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Performance: Carney's Hunter Eichhorn
June 9, 2017
Hunter Eichhorn
Carney-Nadeau senior – Golf
Hailing from a school of just 90 students, Eichhorn added one more statewide accomplishment last week by becoming the first in MHSAA boys golf history to win four Finals individual championships. Eichhorn shot a 66 at Irish Oaks Golf course in Gladstone to win the Upper Peninsula Division 3 championship by four strokes, lead the Wolves to their third straight team title and earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Eichhorn averaged 34 strokes for nine holes and 68 strokes for 18 this season, cutting roughly three strokes off his tournament average. With Carney-Nadeau having an enrollment of fewer than 100 students, Eichhorn was eligible to play high school sports as an eighth grader and tied for second at the 2013 U.P. Division 3 Final before winning the event the next four seasons. Entering his last Final on June 1, he was one of six players in MHSAA history who had won three individual titles and the most recent since Manistique's Mike Nagy won his third in 2012 (before going on to play at University of Tennessee).
His talents aren’t limited to golf, however; Eichhorn played basketball all four years of high school and joined the varsity in that sport as a sophomore. Over the next three seasons, and only 65 games, Eichhorn scored 1,068 points and made 244 3-pointers – the 3s are tied for eighth most in MHSAA history. As a senior playing for Jacob Polfus – who also coached his golf team – Eichhorn averaged 23.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game and made a school record 86 of 171 3-point tries. He also set a single-game school record with 12 3-pointers against Milwaukee (Wis.) Academy of Science, and total connected on 50 percent of his shots from the floor and 88 percent of his free throw attempts this winter in helping his team finish 15-6. If those sports didn’t keep him busy enough, Eichhorn decided last fall to run cross country for the first time, and he finished third in his graduating class with a 3.86 grade-point average. He’ll continue at Marquette University on scholarship with the men’s golf team, and study business communications.
Coach Jacob Polfus said: “Hunter is the true definition of a workhorse, and he shows that with hard work you can achieve anything. You see so many kids these days talk about working hard, but Hunter is a kid who strives to be the best at everything that he does. Since he has been a little kid, he has spent many hours on the golf course perfecting his game. He is someone that will go to the range after meets, or go play another 18; he is constantly looking to improve his game every day. The biggest improvement that he has made over the years is how he handles himself on the golf course. He has come to realize that you aren’t going to hit the perfect shot all the time, or you aren’t going to have the perfect round, but he keeps his confidence high at all times. It is hard to put into words what Hunter has done for the golf program and for golf in the U.P. He has shown kids today that you can achieve anything that you want if you are willing to work hard and go after your dreams. … Hunter has the same demeanor on the basketball court as he did with his golf game. He was always striving to be his best and get the best out of others. He always gave me his most and a lot extra every single practice and every single day. He is someone that was constantly at the gym wanting to and willing to improve his game every chance that he got. He is one of the hardest workers that I have seen in my eight years of coaching. The biggest thing about Hunter on the basketball court was how much he cared for his teammates. His stats show how good of a season he had, but that doesn’t even begin to tell what kind of player he was. He was always there for his team, leading them through drills and showing them how hard you have to work to be successful. He is a coach’s dream to have on your team, and he exemplified everything that you want as an athlete both on and off the court.”
Performance Point: “It was something that as a freshman or sophomore, I didn’t see that day coming because I don’t look that far ahead,” Eichhorn said of his four golf championships. “It was special, especially to go out the way I did. I couldn’t have honestly dreamed of having a better performance in my last UPs. … It’s unique. In a community like this you know everybody; you have to, there’s only a certain amount of you there. So (becoming the first four-time champ) is a special feeling. I’m honored to be the one to do it.”
Thanks, Grandpa: “When I was younger, basketball always was my first sport. I golfed with my grandpa a couple of times and ended up just loving it. Summers when I was younger, I’d go over there for three or four days and we’d golf in the morning and again in the afternoon, playing as much as we could. That’s where it came from, just from him.”
Getting better, body and mind: “As I got older, I hit the ball farther. But really it was just the mental toughness in golf; that’s what it comes down to. At a certain point it’s just believing in yourself and recovering from the unexpected without getting frustrated.”
Grind it out: “When I was younger, it was cool to hit a great shot. But I like the part about (golf) now when if you’re struggling or playing good, you just keep grinding it out. Just keep pushing. That’s by far my favorite part, just getting better, because no matter how good you are you can just get better at it. You can play the round of your life, but I guarantee you can look back at a shot or two where you could have been better.”
Hoops crossover: It’s the same as golf; when basketball season rolls around, it’s winter and I don’t play golf as much, obviously, but I love the grind for basketball too – more than I thought I would. With basketball, I joined for something to do, for fun, and I ended up having a deep passion for that one too.”
