Champions Prevail by Narrowest of Margins
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2018
GLADSTONE — A tie-breaker was needed to determine a team champion Thursday at the Upper Peninsula Division 3 Boys Golf Final.
Cedarville and Ontonagon finished with 351 strokes apiece on this warm and humid day at Irish Oaks Golf Course.
It was Ontonagon, however, crowned champion for the first time since 2006 based on a lower score by its fifth golfer.
Ontonagon’s No. 5 golfer, senior James Domitrovich, shot 100 and Cedarville’s fifth score was 104, enough to give the Gladiators the edge.
“The kids on both of our teams have a great work ethic,” said Ontonagon coach Adam Spaulding. “The boys and girls are out there every day practicing, and the results have shown. The kids have come a long way in three weeks. Our course (Ontonagon Country Club) didn’t open until May 12 (due to weather and course conditions), but they understand the situation.”
Crystal Falls Forest Park placed third at 355, followed by three-time reigning champ Carney-Nadeau at 370 and Dollar Bay at 484.
Forest Park senior Lee Hedtke was medalist with 80, followed by Ontonagon juniors Henry Menigoz and Ed Polakowski and Cedarville senior Trevor Khollman at 82.
“In the first nine holes, I played solid,” said Hedtke. “I hit the ball straight, and staying on the fairway makes the game a lot easier. My short game was real good, and my putting was even better. It’s a great feeling to do something like this at the end of the year.”
Hedtke, who plans to enroll at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay this fall, fired a 35 through his first nine holes. A brief downpour then provided its share of challenges during the second half of the tourney.
“It was pouring for three holes in a row, and I got a little frustrated for about 4-5 holes,” said Hedtke. “That can get into your head very quickly. Then, I became a little more patient and birdied one hole.
“A 35 in the first nine set the tone. We were waiting for the rain to stop, yet we wanted to keep playing at a fast pace. You just have to play through it.”
Cedarville freshman Caleb Khollman placed fifth at 83. He was followed by Powers North Central senior Ben Snyder at 86, Carney sophomore Max Baumler, Cedarville freshman Jay Freel and Chassell junior Blade Warren all at 87 and Forest Park sophomore Evan Hedtke and junior Riley Hendrickson and Dollar Bay sophomore Ashton Janke all firing 89.
“That wasn’t bad at all,” said Cedarville coach Rob Freel. “Our second, third and fourth guys played about the same. I’m happy with the way we played. Our boys have a young group coming back, and our girls finished in a good place.”
Pickford junior Cody Campbell sank a hole-in-one, using a 9-iron on the No. 5 hole.
“It felt nice,” Campbell said of his tee shot. “It came off great and got a lot of elevation right away. It was jaw dropping. It was also very exciting. It’s a very rare event to have happen.”
PHOTOS: (Top) The Ontonagon boys won the U.P. Division 3 Golf Final title Thursday at Gladstone’s Irish Oaks Golf Course. Members of the team are, from left: Henry Menigoz, Bradley Myhren, James Domitrovich, Eddy Polakowski, Tomas Immonen and Coach Adam Spaulding. (Middle) Forest Park’s Lee Hedtke watches a putt roll toward the hole Thursday; he shot 80 for the boys medalist honor. (Photos by Mike Mattson.)
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Lacrosse Finals Move to U-M Among Headlines as Spring Sports Ramp Up
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 9, 2024
The Girls & Boys Lacrosse Finals will be played at University of Michigan Lacrosse Stadium for the first time, one of the most notable changes for this season as sports ramp up for more than 100,000 athletes anticipated to participate this spring for Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools.
The MHSAA sponsors postseason competition each spring in baseball, girls and boys lacrosse, girls soccer, softball, girls and boys track & field, boys golf (Lower and Upper Peninsula) and girls golf (UP), and girls (LP) and boys (UP) tennis.
The U-M Lacrosse Stadium opened for competition in 2018 and seats 2,000 spectators. The Girls Lacrosse Finals will be played Friday, June 7, with Division 1 at 4 p.m. and Division 2 at 7 p.m. The Boys Lacrosse Finals will be played the following day, June 8, with Division 2 at 11 a.m. and Division 1 at 2 p.m.
