisburn has played an important role with the Fairbanks High School girls golf team for the past four years.
She will now take her links skills to the next level.
The FHS senior recently signed to play the sport for the women’s squad at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
Weisburn was introduced to the sport in the seventh grade.
While many youngsters begin swinging a club at younger ages these days, Weisburn doesn’t feel her later start has hampered her progress.
“I don’t think so,” she said.
Lady Panther head coach Chuck Lehman agrees.
“For a smaller school such as Fairbanks, that wasn’t too late for Mary to start,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of resources or as many players as the bigger schools.”
Weisburn finished her high school career last fall with four-year scoring averages of 42 (nine holes) and 83 (18 holes).
“Mary is a great golfer and has a great attitude,” said Lehman. “She knows the game of golf and earned varsity letters each year with the high school program.”
Weisburn helped lead the Lady Panthers to the Ohio Heritage Conference championship all four years she was on the roster.
Fairbanks earned berths in the Division II district tournament once and Weisburn advanced to the district two years as an individual.
Although Weisburn has decided Mount Vernon Nazarene is the place for her to be, she had looked at other programs.
“I looked at Kent State, Ashland and Cedarville,” she said. “I chose Mount Vernon Nazarene because I like the smaller feel of the school and everyone there has been very welcoming to me.”
Weisburn, who will double-major in business and psychology, said she feels she can break into the varsity lineup next fall as a freshman.
She came to the attention of the Mount Vernon Nazarene coaching staff through one of her coaches.
“My swing coach (Mike McNutt of Dublin) introduced me to Mike King, who is Mount Vernon Nazarene’s coach,” said Weisburn. “That was my first introduction to the golf program there.”
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is an NAIA school that competes in the Crossroads League.
The school began its women’s golf program during the 2011-2012 academic year.