NorthPointe Pulls Away for Repeat Win, Heineman Caps Career Climb at No. 1
October 17, 2026
BIG RAPIDS – New division? No problem.
Every level of precipitation seemingly short of snow? Just a momentary challenge.
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian was uncatchable this weekend at Katke at Ferris State University, clinching a second-straight MHSAA Finals championship but this time in Lower Peninsula Division 3 after winning Division 4 a year ago.
But after winning last season’s title by one stroke, the Mustangs cleared the field this time by 37, navigating rough weather Friday to build a 14-stroke lead and going seven lower than the next closest team during Saturday’s second round to finish at 356-365-721 for the weekend.
“I honestly at first didn’t think we could do it,” NorthPointe senior Clara Velting said of the move to Division 3 this fall. “But our team pulled it together, and I’m just glad that we could.
“I’m just so glad we could have a great season all together. I just love my team. They were so special, we had a great season, we had so many laughs, so many good times together.”
Sophomore Izzy Duflo finished third to set the pace for the Mustangs, carding scores of 82 both days for a 164 total. Freshman Avery Klein missed the individual top 10 by a stroke, tying for 13th, with junior Aila Ellis and Velting also counting scores for the team champ. Senior Lauryn Graetz rounded out the lineup.
Moving into Division 3 didn’t affect NorthPointe, and the same could be said of its top challengers. Montague finished second and Lansing Catholic third at Katke after placing fourth and second, respectively, in Division 4 last fall.
“I had girls almost in tears. My seniors are in tears, sad because it’s their last day and their love their team and don’t want to leave it,” NorthPointe coach Myrna Duflo said. “At the end of the day, we did everything we were supposed to do. We worked together, we worked as a team. I have a great group of girls, and they came through.”
Detroit Country Day placed fourth this weekend, returning to contention after finishing third a year ago and led again by senior Halle Heineman – who improved from a tie for seventh last fall to finish first this time with a 76-82-158, four strokes ahead of Ionia senior and runner-up Lila Redder.
“I made that last putt, and I started crying. The adrenaline is just so high, and I can’t believe I’m done,” Heineman said. “I’ve dreamt about winning as a team, but individually not really … just a month ago, I was ‘Oh, maybe I can.’ But these past couple of years I’ve put in a lot of work, so it feels good.
“It’s all I could ask for, honestly. It’s perfect.”
(Photos by High School Sports Scene.)
DeTour's Wilkie, Cedarville Rise to Top
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2016
ESCANABA — The third try was the charm for DeTour junior Madison Wilkie on Thursday as she earned the Upper Peninsula Division 3 girls golf championship for the first time.
Wilkie, who was runner-up the past two years, fired an 85 at the Escanaba Country Club on this sunny and mild day.
“I think today I was a lot less nervous,” she said. “I’ve been here before and played quite a few rounds on this course. Being familiar with the course helps a lot.”
Wilkie became the first DeTour golfer to be crowned U.P. champion since 2007, when Erin Worden captured the Division 3 title.
Cedarville claimed the team championship for the first time in four years with 402 strokes, followed by DeTour with 434, Munising 460 and two-time reigning champion Bark River-Harris 465.
Wilkie started with a 45 on the front nine, then lowered her score to 40 on the back.
‘I could have done better on the front nine,” she added. “Before we got on the back nine, I told myself I could play a lot better. I started hitting my shots more solid. I was getting better contact with my irons, especially on my approach shots. My tee shots were pretty consistent.”
Cedarville senior Annie Eberts was runner-up at 89. DeTour junior Kaalin Crawford placed third with a 94.
“This is the third time I played here for the Finals,” said Eberts, who shot 97 the past two years. “In the past when a hole didn’t go my way, I would get mad and that’s the worst thing you can do. I stayed calm this time. When a hole didn’t go my way, I just focused on the next hole. I practiced a lot this year. I wanted to end on a good note and help our team. We all worked hard, did our responsibilities and pulled our weight. Madison is a very good player and deserves to be champion. She works hard at her game, too.”
The golfers were greeted by temperatures in the mid 60s and a gentle breeze from the south.
“It was a beautiful day to play,” said Crawford. “You just had to pay attention to the wind. I thought the greens were in perfect shape, and my short game was working pretty good. Taking second as a team will definitely motivate us for next year.”
All four DeTour golfers are juniors.
“The girls played well all year,” said DeTour coach Keli Kelly. “Madison had been close the past couple years and finally sealed the deal today. Us and Cedarville had been the main competition in our area all season. This is a tribute to the girls and all the hard work they do.”
Cedarville has three juniors and an eighth-grader, with Eberts its lone graduate.
“The biggest key is all the girls performed better than in previous meets,” said Cedarville coach Dewey Lopes. “Annie plays real well. She was in a slump earlier, but came through big-time. Our eighth-grader (Lily Freel) also did well under pressure. We’ll graduate Annie. Everybody else will be back, but she’ll be hard to replace.”
Chassell freshman Marli Hietala took fourth at 97, followed by Freel at 98 and Cedarville junior Elissa Griffin at 100.
Junior Bailey Downs was Munising’s leader in seventh (101) and BR-H senior Hannah Starnes was eighth (103).
“I’m very proud of our girls,” said Bark River-Harris coach Scott Farnsworth. “They’ve worked very hard all year. Golf is one of those sports in which every day is different and each year the competition changes. Cedarville and DeTour are very strong teams. There’s pretty good competition all the way around in D-3.”
Painesdale-Jeffers junior Julia Nordstrom in ninth (106) and Big Bay de Noc junior Ariel Cousineau (108) rounded out the top 10 individual placers.
PHOTOS: (Top) DeTour's Madison Wilkie tees off on No. 10 at Escanaba Country Club during Thursday's Final. Wilkie, a junior, was the tournament's medalist with an 85. (Middle) Cedarville's Lily Freel watches her putt catch the lip of the hole on No. 6. Freel, an eighth grader, took fifth overall with a 98. (Photos by Amanda Chaperon.)