O-R Athlete of the Week: JoJo Jaskulski, Chartiers-Houston
Name: JoJo Jaskulski
School: Chartiers-Houston
Class: Freshman
Sport: Golf
Jaskulski’s week: Jaskulski shot a record-setting seven-under 29 on the par-36 course at Washington Country Club in the Bucs’ victory over Fort Cherry in a Class 2A Section 4 match.
The score, not surprisingly, was the low round for the match, but Jaskulski beat the course record by one stroke.
“The score was definitely my best ever,” Jaskulski said. “My previous low score on that course was a 32. I am a member at the Washington Country Club, so I play there as much as I can.”
Jaskulski played a bogey-free round with five birdies and an eagle on the eighth hole. She started out with a birdie on the first hole before sinking a par putt on the second.
“Everything just clicked that day, but my putting was really good,” Jaskulski said. “The next hole is a tricky par 3, but I was able to make a putt from about 15 to 20 feet to save par. I was able to put it in gear after that. I really didn’t expect to shoot that low. It was just a surreal moment.”
Jaskulski knew she was having a solid round, but didn’t know how solid until she was told by a teammate following the sixth hole that she would tie the course record if she birdied out.
Chartiers-Houston doesn’t have a girls golf team, so Jaskulski plays on the boys team.
The Bucs are 5-2 in section play and 9-3 overall, which puts them in prime position for a playoff spot. Jaskulski would play in the team postseason if Chartiers-Houston qualifies, but can play in the girls individual tournaments in Class 2A.
“It’s nice playing on the guys team,” Jaskulski said. “They were pretty excited after my round.”
Great summer: Jaskulski plays tournaments throughout the year, and she culminated her summer with a playoff victory at the Pittsburgh Summer Junior Open in the girls 14-18 division. She edged Nunnaphat Saangsittiphan from Bangkok, Thailand. Jaskulski said playing tournaments in the summer have helped her this year in dealing with the extreme heat.
Golf’s her game: Jaskulski has been playing golf for 2½ years. Golf is the only sport she plays, but might join some clubs in school.
“I thought the sport was fun at first, but it took a little bit of time to get used to,” Jaskulski said. “My dad plays but we don’t get to play together a lot. He usually takes me to go golfing.”
Compiled by Jonathan Guth