St Johns Says Good-Bye as Repeat Champ
June 10, 2017
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
ALLENDALE – St. Johns boys golf coach Paul Sternburgh referred to it as a storybook ending.
And that’s exactly how it will read for a man heading into retirement and his band of departing seniors.
Sternburgh is retiring after 37 years as a coach, and his team sent him out with another title at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final.
The Redwings repeated as champions Saturday afternoon at The Meadows at Grand Valley State with a two-day team score of 603.
St. Johns bested runner-up Flint Powers Catholic, which finished with a 627.
“You just can’t write a script better than this – to go back-to-back,” Sternburgh said. “Getting the first one is hard enough, but to repeat. Granted, we had the same guys back and had a lot going for us, but I couldn’t be any happier or any more satisfied. It just doesn’t get any better. You ride into the sunset with a smile on your face.”
Sternburgh retired from teaching in 2007, but continued coaching.
Senior Eric Nunn said it was “really special” to end both his high school career and his longtime coach’s with another Finals crown.
“The dude loves us more than anything, and he’s been with me and Zach for four years now and he is always telling us how special and talented we are,” Nunn said. “I’m so happy that we could get it for him again.”
Nunn and teammate Zach Rosendale were the catalysts in the victory.
The Michigan State-bound Rosendale wrapped up his banner prep career with an individual Finals championship.
He fired a closing-round 2-under-par 70 to defeat East Lansing’s Tony Fuentes by four strokes.
Rosendale shot 72 on the first day and finished at 142. He trailed by three strokes entering the final round, but emerged as the only golfer to go under par.
“I just had the mindset that I’m chasing,” said Rosendale, who recorded four birdies. “I have to play well, because I never know how anyone else is doing. I think they are playing well, so in my head that makes me want to play better.
“I play really well in the wind. I keep my ball low, so I think that was a key factor. Everything was working well. I was hitting the ball well off the tee, and my putting could’ve been better, but lag putting was great. I think keeping the ball low really won me the tournament.”
Sternburgh said Rosendale’s play was indicative of his entire season.
“He’s Mr. Consistent, and he has been all year,” he said. “I think his highest score all year was 75, and his low was 66. He hits everything consistent, and he doesn’t spray the ball. He’s a very solid putter and accurate with hitting greens. There is nobody that has come through St. Johns who is as steady and consistent as Zach has been.”
The Redwings also received stellar scores from others.
Nunn posted a pair of rounds in the 70s (71-76) and tied for third. Seniors Jack Bouck (80-78) and Nate Brown (77-81) each had a 158, while junior Zeke Ely finished with a 165.
St. Johns, which won the program’s first Final a year ago, carded a 298 on the first day to gain a 14-stroke cushion.
“We worked hard on keeping it in play and played better than I expected, although I wasn’t as surprised about the 298 this year as I was last year,” Sternburgh said. “I was more surprised by the lead. You just don’t get a 14-stroke lead like that.”
The Redwings squeaked out a four-stroke win over East Lansing last season, but this one was less stressful.
“Last year was nerve-wracking because we didn’t know where we stood, and it was so close,” Nunn said. “This year with the live scoring and Coach telling us where we were so we were all pretty calm (today). To go out like this, all four seniors and coach, just means a ton.”
The Redwings drew motivation from a loss at last week’s Regional. They finished runner-up to Flint Powers Catholic on their home course, but reversed the outcome when it mattered most.
“We didn’t play bad as a team (at Regionals), we just didn’t play great and to our full potential,” Rosendale said. “But I’m glad on the big stage, we actually did it. Our team played well, and it’s definitely the best way to go out.”
The Chargers placed ninth last year in Division 3, but moved to Division 2 this spring. A strong final-round score of 310 enabled them to jump from fifth place after the first day to runner-up.
“I was glad to see the wind come up because we play our absolute best golf in the wind,” Flint Powers Catholic coach Robert Beach said. “I know it sounds ridiculous and goes against logic, but I know my team. And when the wind came up, I thought we had a good chance to move up in the standings and they pulled it off.”
