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.)
Coldwater Sends 7 Shot Putters to Finals
May 26, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Individually, Coldwater’s shot putters might not be the most sizable guys muscling up to the pit at this weekend’s MHSAA Track & Field Finals.
But as a group, the Cardinals might be the largest ever to advance to championship weekend – and perhaps the most athletic as well.
Coldwater has qualified an incredible seven shot putters for the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals at Zeeland.
They’ve been produced by throws coach Mike McConnell, one of the state’s more reputable in those events. But the magnificent seven also are a product of all-around athleticism – six are three-sport athletes, and the seventh plays two sports.
It’s difficult to track if seven qualifying shot putters from the same school was a first-time accomplishment at an MHSAA Regional. But it’s more than fair to call it rare.
“We have three seniors that are the cornerstone of our throwing team, but through the course of this year we have had three juniors and a freshman that have stepped up with them to make us, what I like to believe, one of the best throwing teams in the state,” Coldwater head boys track & field coach Jeff Schorfhaar said. “A lot of this has to do with the athleticism of our throwers … (and) I believe, and of course I am biased, that (McConnell) is one of the best throwing coaches in the state of Michigan.
“This will be something that we will remember for a long time, no matter what happens Saturday at Zeeland.”
McConnell’s work speaks for itself over two decades of Finals placers. He’s had at least one thrower score at an MHSAA Finals in 22 of the last 24 seasons at Coldwater and formerly Camden-Frontier. Highlighting some of the most recent successes, Coldwater’s Logan Targgart won shot put in Division 2 in 2015 and discus in 2014.
Senior Connor Covert, who finished fifth in both shot put and discus at the 2016 LP Division 2 Finals, led a group of Cardinals that took the top seven places in shot put at the Regional two weeks ago in Mason. Four throwers tossed personal records – third-place freshman Dylan Targgart, fifth-place junior Nathan Spray, sixth-place junior Cole Targgart and seventh-place senior Colin Klein.
Covert and senior runner-up Sam DeMeester advanced to the Finals by finishing among the top two in the event. The other five Coldwater throwers cleared the automatic qualifying standard of 48 feet, 5 inches. Fourth-place junior Zach Gipple joined the personal record-setters with his third-farthest toss of this season.
DeMeester and Gipple also competed at the Finals in shot put last season, DeMeester just missing the medal stand with a ninth place finish. Covert’s 54-7 at this year’s Regional was half an inch farther than last year’s Finals throw. He, Dylan Targgart and Cole Targgart also made the Finals in discus, Covert and Dylan Targgart finishing first and second, respectively, at the Regional with Cole Targgart coming in fourth but clearing the automatic qualifying standard of 142-0.
The Coldwater boys track & field team is enjoying another memorable season as a whole and will be seeking a fourth straight top-10 Finals finish and winning its league and that Regional earlier this month.
Last season, they Cardinals finished eighth as a team at the LP Division 2 Finals, but only 3.5 points out of fifth. Theys were ranked fifth in the final Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association LP Division 2 poll two weeks ago before finishing ahead of No. 3 Battle Creek Harper Creek at both the Regional and league meets.
Block, Pilgrims Power to 1st League Title
We told the story at the start of this month of Lansing Christian junior Dawson Block, a multi-sport athlete contributing to three teams this spring – golf, baseball and track & field.
He’s now also a champion.
Block helped the Pilgrims to their first-ever league title in boys golf, as Lansing Christian finished one point ahead of Olivet in the Greater Lansing Activities Conference standings based on league jamborees and the end-of-season tournament.
Lansing Christian topped the standings heading into that final tournament, at Michigan State’s Forest Akers East, needing to finish no lower than second to clinch the title. Furthermore, they had to play without two seniors who were on a class trip to Washington, D.C.
With only five players available, the Pilgrims did finish second, just three strokes behind the Eagles. Parker Jamieson and Andrew Preiskorn were co-medalists with 83s, and Block shot a fourth-place 86 – in doing so, he earned the seventh and final spot on the all-league first team.
Block and his golf team continue their season Thursday with a Division 4 Regional at Hastings Country Club, seeking to make the MHSAA Finals for the first time. His baseball team will play in a Division 4 District on Saturday at Potterville. And while Block didn’t advance to the Division 4 Track & Field Finals, he did run a personal record and fifth-place 10:44.62 in the 3,200 meters at his Regional after finishing fourth in the 1,600 in 4:51.84.
PHOTOS: (Top) Coldwater’s throwers and throws coach, from left: Cole Targgart, Dylan Targgart, Zach Gipple, Colin Klein, coach Mike McConnell, Connor Covert, Sam DeMeester and Nathan Spray. (Middle) Lansing Christian’s boys golf team celebrates its first league title. (Photos courtesy of Mason and Lansing Christian’s athletic departments, respectively.)