Clarkston Everest Follows Individual Standouts to Repeat Team Championship
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 8, 2024
ALLENDALE – Clarkston Everest Collegiate coach David Smith may be a bit biased, but he believed he had two of the top players in Division 4 on his roster entering the season.
Smith’s top performers delivered, and it paved the way to a repeat title.
Everest won the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Boys Golf Final with a two-day total of 664 Saturday at The Meadows at Grand Valley State.
The Mountaineers defeated runner-up Grandville Calvin Christian by eight strokes, while Hillsdale Academy (674) placed third.
Everest junior Will Pennanen won the medalist honor after shooting a 148 total. He was the only golfer in the field to shoot in the 70s both days.
His teammate, junior Parker Stalcup, closed with a final round 74 to finish fourth at 157.
“We had two of our top guys from last year back and I thought were the best players in Division 4,” Smith said. “And I think they proved today that they are. They just shot good numbers when the pressure was on.
“Will has been chasing Parker, and they are best buddies. Parker pushes Will, and Will pushes Parker. This weekend Will had the better score, and last time it was Parker. They just cheer for each other and encourage and support each other, which makes them both a lot better.”
Pennanen fired a 76 on Friday amid extremely windy conditions and followed that up with an even-par 72.
He edged runner-up Michael Houtteman, of Maple City Glen Lake, by three strokes.
“It was crazy wind (Friday), and I was just trying to stay patient and make as many pars as possible,” Pennanen said. “Just keep the big numbers off the scorecard, just like today. I played well today. I left a few shots out there, but made a lot of birdies and chipped in for eagle.”
The eagle was the highlight of the day, taking place on the par-5, 14th hole.
“I’ve won tournaments before, but this one was really special to do with my team, too,” Pennanen said. “We have a lot of great players, and everyone has been stepping up and playing good. It was a team effort.”
Also contributing for Everest, which won’t graduate a starter, were juniors Mark Cross and Jimmy Schmitt and sophomores Nolan Alban and Dominic Walker.
“We played as a team today, and yesterday,” Stalcup said. “I don’t think at any point we thought we were going to lose this tournament.
“We gained two sophomores who didn’t play last year, so that was huge for our team. Obviously it’s always a cool experience to win the state finals, and we will come back next year stronger.”
Grandville Calvin Christian entered the final round in fifth place, but posted the best team total Saturday to jump into the second spot. The Squires shot a 322, which was 28 shots better than Day 1.
Sophomore Will Orme carded a final round 75 and finished with a 162, while junior Josh VanderWal had a 79 and closed with a 167.
“We say every stroke counts, and it certainly does,” Calvin Christian coach Herm Medema said. “We talked about it last night and this morning at our meetings that we are not that far away. First place was a little bit of a wish, but second place was very doable, and the guys never gave up.
“They kept at it, and it was a pleasure to see. They were more comfortable in their surroundings and a much looser group. They got after it and supported each other so well.”
The runner-up finish was the Squires’ best since they won the Lower Peninsula Class C Final in 1989.
Hillsdale Academy was led by Rykert Frisinger, who finished third individually at 155.
PHOTOS (Top) Clakrston Everest Collegiate celebrates its repeat championship Saturday at The Meadows. (Middle) Everest and Hillsdale Academy golfers finish a hole. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
DCC Runs Golf Championship Streak to 3 with 2nd-Round Surge
By
Todd VanSickle
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2026
BIG RAPIDS – Detroit Catholic Central clawed its way back Saturday to claim its third-consecutive Lower Peninsula Division 1 boys golf championship at Ferris State’s Katke Golf Course.
The Shamrocks finished with a score of 590 over the two-day 36-hole tournament.
“We started the day nine strokes back,” said Detroit Catholic Central coach Mike Fras. “We had to chase Brighton and Brother Rice, and we know how good they are. Everything really worked. We felt the pressure, but we handled it.”
DCC’s top placer was senior Jack Whitmore, who finished with a two-round 145. He shot a 69 on Saturday, with an eagle on hole 18 during the second round.
“I holed out from about 65 yards for eagle,” said Whitmore. “It was crazy. … We have won it in the past, so we knew we had it in us. We knew that we needed a low one today. All day the vibes were high.”
At the end of the second round, Whitmore was congratulated with high-fives and hugs from his teammates and coaches. He said winning a third-straight team championship is an indication of the program’s consistency.
“We practice all year long,” Whitmore said. “We are all friends and have team camaraderie. I think we are the strongest team out here bonding-wise.”
All told, the Shamrocks had four seniors competing at the Finals who had all made appearances in last year’s tournament, including David Krusinski, who shot a 79 on the first day and improved by four strokes Saturday. Collin Davis shot 146 and Luke Slankster finished with a 149.
The Shamrocks’ only freshman, Sal Camalo, ended the tournament with a 150.
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice took home the second-place team trophy with a score of 592. Senior Rocco Iacobelli was Rice’s top golfer with a 145 after carding a 71 on the final day. Teammate Joseph Karoutsos finished with a 150 and shot a 70 on the second day.
The Warriors shot a 292 on the first day and 300 on Saturday.
“We set out today to replicate what we did yesterday,” Brother Rice assistant coach David Sass said. “But we had a couple guys fall short. I am still proud of them. Nobody quit. I have to hand it to CC, if you shoot one-under on the day – that is pretty good – they deserve it.”
Brighton took third with 595, while Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern shot a 602 for fourth and Rochester Adams was fifth at 604.
The top individual golfer was decided in a playoff between three on hole 10.
Rochester Adams’ Ben Vento, Flushing’s AJ Gasper and Midland Dow’s David Han ended the first 36 holes tied at 142.
All three golfers had strong drives to begin the playoff hole, all well past the 150-yard mark down the middle of the fairway.
On their second shots, Vento and Gasper each chipped onto the green coming within three feet of the hole. Han also landed on the green, but missed his 30-foot putt to stay in contention for the top spot.
Vento was next up and sank his short putt in front of a large crowd of fans and golfers who gathered to watch.
“I think this is the biggest tournament I have ever played in,” Vento said. “I don’t think I have ever experienced a crowd like that. I think it was like 100 people. I was shocked that they all came out. My team was cheering pretty big for me. I really appreciated it.”
Gasper was the last to putt, but he narrowly missed the hole giving the Rochester Adams freshman the win.
“I kind of blacked out on all of my shots,” Vento said. “On my drive, I just swung as hard as I could. The chip was pretty good and the putt caught the left edge of the hole.”
Vento finished with a 70 on the first day and a 72 during the second round. He noted he had “good wedges all day.”
“My approach play was good all tournament, but I struggled off the tee,” he said. “Thanks to my coach for replacing my driver halfway through.”
Vento discovered a crack in his driver head, and after checking with officials they allowed him to replace it during the tournament.
“My coach came through clutch for me,” he said. “I hit the ball right down the fairway on the playoff hole.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s golf team poses for a photo after completing its championship victory Saturday. (Middle) Adams’ Ben Vento lines up a putt. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)