Chipelewski Leads Talented Marquette Lineup to Impressive Title-Clinching 300
By
Caden Sierra
Special for MHSAA.com
May 30, 2024
MARQUETTE — The Marquette boys golf team showcased its depth while taking advantage of its home Marquette Golf Club course Wednesday to capture the team title at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 Final
The young Sentinels separated themselves from the competition by more than 20 strokes, taking the top spot with an impressive four-player score of 300 while placing three of the top five individuals. They beat out runner-up Houghton, which had 321, and third-place Escanaba with 325.
Manistique came in fourth with 332 strokes, followed by Calumet in fifth with 333.
“These kids put in a ton of time, and we had a lot of depth,” veteran MSHS head coach Ben Smith said right after the result was determined. “Not only playing here today, but a lot of kids who have been in matches and played really well throughout the spring.
“It’s never easy … 300 is a really good score, and I'm really proud of the kids and the effort that they put in.”
The Sentinels’ Kaleb Chipelewski won the medalist honor by topping the leaderboard with 72 to edge teammate Boden Moore by a single stroke. The tight race for the top was followed by Baraga’s Cage Osterman just another stroke back at 74, with three more golfers tying for fourth with 75 — Marquette’s Jack Pond, Houghton’s Brenden Jukuri and Escanaba’s Shane Wallin.
“I played really good; my (place) was high,” Chipelewski said. “Just came in, birdies on (Nos.) 2 and 3. Then bogeyed (Nos.) 7, 11 and 12, scored a couple more. It was really nice.”
Moore was both happy and a bit frustrated after coming so close to the top.
“I hit the ball really well, played really well, just couldn't get a putt to go in pretty much,” the runner-up said. “I ate a bunch of pars, but the team had a great round, so it (is) a good win.”
Pond had his own take on the Final, making a reference to NBA legend Michael Jordan — perhaps an unusual reference for someone who wasn’t even born when the famed Chicago Bulls player won his half-dozen league titles.
“It was like my MJ-flu-type game,” he said, referring to the time Jordan was sick but still gutted out one of his best games in the finals. “Started off slow, shot a good score on the back nine for how tough it was out there. I started off hot with 1-under(-par) through (No.) 6 and then finished with a few bogeys, but ended up being a really good day overall."
The entire top 10 — actually a top 13 with a big logjam around 10th place — all shot in the 70s.
After the logjam for fourth, Westwood’s Tanner Annala was next in seventh with 76, while Escanaba's Graham Johnson was eighth with 77. Then came a five-way tie for ninth, each with 79 — Jonah Slawinski of Menominee, Ben Anderson of Calumet, Marino Pisani of Houghton, Carson Kronemeyer of Sault Ste. Marie and Landen Dougherty of Manistique.
Marquette's Pavel McCutcheon and Kingsford senior Lance Harry came right in at 80 to tie for 14th place.
“These kids have pretty good nerves and hang in there when there are some tough stretches,” Smith said. “They play some high-quality golf when they need to, and it was really nice to see them do that today.”
PHOTOS (Top) Marquette's Kaleb Chipelewski addresses his putt on the ninth hole during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 Final on Wednesday at Marquette Golf Club. (Middle) Houghton’s Marino Pisani watches his tee shot on the first hole. (Photos by Caden Sierra.)
Pipkorn Emerges with Season-Best Score to Lead North Central's Repeat Run
By
Jason Juno
Special for MHSAA.com
May 28, 2025
ESCANABA — Powers North Central’s Nathan Pipkorn hadn’t shot in the 70s all season, and he was golfing with the No. 3s at Wednesday’s Upper Peninsula Division 3 Boys Golf Final.
He was the No. 1 by the end of the day.
Pipkorn beat his previous season best by six strokes and became the champion by carding a 76 at Escanaba Country Club. He finished ahead of freshman runner-up Christian VanDamme of Rock Mid Peninsula by five strokes.
“I really, really picked it up today and got it done,” Pipkorn said. “My chipping and putting was absolutely phenomenal today. I two or one-putt just about everything, and I went up and down all the time.”
Pipkorn also led the Jets to a second consecutive team championship, their third in the last four seasons. Lake Linden-Hubbell finished runner-up.
“That’s the one that matters the most,” Pipkorn said. “I’m glad we got it done.”
The sophomore was the first Jet to win a U.P. Finals title since Bryson Mercier won his third straight in 2022.
“I definitely didn’t expect it,” Pipkorn said. “I’m usually not in this type of situation. But I’m very excited.”
The day didn’t start well. He bogeyed the first three holes.
“But after that I really picked it up,” he said.
The sophomore thought he was probably in the hunt after finishing even on the front nine.
“It was when I saw the second-place guy bogey about four holes in a row,” he said. “Then I knew.”
They weren’t golfing together because Pipkorn was back with the 3s. Golfers keep score on their phones these days, and a side benefit is seeing where you stack up against the rest of the competition.
“He can score,” North Central coach Zeke Strand said. “When he’s playing well, he keeps the golf course in front of him. Chipping and putting, getting up and down, he’s a gamer, that kind of thing, too.”
It was a great day all the way around for the Jets, who added to their extensive MHSAA trophy collection. Besides their recent golf success, North Central has won five Finals titles since 8-player football started in 2011, and three straight Class D boys basketball titles from 2015-17, a stretch during which they never lost a game.
Strand was just worried about keeping their success on the golf course going.
“It’s my first year coaching golf, so our previous golf coach said I got to get it again,” Strand said. “We did. We played well, and we earned it. It feels great.”
The Jets’ Alex Pipkorn also finished among the top five. He and Lake Linden-Hubbell’s Tyler Axford both carded 82s to tie for third. Big Bay de Noc’s Parker Pederson finished with an 84 to round out the top five.
PHOTOS (Top) Power North Central's Nathan Pipkorn tees off Wednesday at Escanaba Country Club. (Middle) Mid Peninsula's Christian VanDamme chips toward the green during his Finals round. (Photos by Jason Juno.)