Mustangs Complete Championship Climb
October 15, 2016
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – Macomb Lutheran North’s route to an MHSAA championship seemed like a simple 3, 2, 1 countdown.
The Mustangs, who finished third at the Lower Peninsula Girls Golf Division 4 tournament in 2014 and second last year, broke through with a 36-stroke victory over second-place Livonia Ladywood on Saturday at Forest Akers West in East Lansing.
But for veteran Lutheran North coach Lori Gill, the road to the title started much more than three years ago – last century, actually.
“This was 19 years in the making,” said an emotional Gill after leading Lutheran North to not only its first-ever girls golf championship, but also the first MHSAA girls golf title for any Macomb County school.
“You are looking at one happy, happy coach. This is a really special group of girls. They are fun, and they are committed.”
Lutheran North took command of the two-day event with a solid team effort on Friday, building up a 16-stroke lead, then came back with an even better team score Saturday to zap any potential drama out of the team competition. Kalamazoo Hackett, the two-time reigning champion, placed third.
Junior Serena Nguyen led three Mustangs among the top 10 individuals with back-to-back 79s, good for fourth overall on the long and challenging Forest Akers West course. Senior Sydney Martens (85-79-164) took sixth and sophomore Kaity Rittner (82-84-166) was eighth.
Lutheran North’s fourth counted score on each day was an 89 – from senior Madison Mohr on Friday and junior Grace Farquhar on Saturday – as the Mustangs were the only team in the field to not count a score in the 90s or higher either of the two days.
“The best part is that it was a total team effort, and we all came through for our coach,” said Martens while cradling the championship trophy in her arms. “Each year we were getting closer and closer. It’s just so nice that we took that final step.”
The battle for individual medalist honors was closer than the team competition, but the experience – and power – of senior individual qualifier Nichole Cox of Maple City Glen Lake was too much for the rest of the field.
Cox capped off a stellar four-year career by winning her third consecutive Finals medalist honor, to go along with a fourth-place finish as a freshman. Cox fired an even-par 72 in Friday’s opening round and overcame a couple of bad holes on Saturday to finish with a 78 for a two-day total of 150 and a four-shot edge.
Frankenmuth senior Megan Watkins and Kalamazoo Hackett senior Naomi Keyte shot identical rounds of 78-76-154 to tie for second in the individual competition.
“I hit my driver great both days – almost all of them were straight with a little draw,” said Cox, who blasted a 280-yard drive on Saturday on the 407-yard, par-5 second hole. “I’m proud of myself because I had two double-bogeys today, but I hung in there.”
Cox, who will play golf at Bowling Green, had three birdies in Friday’s opening round and none on Saturday. She shook off a four-putt, double-bogey on No. 5, her second hole Saturday morning, then started racking up pars en route to her “three-peat.” She became only the ninth girl in MHSAA history to win at least three Finals individual championships.
The closest pursuer to Lutheran North in the team race turned out to be Livonia Ladywood, which improved on its fourth-place Finals finish one year ago. The Blazers captured the second-place trophy behind the big three of junior Gabriella Scopone (83-83-166), who placed ninth, senior Lydia Cranmer (86-81-167), who was 10th, and senior Jordyn Rioux (85-87-172).
But this was Lutheran North’s time for a title.
Martens, the senior leader for the Mustangs who will play golf at Oakland University next year, said the team talked about staying aggressive in spite of its 16-stroke lead after Friday’s opening round.
“Sixteen strokes sounds like a lot, but it’s only four strokes for each girl,” said Martens, whose older sister, Samantha Martens, was also a standout for Gill at Lutheran North. “We are a long-hitting team, and we wanted to keep playing our game and try to extend the lead.”
Gill, whose team was playing in the Finals for the sixth straight year, said another key to the Mustangs’ terrific run over the past three has been playing top-flight competition from Division 1 and other larger schools throughout the regular season. Lutheran North made a statement way back in August by winning the 15-school Flint Powers Invitational, then provided the other bookend to its spectacular season Saturday with a 36-stroke runaway.
