Preview: Champs, Now Challengers Again
June 4, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Last season’s Lower Peninsula Boys Golf Finals ended up among the most predictable in recent memory – Battle Creek Lakeview, Lansing Catholic and Kalamazoo Hackett all entered ranked No. 1 in their respective divisions, and all emerged as champions.
Will this weekend’s MHSAA Finals end up similarly as expected? Those reigning champions all are ranked again among the top three, but with plenty of competition looking to spoil their repeat attempts.
Below are some expected team and individual favorites at each Final. First-round play tees off at 9 a.m. Friday, with the final round beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday. Click for a full list of Finals qualifiers and Regional results.
DIVISION 1 at Forest Akers East
Top ranked: No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central, No. 2 Rockford, No. 3 Battle Creek Lakeview.
Battle Creek Lakeview: Last season’s champion and the runner-up in 2012 returns only two golfers from a year ago, but they were key contributors – junior Matt Alderink tied for 10th individually and sophomore Andrew Walker finished only three shots outside the top 10 at the Final. Freshman James Staab was the low scorer at the Regional at El Dorado, tying for fifth, as the Spartans finished second to Rockford. Depth is a strength of this lineup – the top four at the District finished within six shots of each other, while all five scored within eight strokes of their teammates at the Regional.
Detroit Catholic Central: The 2010 champion tied for third a year ago and was one of four teams in LP Division 1 to break 300 at Regionals, and also shot in the 290s at its District. The Shamrocks’ second and third-lowest scorers from last year’s Final are back – junior Glenn Piot and senior Domenic Mancinelli, They tied for fifth individually at the Mystic Creek Regional, although DCC finished second to White Lake Lakeland despite shooting 297 as a team. Freshman James Piot led the way at the Regional, tying for second with a 73. Glenn Piot and senior Dan Ault finished first and tied for fifth, respectively, as the team won its District at Tanglewood with a 294.
Rockford: The Rams are seeking their first MHSAA boys golf championship after finishing 12th last year. Rockford has only one senior – but he could lead a championship effort. A.J. Varekois finished third individually at the 2013 Final, finished third at his District and won his Regional last month. Junior Joel Pietila tied for fifth at the Regional, and along with juniors Michael Cooper and Josh Stephan and sophomore Kevin Kamis, also played in last season’s championship tournament. Rockford, like DCC, was one of four teams to break 300 at Regionals, shooting 298.
Other individuals of note: Four more top-10 finishers from last season’s Final join Varekois and Alderink; White Lake Lakeland senior Alex Kleckner initially tied for first place in 2013 and finished runner-up after a three-hole playoff, while Saline senior Ian Martin, Canton junior Donnie Trosper and Plymouth senior John Tatti all tied for sixth. Trosper is back as an individual qualifier. Playing as his team’s lone representative as well is Ann Arbor Huron freshman Brandon Petzak – he won his District and finished fourth at his Regional. A number of others shot in the low 70s at Regionals – but Lakeland senior Jake Kneen is someone to keep an eye on after he carded a 68.
DIVISION 2 at Forest Akers West
Top ranked: 1. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, 2. DeWitt, 3. East Lansing.
Cranbrook-Kingswood: The 2012 champion hopes to win its second MHSAA Final in three seasons and was one of five teams in this division to shoot 301-305 at Regionals. Three of the Cranes’ top four scorers from last season’s third-place Finals finisher are back. Juniors Dylan Deogun and Todd Fridline and senior Robbie Van Voorhis all three finished among the top eight at the District, and all five in the lineup finished among the top 13 at the Regional – which was won by freshman Devin Deogun.
DeWitt: The Panthers were the low scorers at Regionals of all Division 2 teams, shooting a 301, and will be looking for a big comeback this weekend after trying for seventh a year ago (they won LP Division 2 in 2010 and 2011). Junior Owen Beyer tied for 10th at last season’s Final and for third at a strong Regional at Prairiewood as DeWitt edged host Otsego and East Lansing by three strokes to finish first as a team. All five golfers shot within 11 strokes of each other, with senior Cody White taking fifth. He and junior Mike Coscarelli also were part of the 2013 Finals lineup.
East Lansing: The Trojans are seeking their first MHSAA title since 2000 without a senior in the lineup this weekend – but with two of the top three back from last season’s fourth-place finish and after shooting 304 to finish just behind DeWitt at their Regional. Junior Joe Croom is one the pair returning from last season, and he finished third individually at the Regional. Junior Matt Rogerson also is back after shooting the team’s low Finals score in 2013.