Junior Zack Hopkins finished among the individual top 10 with a 154 (79-75) for the Chargers, while senior Joe Coriasso was one stroke back at 155 (77-78).
“We beat St. Johns last week so our boys knew we had a chance, but St. Johns played lights out,” Beach said. “We played good, they played great. We tip our hat to them, but I’m always thrilled to take home a trophy and put another banner up in the gym.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Grosse Ile’s Jack Tucker and St. Johns’ Zach Rosendale play together during Saturday’s second round of the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final. (Middle) East Lansing’s Tony Fuentes watches one of his shots out of the brush at The Meadows. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Lumen Christi Flips 2024 Result to Finish on Top, Crockett Makes Shepherd History
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 7, 2025
ALLENDALE – This year’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Boys Golf Final figured to be similar to last year’s with two experienced teams battling for top honors.
And the emerging rivalry between Jackson Lumen Christi and Traverse City St. Francis was on display once again Saturday – but this time the final outcome was flipped from a year ago.
Lumen Christi outdueled St. Francis with two stellar rounds at The Meadows at Grand Valley State University and clinched its first Finals championship since 2017.
The Titans shot a two-day total of 626 (310-316), while the runner-up Gladiators finished 13 strokes back with a 639 (315-324). Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian was third. Shepherd senior Christopher Crockett won the medalist honor.
St. Francis had won last year’s Final by 18 strokes over Lumen Christi.
“Going in, the mindset was that we came close last year and we knew (St. Francis) had everybody back from last year, and so we knew it was going to be another tight one with them,” Lumen Christi coach Dave Swartout said. “So that was the focus all year long. Everything was practice, and every tournament we played led up to these two days.
“I was very proud of what they did and the decisions that they made. Mentally they played very well, and that was a huge difference. We talk so much about course management, and you have to know where to hit it. This is a very nice victory for them.”
The Titans, who returned four of their top five golfers from last year’s Final, was paced by sophomore Brandon Kulka’s 152 (75-77), which was good for a tie for third individually.
Senior Charlie Saunders placed 10th with a 155 (77-78). He was followed by sophomore Gabe Cooper (159) and seniors Adam Fuller (163) and Anthony Kulka (168).
“Last year we knew we were good enough to win it, but we just got outplayed the second day so it was nice to come back and win,” Saunders said. “This year we knew we were going to be good all year, and we were hungry to win. We knew if we kept playing well and had two good days that it would be hard to beat us.
“(Today), we just wanted to go out and play another good round, treat it like another round because five strokes is nothing. We were good across the board, and any one of us could go out and post a good number.”
The Titans held a slim five-stroke lead entering the final round before pulling away.
“Having a good rivalry like we’ve had with St. Francis the past two years is so much fun, and it’s someone to push you,” Anthony Kulka said. “It feels so good to win, especially with my brother being on the team and my dad as a coach. I’ve just been thinking about today since last year and a lot of work in the summer, fall and winter led us to this point.”
Shepherd’s Crockett, who finished with a 145 total, fired a 1-under-par 70 on Friday to grab the lead and added a 75 to become the school’s first individual Finals champion in boys golf.
He bested Midland Bullock Creek’s Colton Lower by three strokes.
“It was very nerve-racking because you know what’s on the line, but this was obviously the goal since I started golf and it almost feels surreal, like it hasn't clicked yet that I won,” Crockett said. “I just wanted to give myself a decent first day so I could go on out the second day and have a chance of winning it.
“My goal coming into the weekend was to have fun because it was my last tournament. I won't have the chance to play high school golf again, so I just wanted to enjoy it.”
St. Francis was led by David Ansley, who finished with a 153 (74-79) and tied for sixth individually. He was followed by Casey Jackson (75-85-160).
Gladiators coach Jim Hornyak said a poor start to the round thwarted any thoughts of a repeat.
“They got off to a rough start and they got down,” he said. “But I was proud of them because midway through the round they started to make a little push. We got it back within striking distance, but just couldn't pull it off.
“I’m proud of these boys. It is not easy to defend, and they put a lot of pressure on themselves and that was part of the problem.”
(Click for more photos from High School Sports Scene.)