The Miami Valley’s state golf title hopes tee off today in Columbus and Sunbury as the Division II and III boys and Division III girls tournaments get under way.

The Oakwood Lumberjacks have won the past two D-II boys titles and are strong contenders again behind juniors Jack Kegelmeyer and Alex Marquis and sophomores Tripp French, Patrick Ireland and Austin Wells.

The Lumberjacks play their 36-hole tournament at the North Star Golf Club in Sunbury, site of their 2009 championship. Oakwood attempts to become the 14th school to win a state championship in three boys sports, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Oakwood won state titles in baseball (1997) and track and field (1929, ’30, ’31).

“They obviously have a lot of heart,” Oakwood coach Jen Lohmeyer said after her team’s district title last week. “Our intentions are to go win. There are good feelings about this team.”

Kenton Ridge’s team qualified for the D-II tourney, and Springfield Shawnee sent an individual. In D-III, Lehman Catholic and Miami Valley School senior Alex Smith are in the field on Ohio State’s Scarlet Course. Cedarville also qualified an individual.

In the girls D-II tournament, Chaminade Julienne, Alter and National Trail qualified as teams, and Miami Valley sends sophomore Sarah Kolodzik as an individual to play Ohio State’s Gray Course.

In the running: Centerville’s boys and Springboro’s girls attempt to defend their Greater Western Ohio Conference cross country titles Saturday morning at Fairborn Community Park East.

Fairborn senior Jordan Redd won last year’s boys title and has the fastest GWOC time posted this season (15 minutes, 31.59 seconds), with Centerville’s Josh Steible right behind (15:33.00).

In the Greater Catholic League and Girls Greater Cincinnati League, Alter’s boys and girls go for another division sweep at Rapid Run Park in Cincinnati.

The Southwestern Buckeye League championships also are Saturday at Sebald Park in Middletown.

Kicking it: The boys and girls soccer sectional tournaments start Monday. The tournament trail winds its way to Columbus Crew Stadium for the state finals on Friday, Nov. 11, for the boys and Saturday, Nov. 12, for the girls.

Carroll’s boys open defense of their D-II state title on Oct. 22 against the winner of Valley View and Clinton-Massie.

How impressive are the undefeated Patriots? Top-seeded Carroll went into the lower bracket of the Dayton D-II sectional. The next four seeds — Alter, Bellbrook, Oakwood and Fenwick — all lumped themselves into the Dayton D-II upper bracket.