Other individuals of note: All but the champion from last season’s top 10 are back in the field, led by Hamilton junior Nick Carlson who finished second in 2013 and shot a 69 at his Regional. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern sophomore Spencer Schab (third), Grand Rapids Christian senior Ben Van Scoyk and Croswell-Lexington senior Austin Carter (tied for fourth), Detroit Country Day senior Rishi Patel (sixth), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep senior Jack Zohoury and Otsego junior Logan Haight (tied for seventh), New Boston Huron senior Tyler Olsen (eighth) and Grand Rapids Christian senior Tommy Reitema (tied for 10th) join Beyer in pursuit of individual contention. Remember as well Richland Gull Lake senior Tyler Van Dermolen, who missed the top 10 last season but shot a 68 at his Regional.
DIVISION 3 at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University
Top ranked: 1. Lansing Catholic, 2. Jackson Lumen Christi, 3. Hanover-Horton.
Hanover-Horton: The Comets also bring back three players after finishing fourth last season, and junior Kenzie Brockie tied for eighth individually in 2012 when the team finished runner-up. He and junior Brock Spink just missed the individual top 10 last season, and junior Fred Vann also played; those three and junior Kyle Clark and freshman Dakota Fleming give the Comets a lineup capable for making a run not just this season but next. Spink won the Regional ahead of three Lumen Christi players.
Jackson Lumen Christi: The Titans saw a four-year championship run end in 2013, but return loaded for another run with three back after falling to second place. Seniors Jacob Anuszkiewicz and Patrick Campbell and junior Henry Hitt all shot 77s to tie for second at the Regional as all five Lumen Chrisit players finished among the top 12. All five finished among the top 11 at the District on their home course, Cascades, as Lumen Christi edged Hanover-Horton by two strokes.
Lansing Catholic: Last season’s champion returns three of its top five from that day including reigning individual runner-up Brent Marshall, now a senior. Juniors Niko Voutsaras and Adam Elias also were part of the championship lineup. Sophomore Owen Rush took Marshall to a playoff for first at the District this spring, and Rush and junior Patrick Gillespie joined champion Marshall among the top five at the Regional. Coach Charlie Furney has led the Cougars to four championships and two runner-up finishes over the last 12 seasons.
Other individuals of note: Unlike Divisions 1 and 2, Division 3 appears wide open from an individual standpoint with Almont junior Gavin DePauw (tied for fifth) joining Marshall as the only top-10 finishers back from last season. Flint Powers Catholic freshman Blaise Vanitvelt is a name to watch, and Grand Rapids South Christian senior Nick Vander Horst and Williamston senior Parker Ottarson are a few others that could jump up from a balanced field.
DIVISION 4 at Battle Creek’s Bedford Valley
Top ranked: 1. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 2. North Muskegon, 3. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central.
Oakland Christian: The Lancers’ 328 was the second-lowest Regional score in LP Division 4 and should be a good indication that the 2011 champions are ready to make a big jump from last season’s tie for seventh. Four of last season’s five Finals golfers return, and all four are seniors – John Van Noord, Aaron Kostich, Spencer Haupert and Austin Miller; Van Noord also played as a freshman on the MHSAA championship team. He, Haupert and junior Jimmy Kern all finished among the top five at the Regional at Westwynd, their home course.
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central: The reigning champion has an entirely new lineup from the one that placed three among the top 10 individuals in claiming the team title in 2013. But the Fighting Irish won their District by 23 strokes with senior Evan Brennan finishing first among individuals, and then claimed the Regional title by eight with freshman Nick Jasiak taking first after defeating two others in a playoff.
Lincoln Alcona: The Tigers are ranked fifth and posted the lowest Regional score in LP Division 4, 324, with a lineup of five seniors. Four of the five also played on the team that finished 10th at last season’s MHSAA Final. Alcona won its District by 16 with Lucas Weichel taking the individual honor, then won the Regional by nine with Walker Kelly, Weichel and Josh Mead all finishing between fourth and sixth in the individual standings.
Other individuals of note: Leland junior Joel Sneed finished 11th at last season’s Final and is the highest-placing individual back for this weekend. He also shot a 68 at his Regional to go low for all of LP Division 4 and make himself the favorite. Pentwater junior Sam Wagner tied for 12th last season and also could be in the mix. Suttons Bay junior Devin Capron wasn’t far behind those two at the 2013 Final and shot a 70 last month to finish second to Sneed at their Regional at Spruce Run.
