Gladiators Finish Short Spring #1 Again

By John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com

May 30, 2019

GLADSTONE – Poor weather may have limited the Ontonagon girls’ time on the golf course this spring.

But the Gladiators made any opportunities to prepare pay off as they repeated as Upper Peninsula Division 3 champions Wednesday at Irish Oaks Golf Course.

Ontonagon's girls finished with 418 strokes, followed by Cedarville at 429 and Powers North Central with 438.

"Our girls have been shooting around 105," Ontonagon coach Adam Spaulding said. "We knew what they brought to the table. We were beating some D-1 schools in our three meets. We knew we could compete.”

Three Ontonagon golfers bettered that 105, while the fourth scorer shot 108. Senior Whitney Rule led the way with a fifth-place 102.

This marked the second straight runner-up finish for the Cedarville girls.

"The girls did good today," said Cedarville coach Rob Freel. "Runner-up, we'll take that any day. We have no seniors on either team (girls or boys), which is encouraging.

“I'm real happy with how our girls played. I'm proud of all the kids."

Cedarville junior Lily Freel regained her individual title with an 85, a comfortable 12 strokes ahead of North Central sophomore Jadie Linder. Mackinac Island junior Makenna Horricks and North Central sophomore Ava Eichhorn shared third place at 100.

"There were some rough holes," said Lily Freel, who was runner-up last year after winning the tournament as a freshman in 2017. "I had quite a few bogeys. I just kept telling myself to do the best I can and focused on the next shot. I birdied the last hole on both nines. It felt great to finish strong and win it. I was kind of disappointed last year, but that just made me work harder."

Linder was happy to be runner-up after placing third a year ago.

"The last two years have gone pretty well," she said. "The back nine went pretty rough today. I struggled with my short game. I couldn't hit my irons. Then, I figured out my irons on the front nine and started feeling better about the way my game was going.

“Lily had a phenomenal round. It means a lot to me to take second."

Rock Mid-Peninsula junior Kennedy Englund, Mackinac Island sophomore Ella Cowell and Cedarville sophomore Lauren Miller all tied Rule for fifth at 102.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) The Ontonagon girls golf team is pictured together after winning the Upper Peninsula Division 3 title Thursday at Irish Oaks in Gladstone. (Middle) Cedarville’s Lily Freel. (Photos by Austin Hemmingson.)

Performance of the Week: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer's Paige Anderson

October 5, 2023

Paige AndersonPaige Anderson ♦ Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
Senior ♦ Golf

Anderson carded a personal-best 4-under 69 at Oak Ridge Golf Club in Muskegon to finish as medalist at last week's Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship tournament and also lead Reeths-Puffer to the team title with a 353, three strokes lower than Whitehall. 

An individual qualifier for the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals the last two seasons, Anderson also has been part of some memorable team accomplishments this fall as Reeths-Puffer won its first Ottawa-Kent Conference Green jamboree in five years. The Rockets capped their league run Wednesday with the O-K Green Tournament title, guaranteeing them a shared league title with Mona Shores, and Anderson carded a 72 to win the individual championship. She'll lead her team into its LPD2 Regional on Oct. 13 at Muskegon's Lincoln Golf Club. 

@mhsaasports ⛳️POW: Paige Anderson #golf #birdie #reethspuffer #letsgo #part1 #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

@mhsaasports ⛳️POW: Paige Anderson #tiktalk #questiontime #part2 #chicfila #pretzels #friends #family #phone #cryingemoji #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

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Past 2023-24 Honorees

Sept. 29: MacKenzie Bisballe, Lake City volleyball - Report
Sept. 22:
Jhace Massey, Gladwin football - Report
Sept. 15:
Kaylee Draper, Sturgis swimming - Report
Sept. 8:
Owen Jackson, Traverse City St. Francis tennis - Report
Sept. 1:
Rachel Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report

(Photos courtesy of the Muskegon Reeths-Puffer athletic department.)