D4 Champions Make Saturday Count
June 7, 2014
By Chip Mundy
Special to Second Half
BATTLE CREEK – It was better to be the hunter than the hunted Saturday in the MHSAA Division 4 Final at the Bedford Valley Golf Club.
White Pigeon was third after the first round Friday and trailed first-place Charlevoix by seven strokes, but made it up in a big way Saturday to win the second MHSAA title in school history – the first came in 2002 – by nine strokes over the Rayders and Lincoln Alcona.
Meanwhile, the same happened in the battle for individual champion. Junior Joel Sneed of Leland was third after the first day and trailed by four strokes, but shot a 1-over-par 73 to capture the title by four over Sam Wagner of Pentwater and Noah Schneider of Jackson Christian.
Schneider had a three-stroke lead after an opening 70 but ballooned to 81 on Saturday to open the door for Sneed, who grabbed the lead when he chipped in from a bunker on the 11th hole.
“Kudos to Noah,” said Sneed, who was fourth as a freshman and 11th last year as a sophomore. “He started out really, really solid, and I kind of expected him to be nervous at the beginning.
“It’s hard to play with the lead – I’ve been in that position before, but not in the state tournament but other tournaments – and it’s really, really tough to play with a four-shot lead. You feel like with every shot that you lose, ‘Geez, there’s another one gone.’ “I thought I was in a good spot.”
Sneed had solid rounds of 74 on Friday and 73 on Saturday. He had 16 pars and two bogeys on Friday and 13 pars with three bogeys and two birdies Saturday.
White Pigeon was similarly consistent with a 328 on Friday and 326 on Saturday. Its top four players each shot between 76 and 87 both days.
“We’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” White Pigeon coach Mark Olsen said. “The kids have really gone with the strategy of hitting the fairways and the greens – you can keep your score under control doing that - and it worked.
“They deserve the credit and followed the plan to the letter, and good things happened.”
The Chiefs broke it open when Riley Olsen, Andrew Mann and Jordan Olsen each birdied a hole simultaneously on Nos. 14, 15 and 16.
“When I birdied 16, I hit that putt, and I knew it was in,” said Riley Olsen, who led White Pigeon with rounds of 81 and 76 for a 157 total. “I fist-pumped, and our crowd went crazy. It was awesome. It felt great.”
Riley Olsen said he received some solid advice from his older brother Chase, who was on White Pigeon’s runner-up team in 2009.
“The par 5s out here are real tough – they have water and bunkers – so Chase said, ‘Why hit drivers and risk getting yourself in a bunker and then hit a long club and risk it again?’ So I hit hybrids and irons and made a couple of birdies on par 5s too, so it worked out perfect.
“I could not be happier with my game plan.”
Mann, who said he struggled a week earlier in the Regional, was second for the Chiefs with a 158 total after rounds of 76 on Friday and 82 on Saturday.
“I didn’t play very good at the Regional, and I learned a lot from it,” he said. “I wasn’t hitting good shots, so this week I worked really hard during practice, and it turned out great.
“It feels really, really good. I’m so proud of my team. We wanted to win, and we won.”
Freshman Jordan Olsen, younger brother of Riley and son of coach Mark Olsen, added rounds of 84 on Friday and 81 on Saturday for a 165. Like his older brother, he heeded some pre-tournament advice.
“Riley gave me some strategy for different holes and told me just to keep calm and have fun,” Jordan Olsen said. “Riley and I compete against each other in every practice every day, and we strive to beat each other, and that’s how we got better and how we got to where we are today.”
Coach Olsen said the addition of Jordan Olsen to the team this year was instrumental in it becoming a complete team.
“We did not even make it to the Regionals last year,” he said. “When my younger boy Jordan came into high school, that really strengthened the team, but I still didn’t think we would be this caliber of a team because it takes four.
“We had three all-state kids in 2009, but we didn’t have a fourth. This year, we had four that have been playing solid intermittently, and now we have them playing together. You have to have four playing together.”
The fourth this weekend was junior Christian Ryall-Shoup, who had back-to-back rounds of 87 for a 174 total.
“It’s crazy,” Jordan Olsen said. “We weren’t even expected to get to state this year, and the fact that we won is mind-blowing, especially as a freshman.
“We were hoping to get out of Regionals, and we won state.”
After the first round, Charlevoix led with 321, while Auburn Hills Oakland Christian was second with 327 and White Pigeon was third at 328.
“A 328 here is an awesome score, and we bettered it (Saturday),” Mark Olsen said. “This course is going to bite you. If you hit it into the trees, it’s a one- or two-stroke penalty every time. Our guys hit fairway to green, punch out of trouble.
“We have three basic rules: When you’re chipping, you get on the green; if you’re in the sand trap, you get out of the sand trap; if you’re in trouble, you get out of trouble safely and if they do that, they’re back to playing golf.”
White Pigeon went from a first-day score of 328 to 326, while Charlevoix jumped from 321 to 342 and Oakland Christian went from 327 to 341.