PHOTO: The rest of the top-10 placers at last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 Boys Golf Final clap for champion Ryan Bayer of Comstock Park. All but Bayer will return for this weekend’s championship tournament. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)
It's Championship Time for Badker, While Houghton Holds On for Team Title
By
Todd Rose
Special for Second Half
June 1, 2022
BARK RIVER – From the Division 3 boys basketball championship game at the Breslin Center to the Great Northern Conference golf final at Escanaba Country Club, the story of much of Brady Badker’s senior year has been second place.
That changed Wednesday afternoon, as Menominee’s Badker won the individual championship at the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Final at Sage Run Golf Course in Bark River.
“This one feels good to get off my chest,” Badker remarked after the win. “The last two things I cared about most were basketball and golf, and (it was) runner-up, runner-up. But, this one was kind of the one I wanted really bad because last year I came up short.”
Badker shot a 75 on Wednesday to earn a three-stroke win over Houghton’s Marino Pisani.
Badker marked the front nine as the place where he earned his advantage.
“I’d say on the front nine my approach shots were kind of getting real close,” he said. “I got good looks at birdies instead of those long five-foot par putts. Those are the ones you have to save out here because it’s a tough course. When you’ve got those five-footers for birdie instead of five-footers for par, that really helps to keep your mindset going.”
Aside from the added challenge of wind, the Sage Run course itself presents a challenge on its own.
“A lot of courses that we play up here, you’re hitting wedges and all that in the greens,” noted Badker. “Here, you’re hitting 8-irons and 9-irons, so it’s a little bit higher. You have to think about the wind and the bunkers around the green and behind the hole. If you can hit it long or if you can hit it left, it’s a lot tougher. You kind of have to hit your spots or you’re going to struggle here.”
Runner-up Pisani, a Houghton sophomore, felt he had a bit of a rough start and end but still enjoyed the sunny, warm day at Sage Run.
“I thought it was a pretty solid round,” Pisani said. “I started off slow. I had a triple and a couple doubles but rebounded well, stayed composed and kept level-headed. … Somebody told me I was about one back of (Badker) with four to go, and I struggled to close out a bit. I took a double on one of my last holes and had a couple missed putts, but I’ll try not to think about it too much.”
While Pisani finished runner-up in the individual standings – ahead of a three-way tie between Cole Myllyla (Kingsford), Cooper Pigeon (Iron Mountain) and Tyler Annala (Westwood) for third – his Houghton Gremlins shot a collective 329 to take home the team championship.
“Overall, I thought the team did great,” Pisani said. “Every guy performed well, and I think it was just a great day for golf in general.”
Houghton coach Corey Markham shared his excitement as well.
“I’m really proud of the kids,” he added. “We had never seen the course until yesterday. We came down to do a practice round, and the wind was howling like 30, 35 mile an hour. So it was hard to get a read on how you’re playing the course in those kind of winds. But, they got to see the course and how it was laid out, so that really was great.
“They showed up. I told them going in if we could average between 80 and 85, we’d be right in the mix. We had Marino go down into the 70s, and the rest were all between 80 and 85. So, I’m really proud of how they played today.”
The U.P. Finals championship rounds out a successful year for the Gremlins, who also collected top honors in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference.
“It was a really good year for us,” said Markham. “We started off slow. We had a late spring, and we had no practice before we played our two first meets and our course opened one day before our third meet. We had a slow start, but once we started playing and getting in a groove we won most of the meets we played in the last quarter of the season.”
Finishing second with a score of 334 was GNC champion Marquette.
“Going in, I thought if the guys played well and had a really good day there would be a good chance we’d be in the mix,” said Marquette coach Ben Smith. “I bet if you asked the kids while they were out there, you probably wouldn’t get too many ‘it’s going great Coach’ responses. But, conditions were tough out there. Obviously, the wind and the course itself is not easy. … But, credit to the kids, they hung in there.”
Smith added that close matches throughout the season helped prep Marquette for the competitive nature of the U.P. Finals.
“We’ve had a couple matches this year that came down to a shot or two,” he said. “So, I think the kids kind of bought into the idea that every swing matters and even if it doesn’t seem like it’s your day, just try and get the ball in the hole. Credit to them, they hung in there for each other and were able to come out with a second-place finish.”
The margins at the top of the team standings were thin as the top five all shot within 12 strokes of each other. After Houghton (329) and Marquette (334) were Calumet and Kingsford tied at 337, with Escanaba rounding out the top five at 341.
PHOTOS (Top) Brady Badker of Menominee tees off on hole 16 at Sage Run Golf Course during Wednesday afternoon's MHSAA U.P. Division 1 Boys Golf Final in Bark River. (Middle) Houghton holds up its first-place team trophy. (Photos by Todd Rose.)