St. Francis' Slocum Dazzles, Kalamazoo Christian Completes Spectacular Rise
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
October 19, 2024
EAST LANSING — High school basketball season may not have started yet, but Traverse City St. Francis senior Grace Slocum might have recorded the best slam dunk of the prep sports season thus far during the second round of the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 Girls Golf Finals.
Playing the par-4 sixth hole at Forest Akers West, Slocum hit a long drive down the fairway and said she faced a second shot from roughly 40 yards out.
Taking out a 56-degree wedge, Slocum hit an approach that didn’t touch one blade of grass on the green. The ball went straight into the hole on the fly for an eagle.
LeBron James probably couldn’t have dunked it any better on the basketball court.
“I’ve had eagles before, but I’ve never dunked one quite like that far,” Slocum said. “It just went right in.’
It was the signature shot during a brilliant round for Slocum, who shot a 3-under par round of 69 on Saturday to earn the individual title. Slocum followed a 75 on Friday’s first day with the 69 for a total of 144, in the process preventing potential history.
Ann Arbor Greenhills senior Mia Melendez was aiming to become the first Lower Peninsula golfer to win four Finals individual titles. But a combination of her being just a bit off and Slocum’s terrific play thwarted those aspirations.
Melendez ended up third with a two-day total of 156 (81-75).
“I play with Mia all the time in the summer, and she’s an amazing person and an amazing golfer,” said Slocum, who was competing in her fourth Final and has committed to play in college for Wisconsin. “She’s played amazing the past three times. Of course, she didn’t play as well the past few days. But it’s golf, and I’m really excited to have won it.”
Brooklyn Columbia Central senior Logan Bentley was second behind Slocum with a total of 149 (74-75).
In the team competition, Kalamazoo Christian made history by winning its first Finals championship in girls golf.
After finishing as runner-up last year, the Comets took the next step with a two-day score of 732 (367-365).
“I think it started with this particular team four years ago with the freshman class that we had at the time that are seniors today,” Kalamazoo Christian head coach Mike Schield said. “We knew we were going to have an opportunity with them if we did our job to encourage them to keep playing and keep participating. Just to keep looking for ways to improve. They all stuck to it, all four of them. Two of them who played today in the top four were beginners four years ago. They’ve had quite a trajectory.”
Kalamazoo Christian was led by senior Jordyn Bonnema, who shot a two-day score of 157 (78-79) to place fourth individually. She was followed by senior Kennedy Gernaat, who finished with a 181 (88-93) to tie for 10th.
“Kennedy and Jordyn just bring a ton of leadership and experience to this team and really led the way this season and last year,” Schield said. “Just the entire process. It was fun to watch.”
The Comets slept Friday night on an eight-stroke lead over Lansing Catholic and a nine-shot advantage on Brooklyn Columbia Central, and didn’t flinch the second in pulling away from the field.
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian was runner-up with a final total of 748 (381-367), securing second place over Columbia Central (376-372) via the fifth-golfer tiebreaker.
Lansing Catholic was two shots behind in fourth place with a 750 (375-375).
“We just felt really comfortable this whole weekend,” Schield said.
PHOTOS (Top) Traverse City St. Francis’ Grace Slocum follows through on a swing during Saturday’s second round at Forest Akers West. (Middle) Kalamazoo Christian’s Scarlett Hindbaugh watches the flight of one of her shots. (Below) Columbia Central's Logan Bentley watches one of her putts during her runner-up finish.(Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Northville Sets Pace, Cui Takes Next Step
October 19, 2019
By Tom Lang
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – Division 1 girls golf is experiencing a youth movement.
Okemos sophomore Allison Cui won the MHSAA Final individual title in that division Saturday by shooting the second of a pair of 73s for a weekend 146 and three-stroke edge over junior Anci Dy of Traverse City West, who shot 76-73-149 for the 36-hole tournament at Forest Akers West on the Michigan State University campus.
Freshman Kate Brody of Grand Blanc was the first-round leader with a 72 but finished at 150 total, good for third place ahead of two golfers at 151 to round out the top five – Utica Eisenhower junior Ariel Chang and Plymouth sophomore Bridget Boczar.
“I’m just absolutely ecstatic,” Cui said. “I never thought that I’d be able to get this. I knew I had potential to, but for it just to all come together and have it work out in the end is amazing. So, to win it this year means a lot to me.”
Last season Okemos played in Division 2 and Cui tied for first place as just a freshman, but succumbed in a playoff to then-senior Kay Zubkus, who is now playing golf at Oakland University.
Cui said this win could be credited to solid putting, and good course management.
“I was able to pretty much two-putt from a lot of spots, even if I was far away from the hole,” she said. “But I also think it was about course management, playing smart and knowing where to hit the ball in good places to miss. I think that really helped lower my score.”
Cui was a participant in Augusta National’s Drive, Chip & Putt national finals in 2017, and Brody is heading to Georgia in April as the most recent winner of the DCP Regional contested at Oakland Hills Country Club.
When comparing her experience at Augusta National with wearing the Finals title medal around her neck, Cui replied: “Honestly, they’re both such different experiences, but this win and doing that are about the same.”
No. 1-ranked Northville won the team title for a second consecutive season, also with the help of youth like junior Katelyn Tokarz and freshman Samantha Coleman. Led by senior captains Sedona Shipka (who tied for ninth overall) and Sufna Gill, the Mustangs pulled away from the field by shooting 322-324-646. Taking second was Grosse Pointe South, with scores of 336-342-678, followed by Plymouth (352-338-690) in third, and Grand Blanc and Okemos each totaling 692.
“All year one of the challenges has been to meet the expectations the girls set for themselves last year, because almost every tournament we went to people told us we were going to be the state champions again. So maintaining our focus throughout the season,” said Northville coach Chris Cronin, pointing to the reasons for his team’s successful repeat run. “And I think the other thing these girls do is they just compete, from start to finish. Whether it was the first tournament of the year to the last tournament of the year, to 9-hole matches, they always compete. So, I think that’s the one thing that’s made us successful.”
Shipka said she took her role as co-captain seriously as the team prepared for another title run.
“For me this year has all been about the team, all about the girls, just making sure they’re happy,” she said. “And making sure they’re where they need to be to be successful.”
Gill, who placed fifth at the Division 1 Final last year, said the team dynamic is what led to a second season of elite success.
“I think we’ve all worked really hard,” Gill added. “We’ve all played together. We win as one, we lose as one and I think we’ve definitely been consistent and we’re just really proud of ourselves and our teammates for carrying us the whole season.”
An additional highlight was enjoyed by Macomb Dakota sophomore Helen Buk, who sank a hole-in-one on the 155-yard 12th hole.
PHOTOS: (Top) Okemos’ Allison Cui lines up a putt Saturday on the way to winning the Division 1 individual championship at Forest Akers West. (Middle) Northville’s Sedona Shipka also putts Saturday while helping the Mustangs to the team title. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)