Sarasota native and Cardinal Mooney graduate Mark Pantoni is in his 11th season with the Ohio State football program. Pantoni supervises all aspects of the program’s administrative duties for recruiting, including film evaluations, on-campus official and unofficial visits, the social media/creative team, travel and roster management. Pantoni and Ohio State have worked to secure Top 5 recruiting classes, including three consecutive in the 247Sports rankings (#4 in 2022; #2 in 2021 and #5 in 2020). Ohio State’s recruiting classes include a No. 2 ranking in 2018 and a 2017 class that produced the highest per player average in the 247Sports Composite rankings history. Pantoni also helped Ohio State to a 2016 class ranked as high as No. 2 by Scout and to the No. 1 class in the nation in 2013 by Scout. Pantoni’s efforts have earned him numerous recognitions, including the best recruiting personnel person in the country in December. Pantoni also helped with Florida’s highly successful summer camp showcase, Friday Night Lights. One of the best-known on-campus summer camps, this one-night event was held under the lights in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with music and highlight videos on the scoreboard. The concept of Friday Night Lights has continued in Columbus each July in Ohio Stadium.
The annual tournament being held April 23,2023 benefits students who graduate from any Sarasota or Manatee high school and attend The Ohio State University. Over $200,000 has been awarded to local students who became a part of the Buckeye Nation; there are currently 5 local scholarship recipients attending OSU who received a combined $40,000 in scholarship money.
A $150 participation fee entitles players to 18 holes of play on the private Course Stoneybrook Golf & Country Club on Palmer Ranch followed by lunch. Winner of the Hole-In-One Contest will win a two-year lease on a new Ford Mustang. Other prizes will be awarded for the Straightest Drive, Closest To The Pin, Longest Putt, Longest Drive (men’s and women’s individual awards), as well as cash prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams. There will also be a long-ball-driver from Charity Golf International. All participates will be given chance tickets to win any one of 75-100 prizes donated by local stores, courses, hotels, restaurants, boutiques, and more. Pantoni will speak following the luncheon.
The Sarasota-Manatee Ohio State University Alumni Club is ranked as a Scarlet Club through The Ohio State University Alumni Association and is one of the top clubs in the country. Since 1999 the club has supported nearly 45 students and supports the local community through beach clean-ups, the My Hometown Festival, the All-Faith’s Food Bank, and through supporting the Archie Griffin Golf Classic that raises money for the local Boys and Girls Clubs. Over 375 area households make up the membership of the local alumni organization.
Those wishing to register for the golf tournament can do so by going to www.sarasotabuckeye.org to register. Don’t play golf? Donations are also accepted to support the local students. Participants may also email buckeyejp45@gmail.com to request a registration form or call 941-586-7190.