Recent Whiteford Grad Ovall Leading Bobcats' Inaugural Girls Golf Team
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
September 2, 2026
Addison Ovall might be the youngest varsity head coach in the state of Michigan this fall.
Ovall, who graduated in June from Ottawa Lake Whiteford, had barely taken off her cap and gown when she found herself as the new head coach of the Bobcats girls golf team. She’s also a pioneer of sorts – she helped lead the crusade for Whiteford to field a team in that sport for the first time.
The five girls on the squad tee it up for the first time Tuesday.
“I always wanted to start a girls golf team while I was a student here, but there didn’t seem much interest in it,” Ovall said. “Once I graduated, I shared my story about having played on the boys team and I think that garnered some interest. It’s something I’ve always wanted.”
Ovall was going to golf in college, but a traffic crash during which she suffered a broken wrist put those plans on the backburner. For now, her work on the course is dedicated to helping five novice golfers learn the game.
“That just led me here to coach,” she said.
Ovall learned the game when she was a kid from her father.
“Ever since I was little, I had a club in my hand,” she said. “It seems like I’ve been playing forever.”
She started high school in Toledo and played on a girls golf team as a freshman at St. Ursula Academy, a private school in northwest Ohio. She moved to Whiteford as a junior and was set to be a one-person golf team in the fall of 2025 with her mom as the head coach. That’s when she was injured in the crash and couldn’t continue the season.
Whiteford athletic director Miranda Green went through the MHSAA to get clearance for Ovall to join the boys team in the spring.
“She had played in one competition in girls golf, then got hurt,” Green said. “I had to write a letter to the MHSAA, and she was approved to play on the boys team, but she had to sit one match. She was excited to still be able to play.”
Ovall said it was a difficult transition.
“It was terrifying, to be honest,” she said. “I had to hit from the men's tees, had to learn everything, but I think it made me a better golfer and a better person overall. I met new people, which was cool. I had college opportunities, which was awesome.”
Her season was hampered by the wrist injury, but she didn’t let it stop her. It did get in the way of playing at the college level, however.
“It was sort of difficult, but I was better off for it,” she said.
While still in high school she started lobbying other girls in school to sign up for golf.
“Toward the end of the year we had girls start showing interest in it,” she said. “That was really cool. When the school asked me to come back to coach, I was pretty nervous. I didn’t think anyone was going to come to tryouts.”
She ended up having five girls join the squad, which gives them enough to compete in dual matches and tournaments.
“It’s just been fun to get to know the girls,” she said. “We are a very young team. We are just starting out so we are trying to see what our strengths and weaknesses are.”
While the first match isn’t until next week, they have been playing daily at Whiteford Valley Golf Club, the same home course the Whiteford boys team plays on. Ovall said they typically spend an hour on the driving range, then chipping and putting for the last 45 minutes of practice. One day a week, the girls play nine holes.
“It is good to see how the game is coming together and to see what we need to improve on,” she said.
Because there are so few members on the team, Ovall can spend about 15 minutes with each golfer daily.
“After we play a round, the next day I will focus on what their biggest weaknesses were on the course,” she said.
Ovall said teaching the game is a rewarding experience.
“We have one girl who is an experienced golfer, but everyone else is really brand new to the game,” she said. “We want them to go out and have fun. We’re all able to hit the ball, which is good. Right now, we just keep going over everything getting ready for that first tournament and going over all of the rules. We’ve had a month to prepare.”
Charlie Weiser is one of the freshmen on the team. She said she decided to go out for golf because her whole family golfs. The team is getting to know the rules and having fun together, she said. In practice, she likes to focus on driving and putting, but is getting pretty good with her 8-iron.
“I just started at the beginning of summer, but it’s been going pretty good,” she said. “There have been good days and bad days.”
Green said she didn’t have any apprehension about turning the new program over to Ovall.
“Honestly, it was a no-brainer,” she said. “She is the perfect person to do it. I’m excited for her. Hopefully she can keep the program growing.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) This fall’s Whiteford girls golf team is the school’s first. Top row: Coach Addison Ovall. Middle row: Grace Grosteffon and Avee Ingram. Bottom row: Addy Emch, Charlie Weiser and Brenna Allen. (Below) Ovall. (Photos by Doug Donnelly.)
Champ's Strong Finish Keys Escanaba Run
May 31, 2018
By Dennis Grall
Special for Second Half
ESCANABA – Two past Upper Peninsula golf champions went head-to-head here Thursday, and as play stopped for a heavy downpour, the momentum made a tremendous switch after play resumed to help decide the issue.
