Preview: Contenders Charting Course for LP Championships
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 10, 2021
A year off from our spring sports, Lower Peninsula boys golf among them, brings an air of unpredictability as we enter Finals weekend at four sites across the state.
Two of the champions last time we played, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep in 2019, are back among the highest-ranked in their respective divisions heading into this weekend. A third champion from two years ago – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern – is among contenders again, but this time in Division 1.
And the individual races are full of opportunities, with the great majority of those who will finish in top 10s this weekend finding themselves in Finals contention for the first time.
Below is a glance at all four Finals including possible contenders for both the team and individual championships. Follow the scoring live on the MHSAA Golf app (by iWanamaker), available for both iOS and Android. Click for the MHSAA “Tournament Home” for more details.
LP Division 1 at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West
Top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Skyline, 2. Detroit Catholic Central, 3. Northville.
It seems like nearly every week lately Skyline is making a headline for winning a big event or shooting a record score, and the Eagles would make their biggest with a first top-two Finals finish – or, of course, their first championship. Detroit Catholic Central is never far from the mix and seeking its first championship since winning three straight from 2015-17. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern finished the regular-season ranked No. 5, but was the most recent Division 2 champion taking that title in 2019.
Ann Arbor Skyline: The Eagles shot a 287 to win their Regional at Dearborn Country Club, with freshman runner-up Vibhav Alokam leading a lineup from which all five placed among the top nine individuals. Another freshman Ieuan Jones tied with senior Vimal Alokam for third. Vimal Alokam and junior Luke Richard were part of the Skyline lineup that finished 11th at the Finals in 2019.
Detroit Catholic Central: The Shamrocks shot a 317 to finish third at Dunham Hills in Hartland among a Regional field that included the unranked Eagles (who won with a 304) but also No. 4 Brighton (runner-up at 306, No. 3 Northville and No. 10 Novi – with Northville and Novi not advancing. DCC was led at the Regional by a returnee who was part of the fourth-place finisher at the 2019 Finals – junior Neil Zhu, who finished fifth last week – and senior Jack Guerrera also was part of that 2019 lineup. Senior Joey Per tied for eighth at the Regional.
Brighton: The Bulldogs, ranked No. 4 as noted above, followed individual medalist Davis Codd to that runner-up Regional team finish in Hartland. He tied for sixth as a sophomore individual qualifier at the 2019 Finals, and is joined in the lineup by another senior and three sophomores – including Winston Lerch, who tied for eighth at the Regional.
Other individuals of note: Codd is the only top-10 individual finisher back from 2019, and he also was Finals runner-up as a freshman after a two-hole tie-breaker playoff. He's also one of the state's top hockey prospects and was slated to play a second season for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League this winter before that season was canceled due to COVID-19. Warren De La Salle Collegiate senior Ethan Tran and Jackson senior Justin Bunch paced the Division 1 Regional fields both shooting 69 to win their respective tournaments; Tran previously played at the 2019 Finals with his team. Other Regional champions last week were Rockford senior C.J. Stephan (after a playoff with Forest Hills Northern junior Jack Zubkus), Fenton senior Dylan Davidson, and Troy Athens junior Akshay Vasudevan (after a playoff with junior teammate Lance Harwood).
LP Division 2 at Battle Creek’s Bedford Valley
Top-ranked: 1. Flint Powers Catholic, 2. East Grand Rapids, 3. Williamston.
Powers last won in 2018 and is the favorite again after not making the Finals field as a team in 2019. The champion that season, Forest Hills Northern, is in Division 1 this spring, and the Chargers are joined atop the ranked by an East Grand Rapids team playing for its first title since 2005 and a Williamston program seeking its second top-two finish after coming in as runner-up in Class C in 1984. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, ranked No. 5, is intriguing – four of its top five played on the 2019 team that finished seventh in Division 1, and they shot a Division 2 Regional-best 279 last week. Eighth-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s also broke 300, shooting a 295 to finish second to Rice at Huron Meadows Metropark.
