Top-Placing Pair Paces Grand Rapids Catholic Central Team Win
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
June 10, 2023
EAST LANSING — Teams that have been chasing Grand Rapids Catholic Central the past three years in the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Boys Golf Tournament got some bad news in Saturday's Final:
The Cougars won their second crown in three years, easily besting second-place Lansing Catholic by 35 strokes. GRCC shot 306 to take a 17-stroke lead Friday, and cruised to the title with a 308 on Saturday at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West.
And they may not be done dominating just yet.
The Cougars won the LPD3 title in 2021 and finished second last year, which gave the fuel for this season.
"They had a mission, and they had a goal," GRCC coach Kim Napieralski said. "They accomplished it."
They did so in part due to a team meeting after Friday's strong showing.
"We had a comfortable lead (Friday), but this morning the conversation during our team meeting was we still needed to go out and play well," Napieralski said. "We needed to finish strong, and luckily we got the job done."
That they did. Co-captain Matthew Sokorai earned the medalist honor with a 141, and co-captain Will Preston was second at 146.
"It feels great, obviously," Sokorai said of being on a team champion for the second time in three years. "But you've got to think about how you got there. Not just the ending, but there's a lot of hard work involved. It wasn't just one person. It was a whole team that played well."
More news that might keep opponents awake for another year: Both Sokorai and Preston are juniors, and the Cougars lose only one senior from this year's champion.
Still, Preston said he didn't think about winning this year's title until the latter part of the second round Saturday.
span>"We knew we were in a good spot (Saturday morning), but it wasn't until late in the round today that we really had it." he said. "When you count four scores, anything can happen."
<Lansing Catholic, also nicknamed the Cougars, was the only other team to shoot below 320 on the weekend, recording a 318 on Saturday to finish at 649. Saginaw Swan Valley was third at 652.
Lansing Catholic coach Matt Golzynski was pleased with his team's finish.
"We got off to a slow start (Friday) and it snowballed," Golzynski said. "We absolutely finished on an up note. I'm extremely proud of the work they put in this year and the job they did. It's been a great experience for us."
GRCC's precision on the course is matched by the team's close bond.
"There's no team in the state that's closer than us," Sokorai said. "We stay in hotels, we go out to eat, we do everything together. I feel like that's a huge part."
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Matthew Sokorai, left, receives his individual championship medal Saturday at Forest Akers West. (Middle) Teammate Will Preston putts; he finished second individually. (Below) Lansing Catholic’s Lansing Catholic’s Tomas Rampe tees off during the second round. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Clarkston Everest Follows Individual Standouts to Repeat Team Championship
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 8, 2024
ALLENDALE – Clarkston Everest Collegiate coach David Smith may be a bit biased, but he believed he had two of the top players in Division 4 on his roster entering the season.
Smith’s top performers delivered, and it paved the way to a repeat title.
Everest won the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Boys Golf Final with a two-day total of 664 Saturday at The Meadows at Grand Valley State.
The Mountaineers defeated runner-up Grandville Calvin Christian by eight strokes, while Hillsdale Academy (674) placed third.
Everest junior Will Pennanen won the medalist honor after shooting a 148 total. He was the only golfer in the field to shoot in the 70s both days.
His teammate, junior Parker Stalcup, closed with a final round 74 to finish fourth at 157.
“We had two of our top guys from last year back and I thought were the best players in Division 4,” Smith said. “And I think they proved today that they are. They just shot good numbers when the pressure was on.
“Will has been chasing Parker, and they are best buddies. Parker pushes Will, and Will pushes Parker. This weekend Will had the better score, and last time it was Parker. They just cheer for each other and encourage and support each other, which makes them both a lot better.”
Pennanen fired a 76 on Friday amid extremely windy conditions and followed that up with an even-par 72.
He edged runner-up Michael Houtteman, of Maple City Glen Lake, by three strokes.
“It was crazy wind (Friday), and I was just trying to stay patient and make as many pars as possible,” Pennanen said. “Just keep the big numbers off the scorecard, just like today. I played well today. I left a few shots out there, but made a lot of birdies and chipped in for eagle.”
The eagle was the highlight of the day, taking place on the par-5, 14th hole.
“I’ve won tournaments before, but this one was really special to do with my team, too,” Pennanen said. “We have a lot of great players, and everyone has been stepping up and playing good. It was a team effort.”
Also contributing for Everest, which won’t graduate a starter, were juniors Mark Cross and Jimmy Schmitt and sophomores Nolan Alban and Dominic Walker.
“We played as a team today, and yesterday,” Stalcup said. “I don’t think at any point we thought we were going to lose this tournament.
“We gained two sophomores who didn’t play last year, so that was huge for our team. Obviously it’s always a cool experience to win the state finals, and we will come back next year stronger.”
Grandville Calvin Christian entered the final round in fifth place, but posted the best team total Saturday to jump into the second spot. The Squires shot a 322, which was 28 shots better than Day 1.
Sophomore Will Orme carded a final round 75 and finished with a 162, while junior Josh VanderWal had a 79 and closed with a 167.
“We say every stroke counts, and it certainly does,” Calvin Christian coach Herm Medema said. “We talked about it last night and this morning at our meetings that we are not that far away. First place was a little bit of a wish, but second place was very doable, and the guys never gave up.
“They kept at it, and it was a pleasure to see. They were more comfortable in their surroundings and a much looser group. They got after it and supported each other so well.”
The runner-up finish was the Squires’ best since they won the Lower Peninsula Class C Final in 1989.
Hillsdale Academy was led by Rykert Frisinger, who finished third individually at 155.
PHOTOS (Top) Clakrston Everest Collegiate celebrates its repeat championship Saturday at The Meadows. (Middle) Everest and Hillsdale Academy golfers finish a hole. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)