Junior Paxton Johnson of Escanaba used the 30-minute rain delay to turn her fortunes around and claim her third straight Division 1 championship, which helped the Eskymos capture their third straight team title with a 381.
Meanwhile, the delay stopped Kaaren Liston's building momentum and basically ended the Houghton senior's charge. The Gremlins finished second at 390, a stroke ahead of Menominee.
Johnson, playing at her home Escanaba Country Club course, parred the front nine and finished with an 80. Liston, who won the Division 1 title as a freshman in 2015, shot 85 to tie Escanaba's Megan Dagenais for the runner-up score.
Home course advantage was an obvious benefit for Johnson, who lives adjacent to the fourth green and plays ECC much more often than frequently. Liston's advantage was her tremendous length of the tee, many times landing 40-50 yards beyond Johnson, who also has impressive distance.
"I didn't pay attention to how far ahead she was," said Johnson, who concentrated on playing her game and the course. "My game plan was to hit the green in regulation and make some putts. I was pretty comfortable out there."
"She basically knows where she can get into trouble and has a general idea what club to hit into each hole," said Liston, who said her extra length "kind of equals that out there somewhat."
Johnson, a southpaw who won the ECC women's championship last year, downplayed her home advantage. "Most holes here are pretty straight forward, but you have to know where to hit the ball on the greens. I don't think having knowledge of the course is that big of an advantage," she concluded.
The big advantage for Johnson came down to short-game execution. She was pretty steady all day while Liston had numerous errors on approach shots or with the putter. "I got myself in a little trouble not hitting the greens," she agreed.
"I played well, better than I shot," said Liston, playing in just the fourth meet of the weather-restricted season. "My approach shots were lacking, and I had a few blowup holes. Shots 100 yards and in definitely need work."
The turning point came after the rain delay basically swamped several holes on the back nine, where Johnson, Liston and Dagenais ended their rounds. Liston came out of the delay with a double-bogey 6 on No. 12 and a three-putt triple-bogey 6 on No. 13, putting the skids on her final high school round.
"The rain delay helped Pax out," said EHS assistant coach Jake Berlinski, referring to Johnson’s double-bogey 6 on No. 10 and a bogey-4 on No. 11 that happened as dark clouds were approaching. "She was able to regroup in the clubhouse and came out ready to fire."
With the weather arriving, Berlinski encouraged Johnson to hit her approach shot to No. 12 green after her tee shot – just before the weather horn – landed shy of the creek 155 yards from the green. "That kind of got her round started again, and with Kaaren going the other way it kind of sealed the deal," he said.
"I didn't let myself get freaked out," Johnson said of her brief slump. "I played a good, solid front nine. I was a little bit frustrated, but the key was it was just one (bad) hole and there are eight more to go so I just kept playing."
Johnson's only misstep after that came on No. 15, which had several large puddles – actually more like small ponds. She had a double-bogey 6 on No. 15.
Johnson only had two legitimate birdie attempts but missed on Nos. 1 and 7, after Liston birdied No. 1. "I couldn't quite capitalize. I mis-read them a little bit," Johnson said.
"The first 3-4 holes I kept playing solid and settled in and found my groove," she added.
Playing with Liston was beneficial, she agreed. "It definitely helped playing with her. She is such a good golfer and she pushes me. She is an amazing golfer and hits the ball a mile. I love watching her because she has such a beautiful swing,” Johnson said.
"If I play my best game and she plays her best game, there is nothing I can do. I can't play defense."
Liston said her goal was to shoot in the 70s, which began after shooting 75 in a family outing Monday at Houghton’s Portage Lake Golf Course.
Dagenais, a solid No. 2 behind Johnson during the abbreviated season, was happy and sad about her final prep round. She three-putted No. 18 for a double-bogey 7 and "I missed the last putt by this much (inches on her fingers). I wanted to take second alone," she said.
"I hit a lot of greens in regulation. I wanted my team to have a better chance of winning," she added. "My irons were awesome. I was sticking the pins."
Berlinski was happy to see the girls triumph. "To walk out with that trophy right now is pretty incredible," he told three of the girls who will be returning in spring. "Having Paxton helps when you have the medalist. The other four girls played probably as good as they have all year, and at the right time."
PHOTOS: (Top) A 20-minute downpour left large ponds of water scattered around the back nine at Escanaba Country Club during Thursday's Upper Peninsula Division 1 girls golf tournament. Tourney medalist Paxton Johnson's reflection is shown as she pushes her cart on the 14th fairway. (Middle) Johnson holds up her individual and team championship medals. (Below) Kaaren Liston of Houghton watches as her chip shot tumbles toward the hole Thursday. She tied for second. (Photos by Dennis Grall.)