Ramping Up for Prepapalooza 2014

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 13^th 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 13^th 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.)