Flint Powers Catholic: The Chargers’ lineup is made up of two juniors and three sophomores, and they shot 329 to finish a stroke back of Williamston last week at their Regional at Pohlcat in Mount Pleasant. Sophomore Robert Burns tied for third and junior Luke Cramer for fifth for a lineup that could make some noise both this weekend and in 2022.
East Grand Rapids: The Pioneers shot a 302 at Lincoln Golf Club in Muskegon to outpace No. 4 Spring Lake and No. 6 Ada Forest Hills Eastern at their Regional. Seniors Jack Seufert and Sam Penney were part of the EGR team that finished ninth at the 2019 Finals, and they tied for second and fourth, respectively, at last week’s qualifier.
Williamston: The Hornets’ impressive win at Pohlcat came not only ahead of top-ranked Powers but also No. 10 Haslett – together the three finished 328, 329 and 330, respectively. Junior Caleb Bond was the individual medalist with a 71, and the Hornets have only one senior in the lineup as they return to the Finals for the first time since tying for 11th in Division 3 in 2014.
Other individuals of note: None of the 2019 top 10 are back. Four Brother Rice golfers shot 71 or better last week at their Regional, with senior Colin O’Rourke (68) and sophomore Lorenzo Pinili the only two to break 70 at any Division 2 Regional. Also winning Regional championships were Grand Rapids Northview junior Colin Beckett, Byron Center junior Jack Marzolino, St. Joseph senior Ryan Guzzo and Trenton senior Caden Gloss.
LP Division 3 at The Meadows at Grand Valley State
Top-ranked: 1. Hanover-Horton, 2. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 3. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian.
The two most recent champions are expected to be in the mix again as Hanover-Horton won Division 3 in 2018 and NorthPointe was the champ in 2019 after winning Division 4 the season before. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, meanwhile, is seeking its first top-two Finals finish and making its first appearance in the championship tournament since placing 13th in Division 2 in 2015. The Cougars are entering this weekend coming off the lowest team score at any Division 3 Regional, 317.
Hanover-Horton: The Comets won last week’s Regional at Timber Ridge in East Lansing by 10 strokes, shooting a 330, and with four golfers among the top nine individual placers. Although Hanover-Horton didn’t qualify as a team for the 2019 Finals, seniors Brogan Brockie and Kyler Rod were in the 2018 championship lineup as freshmen. They finished sixth and third, respectively, at Timber Ridge.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central: The Cougars outshot the field by 19 strokes to win the Regional at Egypt Valley in Ada. All five golfers finished among the top 12 placers, with senior Andrew Armock and freshman Will Preston tying for medalist. Armock is the only senior among the starting five.
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian: The Mustangs arrive after finishing second at Egypt Valley and with four golfers who finished among the top 16 individually – including two who were among the team’s top four on the 2019 championship team. Nelson missed finishing 10th at that Finals by a stroke; he was third at the Regional last week. Junior Luke Schrock also is back from the 2019 lineup.
Other individuals of note: As noted, NorthPointe’s Nelson just missed the top 10 at the 2019 Finals, and two others playing this weekend made that group – Elk Rapids senior Joshua Lavely tied for fourth that spring, and Napoleon’s Evan Brzyski was seventh. Cheboygan sophomore PJ Maybank shot a Division 3 Regional-best 70 to win at Boyne Resort last week. Other Regional champs were Lake Odessa Lakewood junior Trevor Simon, Leslie senior Cannon Risner, Tawas sophomore Alex Kaems and Grosse Ile junior Anthony Naso. Risner and Naso both played for top-10 team finishers at the 2019 Finals.
LP Division 4 at The Fortress in Frankenmuth
Top-ranked: 1. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, 2. Lansing Christian, 3. Hillsdale Academy.
Hackett returns as the favorite after also winning in 2019 and then shooting a 306 at its Regional to best the rest of Division 4 last week by 16 strokes. Lansing Christian improved from 15th at the 2018 Finals to 14th in 2019 and posted the second-lowest Regional score last week as it pursues its first top-two Finals finish. Hillsdale Academy is hoping to attain the same, back at the Finals after finishing 14th in 2018 and not qualifying in 2019.
