Contender makes early case
April 18, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A younger Grand Rapids West Catholic boys golf team felt it left too many strokes on the course in tying for fourth place at last spring's Division 3 Final at Michigan State’s Forest Akers East.
A season older and remembering that disappointment, the Falcons have left some of the state's top teams in their wake in starting this spring among the hottest teams in Michigan.
West Catholic received this week’s team Second Half High 5 after impressive showings in back-to-back tournaments against some of the state’s top competition. The Falcons shot 315 on April 12 to finish five strokes back of top-ranked Division 1 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at the Kent County Classic at The Highlands. The next day, West Catholic shot a 303 in the Haslett Invitational at Forest Akers East to edge a bevy of strong Division 2 and 3 teams, including the No. 1s in both of those state polls.
“We pretty much expect to contend with anybody,” West Catholic coach Andy Weatherhead said. “We’d like to consistently get to the low 290s. I think that’s possible.”
Four returnees from last season’s team key this line-up. At the top is junior Sam Weatherhead – Andy’s son – who is arguably the state’s top player and finished runner-up at the Division 3 Final after losing a tie-breaker.
He won the individual medal at Kent County with a 68 – four better than Forest Hills Central’s Andrew Yeager, who has signed with the University of Michigan – and then shot a 3-under-par 69 to win at Forest Akers East.
Weatherhead is joined by seniors Matt Kowalczyk and Dalton Drumm and junior Adam Rooney. They all shot 87 or better at Kent County and 83 or lower at Forest Akers East.
All four have taken a jump this spring. Weatherhead shot in the 60s a few times last season, but has been there all this season so far. Kowalczyk and Drumm have cut strokes by improving their course management. And as a group, last season’s Finals jump – the Falcons finished 10th in 2010 – provided a confidence boost they continue to ride.
“No doubt, they were pretty excited,” Andy Weatherhead said of the Haslett Invite win. “We felt going in, as the only west side team going over there, we were in it to win it. We were a little upset the day before because we didn’t win the Classic, but we thought we were good enough. That’s the big thing about golf – thinking you’re good enough.
“It was kind of a spring board last year. We worked hard enough, and we’re good enough to be here.”
Click to read more about this week's other High 5s honorees.
PHOTO: Grand Rapids West Catholic tied for fourth at last season's Division 3 Final at Michigan State's Forest Akers West.
Golf Finals: Aces Abound
June 16, 2012
ALLENDALE – Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice came back from an eight-stroke deficit after Friday’s first round to edge first-day leader Battle Creek Lakeview by a stroke, 603-602, in the Division 1 Final on Saturday at The Meadows.
The Warriors had finished fourth at the 2011 Final and brought four of their top five scorers from that team to Allendale this weekend. It was their first championship since 1998.
Sean Friel shot a 148 to tie for fourth individually, and Kyle Gaines was sixth with a 149. Two others missed the individual top 10 by two and three strokes.
Battle Creek Lakeview’s Mike Garland shot a 141 to win the individual championship by four strokes.
Reigning team champion Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central finished fifth.
Division 2 at Ferris State
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood made good on its No. 1 ranking by shooting a 588 – 27 strokes better than runner-up and two-time reigning champion DeWitt, at Katke Golf Course. The Cranes finished runners-up in 2011.
Cranbrook-Kingswood placed three among the individual top 10. Dylan Deogun tied for fourth with a 144, Michael Ray tied for seventh with a 146 and Alex Papa tied for ninth with a 147.
Hamilton’s Nick Carlson won the individual championship in a playoff with DeWitt’s Tyler Polulak. Both shot 139.
Division 3 at Michigan State
Boasting four of its top five scorers from last season’s championship run, Jackson Lumen Christi repeated by shooting a 596 at Forest Akers East. The Titans finished six strokes ahead of Hanover-Horton and Grosse Ile. (Hanover-Horton was runner-up based on a tie-breaker.)
It was the fourth straight Division 3 title for Lumen Christi.
After losing in a playoff last season to Pontiac Notre Dame’s Aaron Knutson, Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Sam Weatherhead finished four shots ahead to win the individual championship with a 136.
Lumen Christi had two golfers finish among the top five – Alex Reynolds tied for third with a 144, and Austin Eccleton was fifth with a 145.
Division 4 at Michigan State
Lake Leelanau St. Mary moved up from its No. 2 ranking in the state coaches poll to win the championship by five strokes over Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central at Forest Akers West.
The championship was St. Mary’s first. The team finished 10th in 2011.
Hackett’s Ted Rider moved up one spot to claim the individual title with a 142 after finishing runner-up last season. Joel Sneed was fourth for St. Mary and Paul Bardenhagen was seventh.