Performance: Escanaba's Paxton Johnson
June 8, 2018
Paxton Johnson
Escanaba junior – Golf
The Eskymos’ ace became the 10th in MHSAA history to win a third Girls Golf Finals individual championship when she shot an 80 on May 31 at Escanaba Country Club to claim the Upper Peninsula Division 1 title by five strokes and earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Johnson next season will attempt to join Marquette’s Kendra Palmer (1996-99) and Carley Saint-Onge (2008-11) as the only four-time Finals winners. Johnson has averaged 80 strokes for 18 holes during the first three seasons of her high school career, despite often battling tough spring conditions during the U.P. thaw, and has won 31 of 32 high school events she’s played. She’s managed her Finals success despite playing the last three seasons against Houghton’s Kaaren Liston, who won the U.P. Division 1 title in 2015 as a freshman and finished second (or tied for second) to Johnson the last three years. Last week’s championship came despite a storm that halted play and left sizable puddles on the course as golfers returned – but Johnson continued to shine and in the process also led Escanaba to its third straight UP Division 1 team championship.
In addition to starring on the course, Johnson plays volleyball during the fall and carries a 4.1 grade-point average to rank second academically in her graduating class. Her favorite subject is chemistry – “It’s fun to be able to overcome challenges,” she said – and she hopes to study after high school to become a pharmaceutical chemist while continuing her golf career at the collegiate level.
Coach Brian Robinette said: “She's had a phenomenal run for sure. Her fundamentals and golf IQ are remarkable. She is also the type that works when coaches are not looking. All this and she is the No. 2-ranked student in her class. Pax is truly driven to play at the next level.”
Performance Point: “I played pretty solid for my first nine holes, and then I had a mess-up on (No.) 10 and then we got called off the course, which helped me get my momentum back. The only places I really struggled after that were on the holes that were really soaked with water where even a casual water drop didn’t really help. So I think it went pretty well considering the weather conditions. … I didn’t really know how wet it was until we got out to that hole. I was just glad that it wasn’t still raining. It was actually kinda nice out.”
Cusp of history: I actually know Kendra Palmer; I played in the U.P. Ladies Finals with her. I just think it would be really cool to be able to have my name in that group. They’re both really good golfers. … I really started thinking about it this year. After I won the first two (MHSAA titles) and I found out the Finals were at my home course this year, I was like, ‘OK, if I can pull off the third I’ll have some momentum going into my fourth year.’”
Lead the way: “I’d really like to win another team championship, so I really want to work hard at that. That’s my main priority. I plan on asking my teammates to golf with me all summer long to get a feel for it more. We had a senior who graduated who had a lot of experience, but other than that, the rest of our team is really new. I just like being able to encourage my teammates, and congratulate them after we win as a team; that’s a great feeling. Especially after U.P.s (Finals), once we added up the scores, being able to tell whole team we did it and we pulled it off was a great feeling.”
Golfer for every season: “When the snow does melt, we do try to get out as soon as we can, as soon as the course is open. We just try to stay out as long as we can and try to make the most of the season. … I’ve played in snow before, and sleet and snow at the same time. There was one round at our (Great Northern Conference) finals where we got called off the course, but before we got called off it started downpouring and the greens were just running with water and we were still playing, so that was interesting. … (My strength) is probably being able to play and stay focused in whatever weather comes my way just because I have played in those conditions before. I see people get frustrated and just lose focus. (I’m) just trying to stay focused, focused on lies and stuff like that – it’s more defensive golf against the weather and just trying to play it safe.”
Looking up to Lexi: “I really like Lexi Thompson, just how aggressive she plays. She’s fearless on the course. I went to an LPGA event one time and actually got to meet her, and that was cool.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 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 2017-18 honorees:
May 31: Lydia Goble, Schoolcraft softball - Read
May 24: Corinne Jemison, East Kentwood track & field - Read
May 17: Reagan Wisser, Richland Gull Lake soccer - Read
May 10: Clayton Sayen, Houghton track & field - Read
May 3: Autumn Roberts, Traverse City Central tennis - Read
April 26: Thomas Robinson, Wyoming Lee track & field - Read
March 29: Carlos Johnson, Benton Harbor basketball - Read
March 22: Shine Strickland-Gills, Saginaw Heritage basketball - Read
March 15: Skyler Cook-Weeks, Holland Christian swimming - Read
March 8: Dakota Greer, Howard City Tri-County wrestling - Read
March 1: Camree' Clegg, Wayne Memorial basketball - Read
February 23: Aliah Robertson, Sault Ste. Marie swimming - Read
February 16: Austin O'Hearon, Eaton Rapids wrestling - Read
February 9: Sophia Wiard, Muskegon Oakridge basketball - Read
February 2: Brenden Tulpa, Hartland hockey - Read
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City West golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Escanaba’s Paxton Johnson watches one of her drives during last week’s Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals at Escanaba Country Club. (Middle) Johnson putts on the way to earning her third individual championship. (Photos by Dennis Grall.)
