Skyline's Favorite Status Stands with 1st Finals Win
By
Tom Lang
Special for MHSAA.com
June 12, 2021
EAST LANSING – Ann Arbor Skyline was ranked No. 1 all season, which meant bringing high expectations into the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Boys Golf Finals as the prohibitive favorite.
And with a lineup that boasted two freshmen, the Eagles delivered at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West.
Skyline recorded a two-day total 594, placing ahead of runner up Detroit Catholic Central (603), plus Traverse City West and Forest Hills Northern (each at 613).
Three of the Eagles’ five players had never been to the Finals before.
“So, they really didn’t understand what all the hype was, which kind of served as a good thing, to not know exactly what they were getting into,” said Skyline head coach Ashley Mantha. “But once they got here, they understood what I was talking about. Fortunately, our (program has) been here before so I could share with the newbies on what to expect.”
Skyline had four players place among the individual top 25 to pace the field. Freshman Ieuan Jones was part of a three-way tie for runner-up to medalist Davis Codd of Brighton, followed by Skyline brothers Vibhav and Vimal Alokam at T13 and T23, respectively, plus Mitchell Strickland at T23.
“Usually we’re the underdogs (coming into a state final), so there a big role reversal today,” Mantha said. “We’ve never been in this situation so how do we prepare for people coming for us, so to speak?
“Each player has like a key phrase I can use to get them in the right head space. We talk about things like how they play with their buddies, or I say ‘Washtenaw,’ just little things that kind of bring them back down to their own game.”
Mantha pointed out how the win was truly a team victory as Skyline counted a normally fifth-player score toward Friday’s first round.
“Luke Richard, my junior, shot his best season score on Friday in the five spot,” she said. Normally he’s in the high 70s but he got a 74 for us, which counted because my No. 1 shot his worst score (on Friday). You can talk about how we should play, but he really played to the moment.”
On the individual side, Brighton’s Codd had spent the last two weeks at an NHL prospects hockey camp in Erie, Pa. – and had to return there immediately Saturday night to play in a game Sunday in front of several NHL pro teams’ scouts.
Yet that didn’t stop the high school golfer from returning to Michigan twice to become co-medalist at his Regional and finish the season at Forest Akers.
And did he ever finish it in style.
Codd came back from 12th place after Friday’s first-round score of 73 to shoot 5-under par 67 on day two (140 total), to win the individual championship.
“Going into this day I had a game plan to go out there and make as many birdies as I could,” Codd said. “The entire day I didn’t look at the leaderboard once. After I walked off that green (No. 13) I kind of figured it out (that I’d won). But I had the same game plan all day, to go and attack the hole.”
Attack he did.
Codd birdied his first four holes (Nos. 14-17), and after some up-and-down play midway through the round, he stepped up to the last hole, the par-5 13th, and ripped a drive down the long, skinny fairway to within wedge length. He made a two-putt birdie to top off his final round as a high school player, who happens to double as a professional hockey player for the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit. Prior to joining the Spirit, he finished Division 1 golf runner-up as a freshman and sixth as a sophomore, and he was able to compete again this golf season because the Spirit have not played in over a year.
Codd out-paced three others who tied for runner-up at 143 – Murphy Kehoe of Traverse City West, first-round leader Jack Zubkus from Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, and Jones of Skyline.
“When you start off with four birdies in a row, that gets the wheels going around and sets a pace,” Codd said. “But I had just a different level of focus on those first four holes, and when that happened, I felt like it was my day, and my day to win, so it was great to start that way.”
Codd said he didn’t get in a practice round for Finals, so he didn’t set any expectations for himself.
“I just went out there to try and enjoy my last two rounds as a high schooler, and it worked out,” he said.
“It’s pretty special to be a part of this Brighton program,” Codd added about the team that took seventh place Saturday. “I was just so fortunate to have my coach, Jimmy Dewling, such a great golf mind and such a great friend, to guide my golf career these last few years and I can’t thank him enough. And I’ve had great teammates over the years. We weren’t the best my first couple of years, but the character in that group set this program on where it’s headed. It’s been a couple of great years in this program.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Ann Arbor Skyline's Vibhav Alokam lines up a putt during Friday's first round. (Middle) Brighton’s Davis Codd connects with one of his putts during Friday’s first round. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Top-Ranked Grand Rapids Christian Returns to Top of D2 Championship Standings
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
June 7, 2025
BATTLE CREEK - Kevin Broene credits Grand Rapids Christian’s latest Lower Peninsula Division 2 boys golf title won Saturday to the difficult schedule the Eagles face in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White.
The Eagles, runners-up last season to Orchard Lake St. Mary's by just one stroke, re-claimed the championship by winning this weekend’s two-day 36-hole tournament at Beford Valley Golf Course with a team score of 584.