Riley Olsen said he wasn’t concerned about his team’s position after the first round.
“It was definitely a calming thing,” he said. “We knew the teams ahead of us were definitely thinking about it – you could tell by their scores. Both teams went 20 shots worse.”
Coach Olsen also was pleased with the position his team was in after the first day.
“We set out with the idea that we’re the hunter, so we started out trying to put the pressure on them and see what happens,” he said. “The other teams didn’t respond very well, and we just kept the gas pedal down, and it just worked out really well.
“I’d rather be the hunter than the hunted; I know that.”
PHOTOS: White Pigeon’s Riley Olsen follows a shot during the second round of the MHSAA Division 4 Final. (Middle) Leland’s Joel Sneed watches an approach on his way to claiming the individual championship. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Reigning Champs Could Set Pace, but Contenders Ready to Climb
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 2, 2026
There are three strong repeat championship candidates teeing off at this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Boys Golf Finals.
But there are several more hopefuls hoping to enjoy that ultimate accomplishment for the first time, or first time in a while.
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in Division 1 and Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in Division 4 are both top-ranked teams seeking their first team titles in more than a decade. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Essexville Garber, Charlevoix and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian are teams ranked among the top three in their divisions seeking a first Finals win. There will be four new individual medalists as well, as all four of last season’s were seniors.
Play begins both Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. See below for more on a number of teams and individuals who could be in contention, and check out the Boys Golf page for full lineups and more.
Division 1 at Ferris State’s Katke Golf Course
Top-ranked: 1. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 2. Detroit Catholic Central, 3. Hartland.
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice: The Warriors are seeking their first Finals championship since 2012, and after finishing sixth a year ago with just one senior in the lineup. Five of those golfers are back (including two who played a round apiece at the 2025 Final) and three placed among the top 11 individuals as Brother Rice won its Regional at Milford’s Mystic Creek in a tie-breaker over DCC. Sophomore William Smidt was the Regional medalist, senior Rocco Iabobelli tied for fourth and senior Joseph Karoutsos tied for 11th.
Detroit Catholic Central: The Shamrocks are seeking a third-straight Division 1 title and fourth over the last five seasons. Although they finished second with that tie-breaker at the Regional, senior David Krusinski tied for fourth, senior Jack Whitmore and junior Kyle Chong tied for seventh and senior Collin Davis tied for 11th. Krusinski, Whitmore and Davis were part of last season’s lineup, Whitmore finishing second in the individual standings and missing out on first by just a stroke. Krusinski and Whitmore were part of the 2024 championship lineup as well.
Hartland: The Eagles are seeking their first championship since winning Class A in 1997, and making their first appearance at the Finals since 2021. Hartland advanced this time with a Regional championship at Dunham Hills in Hartland, carding a 297 led by junior Aidan Oake tying for fourth individually. All five Eagles scored counted 73-76 strokes and placed among the top 10 (with ties), with senior Wyatt Johnson and junior Liam Kastamo tying for sixth and senior Michael Maurin and sophomore Jase Sensor tying for 10th.
Individuals: Five of last season’s top 15 (top 10 with ties) will return this weekend. Warren De La Salle Collegiate junior Julian Sinishtaj placed just behind DCC’s Whitmore last season, one stroke back in third, and Rochester Adams junior Nick Smith (sixth), Holland West Ottawa senior William Nagelvoort (tied for eighth) and Brighton senior Adam Forcier (tied for 10th) also are in the field this weekend. They’ll be joined by a new wave of contenders. Along with Brother Rice’s Smidt, Regional champions last week were Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern senior Mathieu Duflo, Midland Dow junior David Han, Utica Eisenhower junior Dylan Zahuranic, Brighton senior Brandon Lovejoy and junior Grady Bissett, and Berkley sophomore Jonah Sterling.
Division 2 at The Meadows at Grand Valley State
Top-ranked: 1. Grand Rapids Christian, 2. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 3. Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Grand Rapids Christian: The Eagles won last year’s championship, their second in three seasons, by nine strokes and return the individual runner-up in senior Cooper Reitsma and third-place (tie) finisher in senior Sawyer O’Grady, plus another starter in senior Ty Erickson. O’Grady was first and Reitsma second as Grand Rapids Christian won their Regional at Clearbrook in Saugatuck with a 303.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central: The Cougars won Division 3 in 2021 and 2023, and will make a run at the Division 2 team title after sending only Tommy Preston to the Finals as an individual qualifier last season. He finished 17th as a freshman and leads a lineup that won its Regional by a stroke last week at Katke, as he finished fourth and sophomore Brady Berkemeier placed ninth.
Grand Rapids South Christian: The Sailors finished fourth last season and entered this postseason ranked fourth, and finished second and six strokes back at Clearbrook last week. Junior Harris Hoekwater – who tied for eighth at last year’s Final – tied for third and senior Caleb Krosschell tied for eighth at last week’s Regional. Junior Drew Vanderheide also is back from last spring’s championship lineup.
