Plymouth Emerges as Repeat D1 Champ

October 19, 2013

By Gary Kalahar
Special to Second Half

EAST LANSING – If it’s possible for a defending MHSAA champion to lay in the weeds, the Plymouth High School girls golf team pulled it off this weekend.

Some early-season struggles might have kept the Wildcats out of the discussion of title contenders. But when the time came, Plymouth was ready to repeat. Plymouth captured its second consecutive Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship, emerging from a knot of teams at the top on a cold and soggy Saturday at Forest Akers West.

Plymouth finished two rounds at 706, four strokes in front of Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and five ahead of Troy. Those three teams were among five bunched within four strokes – and nine within 15 strokes – after the first round.

“Everybody had a chance to win,” Plymouth senior Kayla Whatley said. “We knew every stroke was going to count, because there are some good teams here and they were going to improve (from the first day).”

Plymouth led by two strokes after the first round, played in decidedly better conditions than the high-40 temperatures, cool breeze and intermittent rain of the second round. The Wildcats turned the worst day of the fall into the best.

“This one is better,” Plymouth junior Sydney Murphy said. “No one was expecting us to come out on top, and we did. We weren’t doing so well at the beginning, but we kept working at it, and here we are. We succeeded.”

Murphy, Whatley and sophomore Katie Chipman all helped Plymouth win the title last year. But that success didn’t carry over to 2013, at least early on as Plymouth had to replace two all-state players, including MHSAA medalist Kelsey Murphy. Even heading into the Regional, Plymouth was ranked just 10th in Division 1 by the coaches association.

“We started playing well the first of October and rode it through,” Plymouth coach Dan Young said. “We kept improving. It’s hard to explain. They’ve always practiced hard, done what they’re supposed to do.  For whatever reason, they started playing better. They’ve gotten better, and it’s been together as a team.”

Whatley, the only senior of the five Wildcats who played in the MHSAA Final, said the title was somewhat of a surprise.

“We really wanted to get it last year,” she said of Plymouth’s first championship. “We played much better all year long (last year).But after we won the conference, then we got excited, and we knew we had the potential to compete and win this.”

Even in the poor conditions, four of the five Plymouth golfers improved their scores from the first day. Murphy’s 77 was nine better, and Whatley’s 89 was a seven-stroke improvement.

“I needed to contribute to the team,” Murphy said about rebounding from her uncharacteristic first round. “It’s a team sport, and you all have to contribute what you can.”

“To her credit, she didn’t get down,” Young said. “Her attitude was tremendous. That’s what it’s all about. They all knew they had to come back and play better, and they did.”

Murphy’s ninth-place individual finish was Plymouth’s best, but the Wildcats’ depth was the difference. Katie Chipman totaled 166 and Alaina Strzalka 192 for Plymouth, which could have used its fifth-best score Saturday – Ariana Strzalka’s 103 – and still come out a winner.

For individual champion Lily Pendy, the single word on the back of her shirt – “Fight” – said it all.

Pendy, a senior at Grosse Pointe South playing in her fourth MHSAA Finals, fought through the conditions and won medalist honors with a 74-76—150. The pink shirts Pendy and her teammates sported bore inspirational words in honor of breast cancer awareness month and had special meaning for Pendy, whose mother, Megan, just finished cancer treatment.

“It shows what we’re playing for,” Pendy said. “This is really exciting. I did it for my team and my coach and my parents. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

After posting a sixth-place Finals finish last year and helping her team win the team championship in 2011, Pendy figured the top individual spot was attainable.

“I hadn’t thought about it too much, but I had it in the back of my head,” she said.

Pendy’s 74 in the first round put her three strokes in front, and she finished six clear of the field.

“I felt pressure,” Pendy said about carrying the lead into the second round. “I was nervous. I’m not going to lie. But I tried to turn the nerves into excitement.”

Elayna Bowser of Dearborn took second with a pair of 78s for 156. Emily White of Saline matched Pendy for the second day’s best round of 76 and finished third overall at 157.

“I convinced myself that I like playing in the rain,” Pendy said. “You have to have a good attitude about it. I played steady golf, par golf most of the way.”

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PHOTOS: (Top) Plymouth players hoist the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship trophy for the second straight season. (Middle) A player launches an approach shot toward the green during Saturday's second round. (Click to see more from High School Sports Scene.)