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep: The Comets bring back the most Finals experience of any contender in any division as seniors Thomas Keyte, Ryan Chafty and Ben Bridenstine all played at the 2019 Finals – and Keyte finished seventh individually. Chafty and Keyte also started on the 2018 team that finished fourth in Division 4. Hackett placed all five golfers among the top eight at their Regional at Pine View in Three Rivers, with Keyte the medalist and Bridenstine the runner-up.
Lansing Christian: The Pilgrims also bring three golfers back from their 2019 Finals team, now juniors Davis Garrett, Isaac Haley and Will Combs. Combs played just the second round during that championship tournament, but two years later he’s leading the way after winning the Regional at Calderone Golf Club in Grass Lake. Garrett finished second last week, and Lansing Christian put four golfers among the top nine. Four of the team’s top five are juniors, with the fifth a sophomore.
Hillsdale Academy: The Colts finished second to Lansing Christian at Calderone led by a pair of individual fourth-place freshmen in Rykert Frisinger and Ridley Fast. Now-senior Christian Gossage was a freshman starter on the 2018 Finals team and missed making the top 10 at Calderone by a stroke.
Other individuals of note: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart senior Michael Zanoni tied for Division 4 runner-up as a sophomore, finishing just a stroke off the lead. He won his Regional at Waters Edge in Hesperia by a stroke last week. Also claiming Regional titles were Charlevoix senior Jake Beaudoin (after a playoff with Leland senior Aiden Coleman), Sandusky junior Christian Long and Royal Oak Shrine Catholic junior Jeffrey Andrus.
PHOTO: Napoleon's Evan Brzyski tees off during the 2019 Division 3 Finals, where he went on to finish seventh.(Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Preview: Championship Opportunities Await for Historic Contenders, Rising Aces
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 5, 2024
This weekend’s Lower Peninsula Boys Golf Finals are guaranteed to produce at least one new team champion and three first-time individual medalists.
The pursuit for the Division 3 title might be the widest open and won’t include 2023 winner Grand Rapids Catholic Central, which played in Division 2 this spring. On the individual side, only Rochester Adams senior Peter Roehl is back from last year’s medalists.
Conversely, Grand Rapids Christian in Division 2 returns its full lineup after claiming last year’s team title. And the Division 2 and 4 individual standings could see plenty of movement all weekend with six top-10 finishers from last season back – including Division 4 runner-up Parker Stalcup from Clarkston Everest Collegiate and 2023 Division 3 runner-up Will Preston from GRCC, who will take on the Division 2 field this time.
Play begins both Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m. See below for more on a number of teams and individuals who could be in contention, and check out the Boys Golf page for full lineups and more.
Division 1 at Battle Creek’s Bedford Valley
Going back five seasons (and not counting COVID-canceled 2020), this division has crowned five different champions, and all five were from Metro Detroit/Ann Arbor. The last four runners-up also have represented that area of the state. Northville was first and Rochester Adams second in 2023, separated by just two strokes and with Brighton finishing third and only four strokes off the lead. Northville just made the Finals this season, finishing third and edging Brighton by a stroke for the final qualifying spot at Pine View in Ypsilanti.
Ann Arbor Skyline: The 2021 champion and 2022 runner-up finished fifth last season and graduated three from its Finals lineup. The Eagles return this weekend with five seniors on the card including 2023 starters Nikash Bhagat and Ethan Stange. Senior Vibhav Alokam tied for sixth at the Final as a sophomore and missed the top 10 standings by a stroke as a freshman on the title-winning team, and also is back. Skyline shot a 302 to win the Regional at Pine View, with Bhagat tied for second individually and Alokam, Stange and senior Chalie Eggleston all tied for fifth.
Detroit Catholic Central: The Shamrocks won their Regional at Twin Lakes in Rochester Hills with a 289, 10 strokes ahead of the field and paced by senior medalist Julian Menser at 66. He missed the individual top 10 standings by a stroke as the lowest scorer on last year’s fourth-place Finals team, and he’s joined again by sophomore David Krusinski, who finished fifth at the Regional last week.