Girls lacrosse also has a significant format adjustment this season, as games will be played with four 12-minutes quarters instead of the previous two halves, in part to allow coaches more opportunities to provide direct instruction during a game. Two more rules changes are expected to improve flow of play – players awarded a free position outside of the critical scoring area no longer must come to a stop and settled stance before self-starting, and false start penalties outside the critical scoring area have been eliminated.
Several more rules changes will be noticeable this spring:
In boys lacrosse, a change was made to enhance player safety. Play will stop immediately any time a player’s helmet comes off, and that player may not return until the next dead ball after play continues.
Fair and legal starts are a continued emphasis for track & field, and a rule change will allow for movement before the start of the race as long as a competitor does not leave their mark with a hand or a foot after the “set” command, or make forward motion before the starting device is activated.
A significant rule change in softball alters pitch delivery mechanics. The pitcher may now have both feet off the ground at the same time when releasing the ball as long as both feet remain within the 24-inch width of a pitching plate and the pitcher does not replant the pivot foot before delivering the pitch.
Another change in softball requires that a playbook/playcard be worn on the wrist or kept in a back pocket to reduce distractions. If worn by the pitcher, the equipment must be worn on the non-pitching arm. Similarly in baseball, a wristband with plays or instructions will be permitted but must be a single, solid color, and for pitchers may not contain the colors white or gray or be otherwise distracting. Baseball players must wear this wristband on the wrist or forearm, and pitchers may wear one only on their non-pitching arm.
Also in baseball, a rule change allows for one-way communication devices worn by the catcher to receive instructions from the dugout while on defense, for the purpose of calling pitches. The coach must be inside the dugout/bench area to use the communication device.
Golfers now are required to participate in at least four competitions for the high school team prior to representing that school team in an MHSAA Regional or Final. Those four regular-season competitions may be 9 or 18-hole events.
In tennis, for the first time in Lower Peninsula play, a No. 1 doubles flight from a non-qualifying team will be able to advance from its Regional to Finals competition. To do so, that No. 1 doubles flight must finish first or second at its Regional, and the No. 1 singles player from that team also must have qualified for the Finals individually by finishing first or second in Regional play.
On the soccer pitch, two officiating-related changes will be especially noticeable. Officials now may stop the clock to check on an injured player without that player being required to leave the match – previously that player would have to sub out. Also, categories for fouls have been redefined: careless (which is a foul but does not receive a card), reckless (a foul with a yellow card) and excessive force (foul with red card).
The 2023-24 Spring campaign culminates with postseason tournaments, as the championship schedule begins with the Upper Peninsula Girls & Boys Golf and Boys Tennis Finals during the week of May 27 and wraps up with Girls Soccer, Baseball and Softball Finals on June 15. Here is a complete list of winter tournament dates:
Baseball
Districts – May 23-June 1
Regional Semifinals – June 5
Regional Finals, Quarterfinals – June 8
Semifinals – June 13-14
Finals – June 15
Golf
LP Boys Regionals – May 28-June 1
UP Girls & Boys Finals – May 29, 30, 31 or June 1
LP Boys Finals – June 7-8
Boys Lacrosse
Pre-Regionals – May 10-15
Regionals – May 16-29
Quarterfinals – May 31 or June 1
Semifinals – June 5
Finals – June 8
Girls Lacrosse
Pre-Regionals – May 16-18, or May 20
Regionals – May 22-June 1
Semifinals – June 5
Finals – June 7
Girls Soccer
Districts – May 22-June 1
Regionals – June 4-8
Semifinals – June 11-12
Finals – June 14-15
Softball
Districts – May 23-June 1
Regionals – June 8
Quarterfinals – June 11
Semifinals – June 13-14
Finals – June 15
Tennis
LP Girls Regionals – May 15-18
UP Boys Finals – May 29, 30, 31 or June 1
LP Girls Finals – May 31-June 1
Track & Field
Regionals – May 16-18
Finals – June 1