Medalist Scott Leads Escanaba Charge Back to Top of UPD1 Leaderboard
By
Jack Hall
Special for MHSAA.com
May 29, 2024
CHAMPION – Escanaba is back on top in high school girls golf after winning the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 championship Wednesday at the Wawonowin Country Club.
The Eskymos won their fifth Finals title since 2016 by defeating last year's champion, Kingsford, by 22 strokes (399-421). Negaunee was third, 23 strokes back (422).
“It's been an up-and-down season,” Escanaba coach Jake Berlinski said. “It's a short season. The girls have worked so hard and in the end of it, we came through. The girls played great when it mattered the most. That's all you can ask for.”
Escanaba was led by sophomore Kamrie Scott, who won the medalist honor by shooting an 83. She was eight shots clear of runners-up Grace Maki (Kingsford) and Abby Dart (Houghton), who both carded 91s.
“This course, there are some holes that are tough, but I think I played it pretty well,” Scott said. “I was hitting them straight, and my putting was good, so things were going well. I was just going for the pin today. I was making putts, so it was working.”
Maki battled over the final four holes to earn a share of the runner-up honor for the Flivvers, and for herself, personally.
“I love this course,” Maki said. “I had some struggles. I had some 6s out there, but I did my best. My best hole was actually No. 2, which I birdied.”
Negaunee's Kennidy Glasheen and Marquette's Abby Luke finished tied for fourth, both with 96s. It was the last U.P. Finals for Luke, who made an impression with a hole-in-one at the 2023 championship tournament held on the ultra-tough Sage Run Golf Course.
The only other sub-100 score this time around was turned in by Escanaba senior Maddie Wilson, who carded a 97 to finish in the sixth spot. It was her fourth UP Finals, and by far her highest finish on the leaderboard.
“It feels good, but it's a little bit sad,” Wilson said. “I'm glad we were able to pull away for our last year. Personally, for me, I just tried to stay really positive, and not get myself down during a bad shot. And especially tried not to get tired toward the end, because walking 18 holes is a lot. And I really focused on my putting today, which I feel helped me in the long run.”
Kingsford came out of nowhere in 2023 to win its first girls golf U.P. title in school history, and this year the Flivvers rallied down the stretch to take second place ahead of Negaunee. The Miners occupied second spot for most of the round before the Flivvers ended up with the runner-up trophy by one stroke.
“We saw the course was playing tough, across the board; top to bottom, scores were a little higher than normal,” Kingsford coach Ryan Pepin said. “The girls battled right to the end. We weren't sure how it was going to finish up. We're really proud of them. Great season.”
Pepin had just four golfers this year (three seniors and one sophomore), but they still managed to win the majority of their matches in the Great Northern Conference during the regular season.
“Our girls performed well,” Pepin said. “We went to battle every time with only four. Our seniors had great careers, the last two years, especially.”
Negaunee coach Dustin Hongisto said it was a great day for his group of Miners.
“I felt they played awesome,” Hongisto said. “They were just kind of a step back from these (top) teams all year, but all five of them played awesome today. I was really proud of my No. 1 girl, Kennidy. She shot her low round of the year. The fact that they lost by one at the end was a bummer, but I'm proud of them.”
Scott says it felt great to win the individual medalist honor, but she was even happier that the whole Escanaba team pulled through.
“I'm really proud of us,” she said. “We worked really hard this year, and it paid off. Just staying positive, and I think that helped us.”
Fellow Eskymos senior Sophia Derkos, playing in her fourth U.P. Final, summed it up.
“We work really good as a team,” she said. “We're very positive toward each other. There's a lot of hazards on this course, like waters and trees. I was just trying not to hit 'em in it, and it was hard, but we made it!
PHOTOS (Top) Escanaba’s Lilly VanDamme lines up a putt during the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Final at Wawonowin Country Club. (Middle) Kingsford’s Ela Rizzo sends an approach shot during her round Wednesday. (Photos by Jack Hall.)