Individuals: Now-seniors Andrew Chang and Henry Delzer tied for third and fifth, respectively, in leading Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood’s Finals lineup last spring. East Grand Rapids’ junior JP Levan returns after finishing seventh, Ada Forest Hills Eastern junior Jack Klimek is back after tying for eighth, and Allendale junior Sumner Meekhof will return looking to build on his tie for 10th. Add in the Grand Rapids Christian pair and seven of the top 11 (top 10 with ties) will play again this weekend, with Meekhof, O’Grady and Chang winning Regional titles last week and joined as well by Detroit Country Day senior Yousef Darwich, Bay City Western senior Drew Goik and Parma Western freshman Bentley Coon in topping their respective standings.
Division 3 at Battle Creek’s Bedford Valley
Top-ranked: 1. Jackson Lumen Christi, 2. Essexville Garber, 3. Grosse Ile.
Jackson Lumen Christi: The Titans carded a 292 Regional score last week, 16 strokes lower than any other team in Division 3 as they prepare to play for a repeat Finals title. They placed four of the top five scorers at Cascades in Jackson – junior Gabe Cooper was medalist, junior Brandon Kulka second, junior Carson Spencer third and freshman Sam Swihart tied for fourth. Kulka tied for third as Lumen won last season’s Final by 13 strokes.
Essexville Garber: The Dukes finished fourth at last year’s Final and are seeking their first top-two finish since placing second in 1999. The top four scorers from last year’s championship weekend all are back, and all placed among the top 10 as Garber won its Regional last week by 26 strokes at Scenic Golf & Country Club in Pigeon. Senior Devin Dueweke was second, senior Jonah Williams and freshman Nicholas Zeilinger tied for third, senior Lucas Schiefer tied for seventh and junior Aaron Theisen was 10th. Williams tied for eighth at last year’s Final.
Grosse Ile: After finishing sixth at last year’s Final, Grosse Ile will make a run at a first title since 2003 starting five seniors including three from last season’s lineup. The Red Devils finished second to Lumen Christi at their Cascades Regional with those three seniors leading the way; Nicholas Joly-Naso tied for fourth, Braden Chessor tied for sixth and Luke Lazorka tied for 10th.
Individuals: Along with Lumen Christi’s Kulka, Chesaning junior Luke Skaryd and Grand Rapids West Catholic senior Owen Kotowski tied for third at last season’s Final. Clare junior Bryce Wieferich is back after tying for sixth, with Garber’s Williams gives this field five of last year’s top nine returning. Grandville Calvin Christian senior Will Orme also will play after finishing ninth in LPD4 last spring. Joining Lumen Christi’s Cooper among Regional champs last week were Elk Rapids sophomore Blake Springstead, North Muskegon junior Luke Jones, Schoolcraft freshman Toby Degroote, Saginaw Valley Lutheran sophomore Reid Schisler and Ann Arbor Greenhills junior Keating Holland.
Division 4 at Forest Akers West
Top-ranked: 1. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 2. Charlevoix, 3. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian.
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: The Lancers are pursuing their first Finals championship since 2011, and their 324 Regional score last week at The Fountains in Clarkston was the third-lowest in all of Division 4 even as it placed only second to Riverview Gabriel Richard’s 319 at that tournament. Sophomore Silas Combs was the medalist and could make a big jump this weekend after tying for 41st at least year’s Final in leading Oakland Christian to a 12th-place team finish. He’s one of four starters back from that lineup.
Charlevoix: The Rayders carded a 327 at their Regional at Birchwood Farms in Harbor Springs to finish first and book a return to the Finals. Seniors Bryce Boss and Joe Gaffney tied for third and junior Maxwell Drenth finished ninth at the Regional, and all three were also in the lineup when Charlevoix finished sixth at the 2024 Division 4 Final. The Rayders are seeking their first title and finished runner-up in 2014.
Muskegon Western Michigan Christian: WMC also is seeking a first championship and finished runner-up most recently in 2010. The Warriors advanced to the Finals for the first time since 2019 with a runner-up finish to No. 6 McBain Northern Michigan Christian at the Regional at Crystal Mountain’s Betsie Valley in Thompsonville. Junior Lucas Weare tied for third, junior Ian Vanderstelt tied for seventh and senior Zach Weare and junior Braeden Olsen tied for 10th.
Individuals: Senior Isaiah Ponstine from Wyoming Potter’s House Christian is the highest-returning placer from a year ago, when he tied for fifth, and NMC’s Blair Dezeeuw and Traverse City Christian’s Joey Mirabelli are back after tying for seventh. Joining Combs among Regional champs this time were Leland junior Hayden Vansteenhouse, NMC junior Dries Vannoord, Springport junior Brody Baum, Hillsdale Academy junior Edward Keaster and Bay City All Saints sophomore Robby Taylor.
PHOTO Essexville Garber’s Devin Dueweke tees off during last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)