Rochester Adams: Last season’s runner-up is seeking its first Finals championship since 1978 and is paced by the reigning medalist, senior Peter Roehl. He won the Regional at Fieldstone last week in a tie-breaker, leading Adams to the team victory as well. Junior teammate Daniel Lee also was in that first-place mix, and senior Cole Zavadil tied for seventh as the Highlanders shot a 304. Lee and Zavadil also were part of last season’s Finals lineup.
Individuals: Mattawan senior Matthew Novak and Lake Orion junior Connor Fox are the only others back from last season’s top 10, Novak having finished fourth and Fox tied for eighth. Fox also was part of that first-place tie-breaker at Fieldstone last week. Joining Roehl and Mesner as Regional champions were Portage Central senior Jake Longman, Howell junior Derek Kantola, South Lyon East senior Ryan Kruschka and Warren De La Salle Collegiate sophomore Troy Nguyen.
Division 2 at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West
Grand Rapids Christian broke Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice’s two-year hold on the title last spring, with Rice finishing runner-up and just two strokes back. No other team came within 33 of the lead. Nine teams did shoot 305 or lower at last week’s Regionals, which may be an indication of some surprise movement to come this weekend.
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice: The Warriors finished only third at last week’s Regional at Huron Meadows in Brighton and have only one golfer back from last season’s Finals runner-up finish. But they did shoot a 302 at Huron Meadows, and that one returnee is junior Leandro Pinili, who tied for ninth individually at the Finals as a freshman in 2022. The team’s Regional finish this time was led by sophomore Joseph Karoutsos tying for fourth, and Rice’s lineup will be comprised of three juniors and two sophomores.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood: The Cranes didn’t make the Finals last year as a team, but did send three individual qualifiers – and sophomore Henry Delzer and junior Ryan Li are back this season and helped the team to a division-low 287 Regional score to win last week at Huron Meadows. Cranbrook finished 10 strokes ahead of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and 15 fewer than Brother Rice, with sophomore Andrew Chang winning a playoff against Delzer to claim first individually, and Li tying for fourth.
Grand Rapids Christian: All five golfers will return this weekend from the team that made up 10 strokes after last year’s first round to win the program’s first Finals championship since 2013. Senior Dylan Clark was fifth individually last year and sophomore Cooper Reitsma and junior John Cassiday tied for sixth. The Eagles shot 296 last week to win by seven at Quail Ridge in Ada, with Cassiday the medalist, Clark the runner-up, Reitsma tying for sixth and sophomore Sawyer O’Grady (tied for 12th) and senior Maxwell O’Grady (tied for 16th) rounding out an impressive team performance.
Individuals: The Grand Rapids Christian trio are the highest-placing individual finishers returning from last season, and they’re joined by Ada Forest Hills Eastern junior James Seymour and Trenton senior Will Barrett, who tied for ninth in 2023. Chang and Cassiday were joined among Regional champions last week by Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior Will Preston, Richland Gull Lake sophomore Maxwell Vandermolen, St. Johns senior Grant Rustad and Tecumseh junior Grant Simpson. Preston was the runner-up in Division 3 last season.
Division 3 at Katke at Ferris State
Grand Rapids Catholic Central finished first, second and first the last three seasons, respectively, but played this season in Division 2. That’s potentially opened this tournament way up, with Grand Rapids Covenant Christian coming in with the low Regional score last week at 301 and the next four carding 315 (Traverse City St. Francis and Grand Rapids West Catholic) or 316 (Jackson Lumen Christi and Essexville Garber) at their events.
Grand Rapids Covenant Christian: After finishing 15th at last season’s Final but without a senior in the lineup, Covenant is seeking its first top-two finish and won last week’s Regional at Old Channel Trail in Montague by 14 strokes ahead of West Catholic. Four of last season’s top five are back, led by senior Michael DeVries, who finished 14th individually last year. He was the runner-up at Old Channel Trail, with senior Kodie Klamer tied for third, junior Caleb Dykstra fifth and junior Aidan Pipe tied for eighth.
