NorthPointe Pulls Away for 1st Girls Golf Title
October 19, 2019
By Tim Robinson
Special for Second Half
BATTLE CREEK — For Sabrina Langerak, a reversion to form made all the difference for Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Girls Golf Final on Saturday at Bedford Valley Golf Club.
Langerak, a junior, shot 88 in Friday’s first round after averaging 77 strokes during the season.
On Saturday, her 77 lifted the Mustangs to their first-ever Finals championship. After ending Friday three strokes behind two-time reigning champion Harbor Springs, NorthPointe won the title Saturday by five strokes.
“(Friday), I was swinging too fast and missed a lot of putts,” Langerak said. “Today, I took my time a lot more and thought about my putts more.”
The championship was a family effort for the Langeraks. Brian Langerak is the coach, and his two daughters, Sabrina and senior Hannah, played key roles this season,
“We take a lot of golf home with us,” Brian said, smiling.
NorthPointe and Harbor Springs were neck-and-neck throughout the day.
“We knew (Friday) it was a two-horse race, because we had a 20(plus)-stroke lead on the field,” Brian Langerak said referring to his team and Harbor Springs. “We got out to a great start, but it came down to the end. It was almost like match play out there. We knew we were in the running, but we also knew it was very close, down to the last couple of holes.”
For the Rams, it marked the end of play for a stellar senior class that included Evie Garver, Mackenzie Gillette and Maggie Bailey.
“(They) were runners-up in the state twice and won two state championships,” Harbor Springs coach Pete Kelbel said. “So, we’ll go home happy.”
The Rams also went home with medalist honors, with Jacque O’Neill edging Wixom St. Catherine’s Sara Haupt in a one-hole playoff after both finished at 164. Sabrina Langerak just missed out, carding a 165.
Both got onto the green in three on the first playoff hole, the 419-yard par-4 No. 16, but Haupt missed with her first putt and O’Neill then prepared for her putt.
“I was a little nervous, but I was trying not to think about it too much,” O’Neill said.
She said she was prepared for No. 16, which was the first of what would have been three playoff holes had the tie remained.
“I was just trying to play it like I had the last few days, because I’ve played that hole pretty well throughout,” she said. “I just tried to hit my spots.”
A junior, O’Neill also was a major part of Harbor Springs’ team success the last three seasons.
“We’re a little disappointed, but we’re happy for Northpointe Christian,” she said. “We’re looking forward to next year.”
Haupt, a junior, was happy with her weekend.
“I wasn’t expecting to do as well as I did,” she said. “I had low expectations. I had never gone to states before. I just wanted to try my best and have fun.”
Afterward, the NorthPointe Christian players and parents posed for a team picture, with Hannah Langerak keeping the trophy firmly in her grip.
“It’s amazing,” the senior said, “because I got to practice with my dad and sister all the time and play with them all summer.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian celebrates its first MHSAA Finals championship in girls golf Saturday. (Middle) Harbor Springs’ Jacque O’Neill putts during a playoff hole; she won the hole and the individual championship. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Negaunee Finishes Championship Climb, Clinches 1st Girls Golf Title
By
Adam Hinch
Special for MHSAA.com
May 28, 2026
HARRIS — The Negaunee girls golf team enjoyed a historic Wednesday at Sage Run.
The Miners carded a 383 to win the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Final by 24 strokes – with the championship the program’s first after previous runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2022, and a distant fourth place only a year ago.
Returning four golfers from last year’s Finals lineup, Negaunee placed three golfers among the top nine in the individual standings this time. Junior Adyson Crookham finished third with an 89, with senior Kennidy Glasheen tied for fourth at 90 and senior Sonya Erva tied for eighth at 98.
Escanaba finished second as a team with 407 strokes, followed by Kingsford with 426, Calumet at 430 and Marquette at 440.
Escanaba senior Kamrie Scott finished on top of the individual leaderboard for the third-straight season with a score of 83. She became the 16th golfer to win at least three Finals girls individual championships, and second from her school joining four-time winner Paxton Johnson (2016-19).
Scott got in some trouble on the front nine, but turned it around on the back as she parred five straight holes and had a birdie at 16 before ending the day with a pair of bogeys.
“I started off rough,” Scott said. “My putting came together on the back nine and really improved the day.”
Sault Ste Marie freshman Renee Guam finished in second place with a score of 87, with a birdie on the 16th hole. Menominee senior Lexi Marineau tied for fourth with Glasheen. Marineau had a birdie on the 16th hole and parred the last two. Glasheen scored a birdie on the 18th hole.
Kingsford sophomore Charlotte Todd and Calumet freshman Cali Hodges tied for sixth with 95 strokes. Todd struggled on the back nine but was able to birdie the 16th and parred the last two holes of the day. Hodges did not have any birdies but parred on the last two holes on the front nine and also the first hole of the back.
Erva and Ishpeming Westwood junior Alison Erdman tied for eighth, and Escanaba’s Lily VanDamme came in 10th place with a score of 99 that included a birdie on the 16th hole.
“We played well today as a team,” Escanaba coach Brian Robinette said. “Kamrie makes being a coach look pretty easy, but she puts in all the hard work to keep her game strong.”
Manistique senior Kyra Carlson carded a 104 and parred two of the last three holes of the day.
“I was working on being efficient with my hits,” Carlson said. “Just tried to keep them in sight and on the fairways.”
(Photo by Adam Hinch.)