Eichhorn Leads Carney-Nadeau Title Hunt
May 29, 2015
By Keith Shelton
Special for Second Half
GLADSTONE — Carney-Nadeau sophomore Hunter Eichhorn has displayed a flair for playing under pressure in a tournament atmosphere. He proved it as a freshman a year ago, winning a playoff for his first Upper Peninsula medalist.
This year however, there was nothing but dominance.
Eichhorn blazed through the course at Irish Oaks, collecting multiple birdies and blowing the rest of the field away with a 4-under par 68 — among the lowest scores in recent U.P. Finals history — to once again take medalist honors Thursday at the Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final.
Eichhorn's 68 came in six strokes better than anyone else, and also bested his winning score from last season by three strokes — the result of relentless work to continually improve his game. In fact, after finishing his round Thursday, Eichhorn immediately went back to work on the putting green, displaying the kind of work ethic rarely seen in a young athlete.
"I always like to improve. I keep putting in time, and it was nice to see the results show that," Eichhorn said.
Carney-Nadeau head coach Jake Polfus has seen Eichhorn's competitive side come out plenty of times before, but is still impressed by it.
"What does he do when he gets done with his round? He goes to the putting green," Polfus said. "How many kids do you see do that, especially when you have to walk that far. It's a tribute to how much time he puts in."
Like a true competitor however, though generally satisfied with his round — he came up with six birdies and avoided a double bogey — Eichhorn remained slightly critical of himself.
"I didn't hit my tee shots very straight today, but I putted well and I was able to recover. I hit some solid iron shots from places I didn't want to be in," he said. "I had two good eagle putts and both came about an inch from the hole, but tapping birdies aren't that bad I guess. I had one bad lip-out for par, and I 3-putted another hole, but that was about it."
Led by Eichhorn, the Wolves also were able to claim the team title for the first time in school history with a total score of 342 — two strokes better than Munising and DeTour — among the 23-school field. That largely was due to the performance of sophomore Kage Linder, who shot a career-best 86, and freshman Chase Linder, who shot 53 on the back nine, but recovered to card a 45 on the front, coming in under 100 for that final push.
"Chase played a lot better in the front, and Kage had his best round of the year by about 8-10 shots. That's huge," said Eichhorn. "To be able to get a team trophy for the first time is pretty awesome. It's all about the team. I like to improve on myself and win, but it's nice to get a team trophy."
Painesdale-Jeffers, which was shooting for a U.P. Finals four-peat, settled for fifth and couldn't overcome a steep drop-off after runner-up medalist Jacob Zerbst's 74. All five of Cedarville's golfers came in under 100 as well, as the Trojans placed fourth with a team score of 347.
Thursday marked the final event of Dave Duncan's long coaching career. Duncan, who has a 429-166 record coaching boys basketball, will retire just as his son Joey, an all-state basketball player and solid golfer in his own right, graduates.
There was much anxiety and excitement toward the end of the day as players and coaches gathered around the scoreboard. Munising and DeTour were among the first complete teams to finish, and both came in at 344. The tiebreaker went to Munising, with the Mustangs' fifth golfer Kyle Welters (98) providing the necessary edge.
The Wolves may not be going anywhere, anytime soon. All five of their golfers Thursday were freshmen or sophomores, and with the star power of Eichhorn, interest in the program could only grow. On Thursday, Eichhorn was the only golfer to have a decent-sized gallery following him throughout the day.
"Hunter really played great today, better than I think he was even expecting. For as much golf as he plays, he's only going to get better," said Polfus. "Chase going from a 53 on the back nine to a 45 out front, that's huge for us, and really made a big difference. Kage shot his best score of the season.
"It's just awesome," Polfus added. "The kids were excited as they were adding up the scores. It's really cool."
PHOTOS: (Top) Carney-Nadeau’s Hunter Eichhorn unloads a shot en route to a first-place 68 at Thursday’s Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final. (Middle) Painesdale-Jeffers’ Jacob Zerbst lines up a putt on No. 14 at Irish Oaks Golf Club. (Photos by Keith Shelton.)
3-Sport Ace Powers Thru Final Spring
May 10, 2017
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
Collin Powers turned quite a few heads when, at the age of 10, he fired a hole-in-one in his first major junior golf tournament.
Those who knew his golf pedigree just shook their heads and smiled.
“My grandpa and two of my uncles were golf pros, so I guess you could say that I have golf in my blood,” said Powers, now an 18-year-old senior and three-time Division 4 all-state golfer at Muskegon Catholic Central.
Powers continued his own string of success and the family golf tradition last week by capturing medalist honors for the second time in the past three years at the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association city golf tournament at Stonegate Golf Club. He overcame a 40 on the front nine with a sizzling 34 on the back for a 2-over par total and a two-shot win.
