Sparked Early by Record Round, Griswold Caps Championship-Filled Season with Finals Win
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
October 22, 2026
PORTAGE — Olivia Griswold had never carded an under-par tournament round of golf before this season.
But when she accomplished the feat for the first time – Aug. 24 at the Battle Creek Lakeview Invitational – Griswold not only set a course record but used it to kickstart her path to winning the medalist honor at this past weekend’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final.
The 17-year-old Portage Central senior shot a 9-under-par 63 to win the Lakeview Invite, setting a course record at Cedar Creek Golf Club in Battle Creek. She carded eight birdies and an eagle.
“That gave me a lot of confidence going into the rest of the year,” Griswold said. “I hadn’t ever shot under par in a tournament until that day, so going straight to 9-under was pretty cool.
“Last year and the two years before that, I would always approach Regionals and state Finals differently than I did this year. I’d approach it timid and afraid and intimidated by everybody else. I didn’t believe I was good enough to go out and do a good thing.”
Under-par scores became the definition of this year for Griswold, who is headed to Western Michigan University to continue her golf career and major in biomedical sciences, on a path to becoming a medical doctor.
“I am very excited to represent my hometown, the place I grew up in,” she said. “I’m super excited to be part of their program. I feel like I align really well with a lot of their values and goals.”
Griswold led the Mustangs to their third straight Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. Individually she is a two-time SMAC champ.
“We’ve seen how hard she works and all the hours she’s put in, and it’s honestly inspiring,” senior teammate Seneli Amaratunga said. “She’s such a great person and such a good captain.
“It’s very motivating to know we can rely on someone like her, especially because Olivia’s very consistent and how good she plays.”
The next step in Griswold’s championship journey this fall was Central hosting the Regional at Milham Golf Course in Kalamazoo, where her team finally broke a championship drought that covered at least 15 years.
Once again, Griswold added the medalist honor.
“We won by 17 but were up by 25 at one point,” Mustangs coach Tony Ely said. “That was a little less stressful than my normal day on the golf course with the women.”
Central felt at home at Battle Creek’s Bedford Valley, the Division 1 Final host, after playing there three times this season.
“I played there many, many times, probably more tournament golf there than any other course,” Griswold said. “I felt very confident.”
Her warmup for the Finals was winning the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) junior tournament the week before at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West.
“This kid is the first I’ve seen that sought out to play the toughest competition, and it shows,” Ely said. “You can’t teach that mental side.”
Rain did not put a damper on the Mustangs during the first day of the Final.
“Looking back, it was really calm in the van Friday morning,” Ely said. “The weather was crap, it was state Finals, we were coming off a Regional title. I was pretty juiced up but the kids were calm, cool and collected.”
Ely bounced around to all his golfers during play, checking to see how each was doing.
“There’s like there’s six of me on the golf course,” he laughed. “I want them to know I’m there for them. Whether it helps or not, in my mind, if I don’t do that, I go home feeling like I didn’t do everything I could have.”
One bonus after Friday’s round was traveling back home to Portage.
“We were soaking wet, so it was nice to shower in our own shower, go to bed in our own bed,” Amaratunga said. “It was a nice reset for the next day.”
Griswold said playing in the rain takes a “mental reset” but there was an “oops” moment for her on the 13th hole.
“I hit a shank because the club slipped in my hands,” she said. “Instead of letting that get to me, I kept to my game and stayed focused.”
Her 67 on Friday tied the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals record for 18 holes carded by Shannon Warner in 2006 at Forest Akers East.
“It’s really special and makes me feel really proud of myself for the work I was willing to put in this year,” Griswold said. “Since late March when basketball season ended, I practiced pretty much every single day. Having that score and having that record feels like all of that pays off.”
Not lost among Griswold’s accomplishments was Portage Central finishing third behind Northville and Macomb Dakota in the team standings.
“Coming out third is incredible because I remember my freshman year, we didn’t even make it to states,” Amaratunga said.” We’ve seen our progress through the last four years, and I’m so proud of the team and how far we’ve come.”
The Mustangs finished sixth the previous two seasons.
Ely said the team was leading heading into the final two holes Saturday, but “my kids got stuck on the two hardest holes and we ended up going down by eight. I didn’t care. The message was sent that we were playing with Northville.”
For Griswold, the 13th hole caused another blip the second day.
“She got to 13 and my heart sank when I saw her down there on the same shot she had on Friday,” Ely said. “She didn’t hit a great second shot from that same position, and I was like, really? We’re going to the exact same spot, and the exact same result happened. She shanked the ball again on Saturday.”
Griswold added, “It was the exact same spot I lost my club. I think it might have been in the back of my mind.”
With her high school golf career ended, the 6-foot-1 senior is preparing for basketball season having earned all-SMAC honors the last three years.
Amaratunga decided not to play winter or spring sports, but said the lessons she learned through golf will stay with her long after graduation.
“I like how tough golf is as far as my mental strength,” she said, “because I feel all the life lessons I’ve learned from golf I can apply to my everyday life, like my patience and resilience. I can use it now in my everyday things.”
Ely said with three seniors in the lineup – including also Matilda Beck – plus junior Elizabeth Rush and sophomore Jordan Jackson, the end of the season was emotional.
“This has been a special group,” he said. “I was emotional when Olivia came off the golf course. I was emotional when each of the girls came off the golf course.
"You just put a lot of time and effort and more importantly emotional stuff into these kids, and to see them succeed is like seeing your own kids out there succeeding.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Olivia Griswold follows her shot during Saturday’s second round at Bedford Valley. (Middle) Griswold holds up her championship sign with one hand and a pin flag with the other. (Below) The Mustangs pose for a photo, with Paige Dobbs in the front row, in the second row (from left) Elizabeth Rush, Kaiya Bouschor and Seneli Amaratunga, in the third row (from left) Jordan Jackson, Matilda Beck and Griswold, and coach Tony Ely at the top. (Action photo by High School Sports Scene. Photo with sign and team photo by Jim Cottrell.)
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.)