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.)
Calvin Christian's Outstanding Ending to 2024 Sparking Strong 2025 Start
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
April 24, 2025
GRANDVILLE – If only last year’s Division 4 Boys Golf Final had been extended another day.
Grandville Calvin Christian played its best during the final round of the 2024 season, and it resulted in the team’s highest Finals finish since 1990.
The Squires finished runner-up to repeat champion Clarkston Everest Collegiate at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University, just eight strokes back after entering the final round in fifth place and trailing by 17.
“Last year I think the guys really didn’t know what to expect going into the state tournament,” Calvin Christian coach Herm Medema said. “But they were ready to play and were familiar with the golf course, which really helps. They found out they could play with some of the higher-echelon teams that we are trying to chase and emulate. That we can do as well as they have in the past.
“We had a really good second day so we are kind of feeding off of that, and they were wishing it was a three-day tournament.”
The Squires recorded the best team total on the second day of the Final, posting an impressive 322 – a 28-stroke improvement from their first round.
Three golfers improved by nine strokes or more from the first round, including junior Will Orme. He fired a second-day 75 after an opening-round 87 and jumped into seventh place individually.
As this year’s No. 1 player, Orme, a returning all-state selection, is one of four starters back from that Finals lineup. The experience and veteran leadership has created lofty expectations.
“Coming into the season, we had thoughts of being a good team because of how well we did last year,” Orme said. “Even though we got second, we knew we were only losing one guy, so coming back this year I think our confidence was higher than ever.
“We were all excited to see how well we could do and get our revenge this year.”
So far, the Squires have built off their success from a year ago.
A win in their first Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver jamboree was a promising start, and they followed with a victory at the 15-team Kent City Invitational.
“We’ve played pretty good this year, and anytime you can have experience then it’s really going to help,” Medema said. “And they really like each other. These guys really care for each other, and they do a lot of things together. They go on spring break together, they hang out together and they play other sports together.
“Most of them are multi-sport athletes too. Two of them play basketball and did really well, and our No. 3 guy was an all-state hockey player. I think it helps a ton to have multi-sport athletes.”
Three seniors – Josh VanderWal, Mason Schroeder and Caleb Teusink – occupy the next three spots after Orme.
Schroeder has been playing exceptionally well early this season with a second-place finish Monday at Egypt Valley Golf Course and the medalist honor in Kent City.
It’s been a positive sign that any of the top four can go low on any given day.
“I think our biggest strength is any guy can go out and just have a great round,” Orme said. “And when one of us doesn't, then the others can cover for each other because we’re pretty consistent. We don’t have really bad rounds, and we play well off each other. We mesh really well.”
The Squires have steadily moved up in their Finals standings over the last few seasons. They placed ninth in 2022 and seventh two years ago before last spring’s runner-up finish.
“We’ve been to the state tournament three years now, and it’s about experience,” VanderWal said. “Each time it’s gotten easier. The nerves are going to be there, but it’s about how you deal with them, and all of us have another year under our belt.
“We have a deep team this year, so everyone is picking each other up and we’re doing well. It's been fun, but I’m hoping for warmer weather and less wind.”
While the MHSAA Tournament is still several weeks away, Calvin Christian is simply trying to make strides in the meantime in hopes of competing once again for a Finals championship.
“I think we all want it pretty bad,” Orme said. “We had a great time and it was a great experience last year getting runner-up, but we are all hungry this year and want to get what we wanted last year. I think we have just as good, if not better, chance this year.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Calvin Christian’s Caleb Teusink sends an approach shot during last season’s Division 4 Final at The Meadows. (Middle) The Squires take a team photo after last year’s runner-up finish; all but one golfer is back this spring. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)