Grand Rapids West Catholic: The Falcons finished runner-up to Covenant at their Regional but with one of the lowest scores across the division, with sophomore Owen Kotowski finishing first at Old Channel Trail and sophomore Alexander Bartish and seniors Zach Parzych and Sam Stellini all tying for 10th. Kotowski also tied for 14th at last season’s Final, with Parzych and senior Samuel Myers both part of the lineup as well that tied for 10th.
Jackson Lumen Christi: The Titans tied for seventh last season without an individual finisher among the top 10, and they will pursue a first team championship since 2017 with two of those golfers back plus some solid reinforcements. Junior Charlie Saunders tied for 22nd at last year’s Final and finished fifth during last week’s Regional win at Cascades in Jackson – solidly in the middle of an impressive team performance that saw freshman Brandon Kulka second, junior Anthony Kulka third, senior Jack Swihart tie for sixth and junior Adam Fuller tie for 10th.
Individuals: With Preston and 2023 medalist Matthew Sokorai from Grand Rapids Catholic Central playing in Division 2 this season, Ann Arbor Greenhills senior Max Schulman is the lone returning top-10 placer from a year ago – when he tied for third. As noted, Kotowski was a Regional champ last week, and Schulman tied for second behind Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett’s Steve McMahon at Washtenaw Golf Club in Ypsilanti. Grosse Ile sophomore Nicholas Joly-Naso, Essexville Garber senior Owen Halstead, South Haven senior Parker Williamson and Alma junior Cooper Couch also won Regional titles – Couch after a playoff with Benzie Central junior Christien Westcott.
Division 4 at The Meadows at Grand Valley State
Clarkston Everest Collegiate ascended from runner-up in 2022 to champion in 2023 and might be the favorite again this weekend. Grandville Calvin Christian was the only other team to break 330 at last week’s Regional, although 2023 Finals runner-up Hillsdale Academy had the third-lowest Regional score last week at 331 and Charlevoix at 332 should also make some noise. Calvin Christian last won a Finals in 1989, and Hillsdale Academy and Charlevoix are seeking a first team title.
Clarkston Everest Collegiate: Two-time Finals medalist Remy Stalcup graduated last spring, but younger brother Parker – now a junior – tied for 15th individually as a freshman and moved up to runner-up last season. There are four juniors and one sophomore in this year’s lineup, and Stalcup finished runner-up at last week’s Regional at Holly Meadows in Capac to junior teammate Will Pennanen, while junior Mark Cross tied for sixth and sophomore Nolan Alban tied for ninth as the team shot 312 to win by 30 strokes. Pennanen was 22nd at the Final as a freshman and tied for seventh last season.
Grand Calvin Christian: The Squires moved up from ninth at the 2022 Final to seventh last season, and they shot a 315 at Stonegate in Twin Lake last week to win that Regional by 20 strokes. Junior Josh VanderWal was the medalist, with sophomore Will Orme fourth and senior Braden VanderWal and junior Mason Schroeder tied for fifth. Braden VanderWal finished 10th at last season’s Final, when these four were the team’s low four scorers as well.
Hillsdale Academy: Last season’s Final runner-up returns four of last season’s top five, led by juniors Rykert Frisinger and Ridley Fast after they tied for third and placed fifth, respectively, in the individual standings. Junior Kahle Welden and freshman Lincoln Knirk also are back from the program’s highest-finishing team, and that foursome placed second, third, 11th and 18th respectively in winning their Regional at Coldwater Golf Club by four strokes ahead of 2021 Finals champion Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep.
Individuals: In addition to Stalcup, Frisinger, Fast and Pennanen, Maple City Glen Lake junior Michael Houtteman has dominated his area this spring after also tying for seventh at last year’s championship tournament. Houtteman also tied for fifth and Frisinger tied for eighth in 2022. Joining Josh VanderWal and Pennanen in winning Regional championships last week were Breckenridge senior Zane Schmitz, Adrian Lenawee Christian senior Connor Parisien, Kalamazoo Christian junior Ian Tuin and Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian junior Vaughn Henagan.
PHOTO Trenton's Will Barrett lines up a putt during last season's Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)