Smithson Building On Eye-Opening Offseason

March 28, 2018

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half

GRAND RAPIDS While most high school golfers were spending this winter counting down the days until the snow melted, one Grand Rapids-area golfer was measuring his game against the top players around the world.

Bradley Smithson, a junior at Ada Forest Hills Eastern, was invited to take part in a prestigious event hosted by one of the most recognizable names in professional golf.

Smithson, 17, competed in the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 23-25 at the TPC of Myrtle Beach.

He was one of only two players from Michigan; the other was Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe.

The tournament included a talented field of junior golfers from the United States, as well as Spain and Morocco.

Smithson shot 83 and 75, but wound up missing the cut by four strokes.

“I missed the cut, but that was a great experience, and I took a lot away from that,” Smithson said. “Dustin set it up like a professional tournament and made it feel like we were on tour. We had tour yardage books, we had our own locker and we had nameplates on the range.

“In the first round I played with a kid who committed to Virginia and another one to USC, and they were two years younger than me. The competition was absolutely excellent.”

Smithson also made a name for himself last summer when he finished among the top 30 at the Michigan Open.

It was an event that saw him compete against his father Gary, a PGA Professional at Quail Ridge Golf Course.

“I loved it,” Smithson said. “Competing against my father and all that stuff was a lot of fun. The golf course was absolutely perfect, and it was weird to be only four groups off the lead group and playing with two guys who were trying to make it on the tour.

“Being in that type of big tournament, you need to hit shots that you needed to hit, and your game definitely had to be on point that week.”

Smithson hopes to parlay those experiences into another successful high school season.

As a sophomore, Smithson tied for third individually at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final. He also helped the Hawks to a third-place finish as a team.

“I had expectations to try and win it, but I knew there was going to be some good competition and I definitely had to play well in order to win,” Smithson said. “It was going to take a good score to win, and it did. I was pretty happy with how I played, and I put myself in good position after the first round. We were in there as a team, too, and we all played well in the second round, which was just as good.”

Smithson ended his season with all-state honors, while averaging 37.5 strokes for nine holes and 75.4 strokes for 18.

He has higher aspirations for this season, both individually and for his team.

“Last year was a pretty good season, but I didn’t accomplish all the goals I would like, which is (all-state) Super Team, but that’s for sure going to be a goal this year,” Smithson said. “I want to make it back to state and hopefully be in contention individually and as a team. We’re looking pretty good again.”

Smithson will be the catalyst on a squad that returns five golfers under first-year coach Frank Jenks.

“I just love watching him play, and he’s a really good kid,” Jenks said. “Now that I’ve been around him, he’s not only a good kid, but he’s a hard worker. Now I know why he’s so good. He cares about the game, and he puts the time and effort in. That’s a coach’s dream.”

Smithson started playing golf as a toddler and gained a wealth of knowledge from being around his father.

“I’ve learned a tremendous amount from my dad,” Smithson said. “Growing up all my life, sitting in the golf cart next to him and just seeing how he plays golf. Not so much attacking with yardages, but where to hit it and golf management.”

Smithson is long off the tee and a consistent putter. However, his wedge game has become a point of emphasis.

“I’ve worked very hard in the offseason on my wedges and have seen it pay off the first couple weeks,” he said. “Playing in Myrtle Beach, my wedges were a very big part and I saw improvement with those. It’s getting to where it needs to be.”

Smithson already has made his college choice. He committed to Michigan State following his freshman year.

Smithson was impressed with the facilities and coaching staff at MSU, and now he won’t be burdened by the pressures of the recruiting process.

“I won’t have that monkey on my back of having to perform well and getting those coaches out there looking at me,” Smithson said. “I have that done, and now I can just go out there and play golf and not have to worry about scores.”

Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Ada Forest Hills Eastern’s Bradley Smithson lines up a putt during the 2016 Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final at Bedford Valley. (Middle) Smith, front and third from left, stands with the rest of the individual leaders after last season’s Final at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

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.)