Performance: Escanaba's Paxton Johnson
June 8, 2018
Paxton Johnson
Escanaba junior – Golf
The Eskymos’ ace became the 10th in MHSAA history to win a third Girls Golf Finals individual championship when she shot an 80 on May 31 at Escanaba Country Club to claim the Upper Peninsula Division 1 title by five strokes and earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Johnson next season will attempt to join Marquette’s Kendra Palmer (1996-99) and Carley Saint-Onge (2008-11) as the only four-time Finals winners. Johnson has averaged 80 strokes for 18 holes during the first three seasons of her high school career, despite often battling tough spring conditions during the U.P. thaw, and has won 31 of 32 high school events she’s played. She’s managed her Finals success despite playing the last three seasons against Houghton’s Kaaren Liston, who won the U.P. Division 1 title in 2015 as a freshman and finished second (or tied for second) to Johnson the last three years. Last week’s championship came despite a storm that halted play and left sizable puddles on the course as golfers returned – but Johnson continued to shine and in the process also led Escanaba to its third straight UP Division 1 team championship.
In addition to starring on the course, Johnson plays volleyball during the fall and carries a 4.1 grade-point average to rank second academically in her graduating class. Her favorite subject is chemistry – “It’s fun to be able to overcome challenges,” she said – and she hopes to study after high school to become a pharmaceutical chemist while continuing her golf career at the collegiate level.
Coach Brian Robinette said: “She's had a phenomenal run for sure. Her fundamentals and golf IQ are remarkable. She is also the type that works when coaches are not looking. All this and she is the No. 2-ranked student in her class. Pax is truly driven to play at the next level.”
Performance Point: “I played pretty solid for my first nine holes, and then I had a mess-up on (No.) 10 and then we got called off the course, which helped me get my momentum back. The only places I really struggled after that were on the holes that were really soaked with water where even a casual water drop didn’t really help. So I think it went pretty well considering the weather conditions. … I didn’t really know how wet it was until we got out to that hole. I was just glad that it wasn’t still raining. It was actually kinda nice out.”
Cusp of history: I actually know Kendra Palmer; I played in the U.P. Ladies Finals with her. I just think it would be really cool to be able to have my name in that group. They’re both really good golfers. … I really started thinking about it this year. After I won the first two (MHSAA titles) and I found out the Finals were at my home course this year, I was like, ‘OK, if I can pull off the third I’ll have some momentum going into my fourth year.’”
Lead the way: “I’d really like to win another team championship, so I really want to work hard at that. That’s my main priority. I plan on asking my teammates to golf with me all summer long to get a feel for it more. We had a senior who graduated who had a lot of experience, but other than that, the rest of our team is really new. I just like being able to encourage my teammates, and congratulate them after we win as a team; that’s a great feeling. Especially after U.P.s (Finals), once we added up the scores, being able to tell whole team we did it and we pulled it off was a great feeling.”
Golfer for every season: “When the snow does melt, we do try to get out as soon as we can, as soon as the course is open. We just try to stay out as long as we can and try to make the most of the season. … I’ve played in snow before, and sleet and snow at the same time. There was one round at our (Great Northern Conference) finals where we got called off the course, but before we got called off it started downpouring and the greens were just running with water and we were still playing, so that was interesting. … (My strength) is probably being able to play and stay focused in whatever weather comes my way just because I have played in those conditions before. I see people get frustrated and just lose focus. (I’m) just trying to stay focused, focused on lies and stuff like that – it’s more defensive golf against the weather and just trying to play it safe.”
Looking up to Lexi: “I really like Lexi Thompson, just how aggressive she plays. She’s fearless on the course. I went to an LPGA event one time and actually got to meet her, and that was cool.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
May 31: Lydia Goble, Schoolcraft softball - Read
May 24: Corinne Jemison, East Kentwood track & field - Read
May 17: Reagan Wisser, Richland Gull Lake soccer - Read
May 10: Clayton Sayen, Houghton track & field - Read
May 3: Autumn Roberts, Traverse City Central tennis - Read
April 26: Thomas Robinson, Wyoming Lee track & field - Read
March 29: Carlos Johnson, Benton Harbor basketball - Read
March 22: Shine Strickland-Gills, Saginaw Heritage basketball - Read
March 15: Skyler Cook-Weeks, Holland Christian swimming - Read
March 8: Dakota Greer, Howard City Tri-County wrestling - Read
March 1: Camree' Clegg, Wayne Memorial basketball - Read
February 23: Aliah Robertson, Sault Ste. Marie swimming - Read
February 16: Austin O'Hearon, Eaton Rapids wrestling - Read
February 9: Sophia Wiard, Muskegon Oakridge basketball - Read
February 2: Brenden Tulpa, Hartland hockey - Read
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City West golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Escanaba’s Paxton Johnson watches one of her drives during last week’s Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals at Escanaba Country Club. (Middle) Johnson putts on the way to earning her third individual championship. (Photos by Dennis Grall.)
