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Reigning Champs Retain Titles in D4
October 17, 2015
By Mark Meyer
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – A pair of twos were wild Saturday afternoon at Forest Akers East golf course.
Twos as in two straight Lower Peninsula Division 4 girls golf titles for Kalamazoo Hackett and two straight individual medalist honors for Maple City Glen Lake junior Nichole Cox.
Hackett held off Macomb Lutheran North to win the team title by nine strokes (684-693) while Cox carded a 74 to go with her 76 on Friday for a two-day total of 150, six strokes better than Frankenmuth runner-up Meg Watkins.
Hackett coach Alan Radomsky stood off to the side of the scoreboard as the team totals were being tabulated. He was comfortable in knowing that his team was prepared to play its best golf, despite the blustery, 45-degree weather.
“I don’t do a lot of coaching when the girls are on the course,” said Radomsky, whose team led by three strokes after Friday’s opening round. “I was confident in knowing that they were prepared to make the shots that would keep us in contention.
“Even though we won by a lot last year (33 strokes), I felt just as good going into the final round this year because I knew the girls would bring their best. That’s the kind of team they are.”
Junior Naomi Keyte led Hackett with a 76, and finished third overall at 158. Teammates Lizzie Stull (78-90) and Becca Radomsky (88-80) tied for sixth overall at 168.
“Lizzie didn’t quite have the round she was hoping for but Naomi and Becca were there to back her up,” Radomsky said, “and that’s pretty much how it’s been throughout the season. They pick each other up, support one another and refuse to let anything get them down.
“This team, more than any other I’ve coached (at Hackett) has truly exemplified what it means to be a team.”
Molly Clark (102-94) and Savannah Madden (96-105) completed the scoring for Hackett, which held a 344-347 lead over Lutheran North after 18 holes.
Lutheran North placed three individuals in the top 10. Sophomore Serena Nguyen shot 82-80 to finish fourth at 162 while teammates Sydney Martens (85-85) and Kaity Rittner (85-86) finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
Watkins’ 75 on Saturday helped Frankenmuth secure third place at 722 while Livonia Ladywood (725) and Lansing Catholic (761) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Meanwhile, Cox – who traveled nearly 200 miles from her home in Leelanau County’s Kasson Township (population of approximately 1,500) – felt right at home amid the stiff wind and cold temperature.
“I’m used to it, almost to the point where I look forward to it,” Cox said. “I think I do have an advantage in that the cooler temperatures really don’t bother me.”
Cox said she had a feeling it might be a good day after draining a long birdie putt on the opening hole.
“It started poorly (on hole No. 5) because I pulled my drive under a tree and then had to punch out,” Cox said. “I end up on the back side of the green, a long ways away. Then somehow I manage to sink this impossible, twisty-turning putt for a birdie. I had a feeling some more good things were going to happen.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Kalamazoo Hackett repeated as LP Division 4 champion, this time winning at Forest Akers East. (Middle) Maple City Glen Lake's Nichole Cox, left, and Frankenmuth's Meg Watkins claimed the top two spots in the individual standings. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
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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.)