Winning the GMAA event was certainly a goal, but his biggest motivation for this season is to go out as an individual and, more important to him, a team champion at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 Golf Finals to be played June 9-10 at Forest Akers East in East Lansing.
“If I can only have one of those two, I would choose the team state championship every time,” said Powers, who will play golf next year at the University of Indianapolis. “That would be a dream come true.”
Powers’ dream of winning a team title for the Crusaders is not surprising understanding that, in addition to golf in his blood, he also has a heavy dose of Muskegon Catholic Central green-and-gold pulsing through his veins.
His paternal grandfather, Tom Powers, was the longtime superintendent of Greater Muskegon Catholic Schools. His maternal grandfather, John Partenio, is a former head varsity girls basketball coach for the Crusaders and a former golf instructor at Muskegon Community College.
Collin’s dedication to his school is right up there with his love for golf, which is one of the reasons he played three sports – soccer, hockey and golf – throughout high school in an era where more and more golf standouts are choosing to specialize.
This winter, Powers was the leading scorer and most valuable player for the Muskegon Reeths-Puffer hockey team, which includes Muskegon Catholic Central students as part of a cooperative agreement. In the fall, Powers was a starting midfielder for MCC after originally deciding to forego his senior soccer season to play more golf.
“In the end, I couldn’t do it. I missed it way too much,” said Powers, the son of Kelly and Lisa Powers. “I’m so glad I played. Some of those games we had in the tournament were the most fun I’ve had in my life.”
Powers played a key role as the unheralded Crusaders, who started the MHSAA Tournament with a .500 record (8-8-4) before upsetting one team after another en route to the Division 4 championship game, which they lost to Burton Genesee Christian, 3-0. Powers had a crucial goal in the second overtime of MCC’s dramatic victory over perennial power Kalamazoo Hackett in the Semifinals.
Now, he and his teammates are making their final high school sports memories on the golf course.
Powers first made a name for himself in high school golf two years ago as a sophomore, when he won the Muskegon city championship and finished tied for fifth at the MHSAA Finals. He moved up to third in Division 4 last spring and led his team to a third-place finish, Muskegon Catholic’s best showing at the Finals in 18 years.
MCC last won an MHSAA golf championship back in 1990 in Class C. But with Powers and the entire nucleus of last year’s team returning as seniors, the Crusaders are gunning for the top spot.
Chase Mastella, Nick Morgenstern, Nate Sullivan and Connor Inglat are all seniors who have figured in the scoring for Muskegon Catholic this season, along with junior Adam Gawron.
“The thing about Collin is that he practices more than anyone I know,” said MCC golf coach Jimmy Hegedus, who noted that Powers has been hanging around the MCC varsity players ever since he was in middle school. “It’s great when you have a No. 1 player like that. We’re excited about this season because we have a great group of seniors.”
Powers is really starting to live up to his surname this spring, as he has sprouted up to 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds and now averages better than 285 yards off the tee, Hegedus said. That increased distance, coupled with his always-deft putting touch, certainly makes him one of the favorites to take home individual medalist honors.
In addition to increased distance, Hegedus said Powers also has made huge strides in the mental game.
At last week’s Muskegon city meet, Powers hit several poor chip shots on the front nine and turned with a disappointing 40. He calmed himself down, however, and made a nice birdie on the 11th hole to come home in 34.
“I think the mental game is the thing I’ve worked hardest on,” Powers said. “My grandpa always used to tell me that golf is always about the next shot. I guess I’m finally starting to understand what he meant by that.”
When he starts having problems with his game and he’s not able to self-correct it, Powers often makes a call or pays a visit to one of his first teachers, his uncle, Casey Powers, who happens to be the head golf professional at Boyne Mountain Resort. Casey Powers’ son and Collin’s cousin, Griffin, is a standout senior on the Boyne City golf team.
“We have been going up there since Collin was a little kid, and him and Griffin would be running around on the course and the driving range and putting on the practice green,” said Collin’s father, Kelly Powers, who played quarterback at both the Air Force Academy and Hope College. “Collin has been around the game for a long time. He’s very comfortable on a golf course.”
It’s in his blood.
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Collin Powers tees off during the 2016 MHSAA Division 4 Boys Golf Finals at Forest Akers West in East Lansing. Powers tied for third. (Middle) Powers was the leading scorer this winter on the Muskegon-Reeths Puffer cooperative hockey team, which included five players from Muskegon Catholic Central. (Below) Powers moves the ball upfield during Muskegon Catholic's Division 4 Semifinal soccer game against Kalamazoo Hackett. Powers had a goal in the second overtime period to lead MCC to a 4-3 win. (Photos by Tim Reilly.)