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, Napoleon's McCubbins clinch 1st Finals Titles
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
October 18, 2025
BIG RAPIDS – The first time was a charm for Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian girls golf coach Myrna Duflo and her freshman daughter, Izzy, at the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Final this weekend at Katke Golf Course.
For Napoleon senior Anna McCubbins, persistence paid off in a major way.
In her first season as NorthPointe Christian’s head coach, Myrna Duflo guided the Mustangs to their first-ever Finals title. Izzy Duflo has been their No. 1 golfer all season and she was again this weekend, placing fourth individually with a two-day total of 166 (78-88).
Meanwhile, McCubbins cruised to her first championship in her fourth Finals appearance by firing a 155 (79-76) in clearing the rest of the field by five strokes.
“It’s awesome. It’s very surreal. I’m still in a little bit of shock about it,” Myrna Duflo said. “It’s my first year coaching it and I have a great group of girls, and they’re the ones that got the job done, not me. They did the hard work – I just encouraged them throughout the day.”
NorthPointe Christian shot 374 on Friday and 371 in soggy, challenging conditions Saturday. The second round was originally scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, but it was bumped to 9 a.m. in hopes of dodging some of the inclement weather before heavy rains forced a postponement to an 11 a.m. start after all.
NorthPointe Christian edged Lansing Catholic by one shot, as the Cougars came oh, so close to their second Finals crown in three years. NorthPointe Christian was runner-up last season, and Lansing Catholic also finished second in 2020 and 2021.
When the dust settled Saturday – or, more appropriately, as the wet course began to dry out a bit – Elk Rapids placed third (753), followed by Montague in fourth (755) and Napoleon fifth (778).
“It feels really good,” Izzy Duflo said as she cradled the championship trophy. “Being a freshman, knowing my team did well throughout the season, I’m happy.”
The word “happy” is not strong enough to describe the emotions McCubbins felt after she sealed the medalist honor. She birdied two of her first four holes Saturday and had three of them in her 4-over-par round.
McCubbins tied for 11th at the Final as a freshman, then placed seventh in both her sophomore and junior seasons.
“Seriously, I’ve dreamed about this moment at least four times,” said McCubbins, who will play next for Saginaw Valley State University. “It’s just such a crazy, surreal experience. Just happy tears, honestly.”
Rounding out the top 10 individual finishers were Bath’s Addilyn Duflo in second (160), Byron’s Adalen Brown third (165), Elk Rapids’ Piper Smith and NorthPointe Christian’s Izzy Duflo tied for fourth (166), Lansing Catholic’s Addi Rule sixth (173), Fowler’s Noelle Krepps seventh (177), NorthPointe Christian’s Natalie Kent eighth (179), Montague’s Cadence Fox ninth (180), and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central’s Nora Kinsey 10th (182).
A Montague golfer’s bag of clubs went missing Saturday morning. On the driving range during warmups, McCubbins loaned her driver to the Montague golfer.
On top of the goodwill gesture, McCubbins said she felt a sense of fulfillment in capturing the individual title. Her life the past four years has been committed to golf and getting better, she said.
“Golf, it’s such a mental game. Just have a good, mental state the entire day. Stay calm, you know, don’t get super upset. Play with emotion without being emotional, and I feel like I really pulled that off today,” she said. “Especially with the weather being as bad as it was, I’ve had experience playing in bad weather, I know what that’s like, and I think that’s what gave me an advantage.”
NorthPointe’s Aila Ellis (196) and Clara Velting (204) rounded out their team’s top four scorers, while Kezia Beeke shot 221 for the Mustangs.
Beeke, who was one of two seniors on the NorthPointe squad, said that sticking with it and staying together were among the keys for her team.
“We were really encouraged. Coach did a lot of encouragement over the season and over today and yesterday, and I just think that encouragement and just knowing our team is so bonded and we’re so impacted by each other that we really just pushed through and we were able to win,” Beeke said.
“It’s proven that if you know your team well and you were loved and were cared for by your team and you know that, you significantly would do better. That’s what I think makes our team such a good team is because we can love each other well and support each other no matter what happens on the course.”
Izzy Duflo added team bonding and motivating each other also carried the Mustangs, who finished runner-up to Montague in the Regional by one shot.
Myrna Duflo quipped, maybe NorthPointe will win the Regional next year. For now, the Finals championship will suit the Mustangs just fine.
“Next year’s a new year and hopefully we’ll be standing here again,” coach Duflo said. “At the end of the day, this is what we trained for all season, and we’ve worked really hard.”
PHOTOS (Top) NorthPointe Christian's Izzy Duflo tees off during the opening round of the Division 4 Final on Friday. (Middle) Napoleon's Anna McCubbins follows an approach shot Saturday. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene. McCubbins photo submitted by the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association.)