“We got a taste of that top three (the last two years) and then winning the title became an obsession,” said Gill. “The girls knew what they wanted to do and they did it. What can I say? They are an amazing group of girls and an amazing group of golfers.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Macomb Lutheran North’s Serena Nguyen fires out of a bunker during Saturday’s final round of the Division 3 Final. (Middle) Maple City Glen Lake’s Nichole Cox holes a putt en route to her third straight individual title. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Dube, Painesdale-Jeffers Rule in UPD2
May 30, 2018
By Dennis Grall
Special for Second Half
NORWAY – Payton Dube has had an extremely busy spring sports season at Hancock High School.
On Wednesday, the sophomore capped off one of her two sports by winning medalist honors at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 2 Girls Golf Final.
Dube posted an 84 (44-40) to coast to the title by 19 shots at Oak Crest Golf Course.
"It was all about making smart plays," Dube said as light rain began to fall shortly after she finished. "I was able to get on (the greens) in regulation, and that helps the scores well. If you get in the fairway, that always helps."
She had two birdies, one on each side, while starting on No. 11.
"When I hit a good drive, it gives me confidence the next (shot) will be good," she said.
Dube, who was in contention throughout the handful of spring meets that were salvaged after a lengthy winter's grip forced her indoors for numerous practice sessions, said, "I didn't know what to expect (in the Finals)" because she was competing against different schools.
The only member of the girls golf team at Hancock, Dube also spends the spring playing softball for the Bulldogs. Golf is her No. 1 choice and would get the nod if there were ever a conflict between the two sports.
"We have a small (Class C) school, and spring has so many other sports. You definitely have to prioritize," she said of her busy schedule that also includes a heavy academic load. She was late for only one softball game this season.
Topping the team scoreboard, the Painesdale-Jeffers girls won their third U.P. crown, adding to titles taken in 2006 and 2007.
Coach Tyler Bailey's team includes his younger sister Alexis and Gracie Asaila, who shared second place individuals with Norway's Danae Anderson at 103.
"It is awesome. It feels great to actually be her coach," Tyler Bailey said.
The Jets didn't realize they had beaten the only two other full teams until it was announced, Bailey noting he kept that news quiet.
When that news struck them, he said, "Their faces all lit up.”
The 481 was his team’s best score of this abbreviated spring. "I knew they had the potential to pull it out,” Bailey added. “Our expectations were they wanted to win.”
Dube’s father is a teacher at Hancock High School and sets up a golf simulator in his classroom for his daughter's practice when snow typically covers the Copper Country.
"You don't have to be outside to practice," she said with a grin.
Hancock coach Paul Sintkowski, who is also the golf pro at Portage Lake Golf Course in Houghton, said Dube is active on the junior golf circuit in Wisconsin during the summer. "She has played her whole life. She has 7-8 years in the junior golf program (at Portage Lake that has about 150 participants)," he said.
"The kids have put in their time up here. A lot of them play hockey, so their coordination stays sharp."
Sintkowski hopes the interest in the girls junior program begins to carry into the high school ranks. He said about 20 girls played golf at five Copper Country schools this spring. But Houghton, a perennial power, had 11 of the 20. He said starting a co-op program among other schools might provide a way to get more female participation.
"A lot of people don't take it too seriously," Dube said of trying to get other girls to play golf. "A lot of people don't find it challenging if they don't play (golf).
"You still have to practice that skill. In golf, you are playing the course, not the other player."
Sintkowski said Dube also will play in the Upper Peninsula Ladies Golf Association tournament at Norway in July.
"She hits the ball well, she is athletic but she needs a bit of focus. She had a good score today, but it could have been four-five strokes better," he said. "She is learning, but she has to get a little more polish. She has all the tools to play golf after high school."
PHOTOS: Sophomore Payton Dube of Hancock uses her rangefinder to get the yardage to the pin on the 13th hole at Norway’s Oak Crest Golf Course on Wednesday at the Upper Peninsula Division 2 Girls Golf Finals. With her is coach Paul Sintkowski. The system worked perfectly as her approach shot struck the flag. (Middle) Donae Anderson of Norway blasts out of a bunker by the 15th green. She tied for second, shooting 103. (Photos by Dennis Grall.)