Dexter's Manning Takes Next Step, Walker Steps In to Key Mercy 3-Peat

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

October 19, 2024

ALLENDALE – Farmington Hills Mercy brought a senior-laden team with extensive experience to this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final.

However, one senior in particular made the biggest difference during Saturday’s closing round at The Meadows at Grand Valley State.

Senior Emily Walker provided a major contribution in helping Mercy complete a three-peat as the Marlins fended off a late comeback from runner-up Dexter to win by five strokes with a two-day total of 677.

Seniors Maeve Casey and Lila Polakowski led the Marlins as a consistent tandem at the top of the lineup, placing fourth and 20th, respectively, on the individual leaderboard. But Watson, who didn’t play on Friday, proved to be the unsung hero with a second-round 83, the team’s second-best score of the final round and her career-low.

“We have a mix of players, so today we inserted Emily Walker and she had the score of her life,” Mercy coach Vicky Kowalski said. “And that’s why we’re standing here with the three-peat.”

“If she didn’t shoot the round of her life today, then we wouldn't be standing here with a win,” Polakowski added. “We are so thankful that she pulled through here today and continued to support everyone else.”

Farmington Hills Mercy’s Macy Morphew watches one of her putts roll toward the hole.Casey’s fourth place individual finish came from rounds of 73 and 79. She and Polakowski concluded their careers with a fourth-place team finish as freshmen and three straight wins at the Finals.

“It feels amazing to three-peat, but I’m really proud of the team for battling through the adversity that we had to experience on the course today,” Casey said. “But we got it done, and I’ve had some great experiences the last four years with this team. We’ve meshed really well on and off the course.”

Polakowski finished with a two-day 169, while senior Macy Morphew shot 179 and sophomore Megan Guerrera had a 186.

“It was a crazy day today,” Kowalski said. “The scores were bouncing up and down, and girls were having their good holes and bad holes and at one point we were down by one.

“And then Lowell kinda faded, but then Dexter shot lights out today. We are very fortunate to be able to do this three-peat, and it’s a great team. I've enjoyed coaching these young ladies.”

Mercy led by eight strokes over Lowell after the first round.

“I was feeling pretty good because we still had a lead early, and it got iffy, but I had all the confidence in the world in them and I knew they could do this,” Kowalski said. “They really wanted it, and they came through in the end.”

Polakowski said the team was confident despite the slew of others chasing them.

“We were a little worried because there were a lot of good teams here, but we knew we had the potential,” she said. “We felt like we had the opportunity to win it again, and we had positive vibes coming in.”

Dexter junior Avery Manning claimed the medalist honor with a 1-under-par 141. She finished ahead of Spring Lake’s Zoe Dull, who shot 146.

A competitor launches a shot from the sand.Manning fired a 3-under-par 69 on Friday and followed with an even-par 72. She placed runner-up at last year’s Final.

“If I came in second last year, then I can’t drop, right?,” Manning said with a small grin. “As a team we knew we had a chance to win, but individually I knew I had to have it. I just tried my best, I didn’t look at the leaderboard at all and I just went with the flow.

“It was just two great rounds overall. I think being able to do well on the same holes as the first day and to be able to tie my score or do better on those holes was important.”

Manning led by four strokes after the opening round.

“I told myself that if I maintained where I was then everything would work out, and it did,” Manning said. “My short game, especially my putting, and my approach shots were key for me.”

Dexter, which entered the final round in third place and 14 strokes back, posted its best finish since winning back-to-back Finals titles in the spring and fall of 2007.

“I think the girls did an amazing job,” said Dreadnaughts coach Greg Palkowksi, whose team placed seventh last year. “They stayed focused the entire 36 holes, and to play like they did today and come back from (Friday) and make up that difference was amazing. I just wanted them to go out and play and have fun and shoot the best they can. It was fun to watch.”

In addition to Manning, Dexter was led by junior Millie Triesdell (174) and freshman Maddy Manning (175).

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PHOTOS (Top) Dexter’s Avery Manning sends an approach shot during Saturday’s second round at The Meadows. (Middle) Farmington Hills Mercy’s Macy Morphew watches one of her putts roll toward the hole. (Below) A competitor launches a shot from the sand. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)