The Eagles outpaced runner-up Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood by nine strokes. Ada Forest Hills Eastern (603) earned third place, followed by Grand Rapids South Christian (610) in fourth and Orchard Lake St. Mary's (611) in fifth.
"Last year was difficult for the guys we graduated and those that we returned this season. Orchard Lake St. Mary's played fantastic, and it was tough not winning that,” said Broene, who also coached Christian to the 2023 championship. “We all dealt with it differently, but our returners were highly motivated to make it happen this time.
"The opportunity we had to come here and play again in the state finals is something we'll never take for granted. Then to come out on top this time is certainly a blessing. There were so many teams from our league represented this weekend in the state finals. It's one of the best conferences in Michigan. It's fantastic to be able to go against those coaches and players all season. You have to credit Cranbrook Kingswood with how well they played today too. We could feel the pressure. Iron sharpens iron, and that helps us a great deal emotionally, mentally and physically."
Grand Rapids Christian, which came in ranked No. 1, was led by its dynamic junior duo of Cooper Reitsma and Sawyer O'Grady.
The Eagles finished with a 289 for the first round and carded a 295 on Saturday. Cranbrook posted a 304 before improving to 289 for the final round.
Reitsma carded a total two-day score of 140, missing out on the medalist honor by only one stroke to Chelsea senior Brian Tillman (139).
Reitsma shot a 69 on Friday and added a 71 on Saturday, while O'Grady finished in a third-place tie with Andrew Chang from Cranbrook Kingswood at 141. O'Grady finished with a 69 in Friday's round and added a 72 on Saturday. Chang, a junior as well, put together rounds of 71 and 70.
Also figuring heavily in Grand Rapids Christian's winning score were senior John Cassiday with a 76 and 74 for 150, junior Ty Erickson with 75 and 78 for 153, and senior Brody Baysore bagged identical scores of 79 for 158.
"Those three guys who were at the top of our scoring today have played in some really big matches for us. They have been right up there for us these last three years,” Broene said. “They are battled-tested, and the challenge they faced this weekend was incredible. The way they handled the ups and downs really says something about their character. All of the guys we lost from last year showed up this weekend to support us, along with several others from the community and school."
Tillman recorded the lowest score during the final round with a 68, with a birdie on the final hole allowing him to take first place.
"I knew I had some ground to make up after coming in two strokes down to Cooper on Friday. He's a great player, but I was able to get the job done with a great round today," Tillman said.
Tillman pointed to his short game, especially his putter, as a key factor.
"There weren't many putts that didn't fall for me. The ball was rolling just about everywhere I wanted it to. I set myself up pretty good with my driver, and I was able to reach several greens with my second shot," Tillman added.
Although not feeling 100 percent, Reitsma stated he was pleased with how the weekend and his final round of 18 unfolded.
"Today was a very intense round, and I was dealing with a lot of mental battles. Recently it was determined that I have mononucleosis and that has left me feeling really fatigued,” Reitsma said. “If you had told me I was going to shoot the scores I did this weekend, I wouldn't have believed you. I'm really happy with how things went for myself and our team.”
Cranbrook put forth an impressive showing in both rounds despite missing two seniors – Ryan Li and David Schmidt – in its lineup Friday due to their participation in graduation ceremonies.
The Cranes' Friday lineup included Chang, junior Henry Delzer (73-70-143), junior Brennan Tato (79-78-157), sophomore Jack Cannarsa (81) and junior Nathan Yan (90). Li replaced Cannarsa in Saturday's round and finished with a 76, while Schmidt fired a 73 playing the second round in Yan’s slot.
"We played pretty well on Friday with the best lineup we could put out there. The two guys that filled in for us played well, but they are just young and inexperienced,” Cranbrook Kingswood coach John Minnich said. “My two seniors have played in state finals every year since they were freshmen, either as individuals or with the team. Graduation is pretty special, but we told our two seniors if they could drive over here on Saturday we'd get them in the lineup.
"Grand Rapids Christian had a 15-stroke lead on us after Friday's round. We stressed to our kids that their lead was not insurmountable. I think (Grand Rapids Christian) might've realized with about four holes left that we were getting closer. I told our kids that the only thing we could control was our own game. We gave five shots back to them down the stretch, and that was the difference. We have a deep team with 16 kids, and we only lose two kids. We learned things this weekend that will help us next season."
Delzer's score earned him a top finish individually. He and Plainwell’s Drew Rayman tied for fifth at 143, followed by JP Levan from East Grand Rapids (145), Jack Klimek (148) from Ada Forest Hills Eastern and Harris Hoekwater (148) from Grand Rapids South Christian tied for eighth, and Allendale teammates Sumner Meekhof and Seeton Hoogerhyde tied for 10th place scores of 149.
(Click for more photos from High School Sports Scene.)