U.P. power: “It’s just a passion for the game. I enjoy getting out and practicing every day. I know we’re limited (by the weather), but when golf season arrives, it’s what we do, what we dedicate our summer to. That’s why the U.P. has produced good golfers. It’s cool, knowing I’m coming from this area – we have a school with 17 kids in my graduating class – and the U.P. being the U.P. and how small it is, with a limited time to be playing golf. It is a pride thing, to be honest.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
June 1: Grace Stark, White Lake Lakeland track & field – Read
May 25: Brendon Gouin, Gaylord golf – Read
May 18: Hannah Ducolon, Bay City All Saints softball – Read
May 11: Mason Phillips, Salem track & field – Read
May 4: Lillian Albaugh, Farwell track & field – Read
April 27: Amber Gall, Shepherd track & field – Read
April 20: Sloane Teske, East Grand Rapids tennis – Read
March 30: Romeo Weems, New Haven basketball – Read
March 23: Jaycie Burger and Maddie Clark, Pittsford basketball – Read
March 16: Camden Murphy, Novi swimming & diving – Read
March 9: Ben Freeman, Walled Lake Central wrestling – Read
March 2: Joey Mangner, Chelsea swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 23: Isabelle Nguyen, Grosse Pointe North gymnastics – Read
Feb. 16: Dakota Hurbis, Saline swimming & diving – Read
Feb. 2: Foster Loyer, Clarkston basketball – Read
Jan. 26: Nick Jenkins, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling – Read
Jan. 19: Eileene Naniseni, Mancelona basketball – Read
Jan. 12: Rory Anderson, Calumet hockey – Read
Dec. 15: Demetri Martin, Big Rapids basketball – Read
Dec. 1: Rodney Hall, Detroit Cass Tech football – Read
Nov. 24: Ally Cummings, Novi volleyball – Read
Nov. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTO: (Top) Carney-Nadeau's Hunter Eichhorn watches one of his shots during an event this season at Escanaba Country Club. (Middle) Eichhorn holds the Division 3 championship trophy after last week's U.P. Final in Gladstone. (Photos by Dennis Grall and Mike Mattson, respectively.)
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Forest Hills Schools Rule at Forest Akers
June 8, 2019
By Tom Lang
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – Brad Smithson of Ada Forest Hills Eastern said he signed to play golf with Michigan State because it’s close to home and he likes the facilities.
Maybe now he loves the facilities.
Smithson just won the Division 2 Final at the home of MSU – Forest Akers West Golf Course – four strokes ahead of DeWitt senior Charlie DeLong, who is next headed to Grand Valley State.
“Hopefully this is a good start to a summer that rolls into the fall, once I get to State,” Smithson said. “Very special (to win here). This is where I’ll be playing golf, so it’s very cool that I was able to get it done here.”
Smithson and DeLong both shot 71 for the lowest scores in the first round Friday, but Smithson went one stroke better with a 70 (141 total) in the final to DeLong’s 74 (145) on Saturday. Andrew Kolar of team champion Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, and Nick Krueger of Spring Lake, tied for third place at 150. Noah Kolar was one stroke off the lead Friday but closed with 79 for fifth place.
“I got a couple really good breaks I’d say; that kind of kept me in it,” Smithson said of the final round. “A lot of par saves through the back nine and really played pretty solid today, in the wind and pretty tough conditions.
“It was hard work, definitely. It was a grind throughout the day. (Friday) was a lot more rough. A lot more bad breaks. Actually, scored pretty well for how badly I hit it. But today I hit it a lot better, got the breaks I needed and was able to get it done.”
Smithson, playing with DeLong, said he knew he had the lead after the 15th hole by at least two strokes, maybe three.
“So, I hit iron on 16 (tee) and made a good par,” he said. “I tried to keep pushing, stay in my same game plan. I didn’t try to change anything.”
Yet he did close out the day with a long birdie that dropped in the cup on the 18th green when he simply was hoping to lag it close.
DeLong said the back nine was the difference maker.
“We were tied after nine holes, but I struggled off the tee and didn’t really get anything going on the back nine,” he said. “But second in the states isn’t too bad.”
Northern won the team championship despite shooting its worst 18-hole score of the season in the second round. With a 296 on Friday and a comfortable 13-stroke lead over DeWitt heading into Saturday, Northern shot 324 to finish at 620. Eastern shot 309 on Saturday and snuck ahead of the Panthers with a 628 total for runner-up honors, while DeWitt dropped to third place with 309-325-634.
Northern coach Brian Telzerow said the team’s previous worst score this year was an 11-stroke difference.
“This feels a lot sweeter just because last year we were right in the hunt and kind of gave it away at the end,” he said of the 2018 runner-up finish to Flint Powers Catholic. “This year we had a great first round, played really well (Friday), that set us up for today. We kind of expected to play better today, and that didn’t happen.
“Anytime you’re in a round like this, you’ve got to just gut it out. And these guys, I commend them for staying in the game – even after hitting balls out of bounds at times, hitting them in the hazards, and not giving up but just grinding through it. We were fortunate to have yesterday’s lead. That helped us hold onto it today.”
Telzerow said he prefers to have a lead after one round instead of trying to fire up the troops for a come-from-behind effort.
“After yesterday we felt good coming into today and thought we could pull it off,” he said about a team that returned four starters from last year. “Pin placements were a little more difficult … but it’s the state finals, it’s the second day … it’s supposed to be hard.”
PHOTOS: (Top) The top six finishers from this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final, including Forest Hills Eastern’s Brad Smithson (far right). (Middle) Forest Hills Northern’s Andrew Kolar chips onto the green. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)