Traverse City Record-Eagle

Golf

June 9, 2010

Area teams prep for state finals

All four divisions begin play on Friday

BY MIKE ECKERT meckert@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — When teams gather for the state golf finals on Friday and Saturday, northern Michigan will be well represented.

All three Traverse City schools have at least one golfer in the field while schools from across the region will compete in all four of the state's divisions.

"It's coming back," Traverse City West coach Brian Davis said. "In the early 2000s we had some good teams up here. We're getting back to that point."

In Division 1, Traverse City West ended a nine-year drought by qualifying for the Division 1 state finals. It capped a memorable season thus far for the Titans, who won six tournaments this year, including the Big North Conference championship.

"Obviously, we're very excited to be playing in the final tournament of the year and representing northern Michigan too," Davis said. "We have some good players and should do well."

TC West has a pair of seniors in Josh Broad and Ian Davis, followed by junior Chris Dienes, sophomore Gates Muller and freshman Payden Myers.

The Titans can bank off experience against some of the top teams in the state. At the regional last week, TC West was third behind Davision and Grand Blanc — the second and third-ranked teams in the state.

"That definitely helps knowing we can compete with as good as those teams are," Davis said. "In Division 1, it's pretty strong. It's nothing to see scores right around par."

Joining the Titans at Michigan State's Forest Akers East this weekend will be TC Central junior Patrick Colburn, who qualified as an individual after winning medalist honors at last week's regional.

Colburn has plenty of state finals experience after playing with St. Francis as a freshman and sophomore. He was third in the state as a freshman while helping the Gladiators to the Division 4 title.

DIVISION 2: Petoskey's Joey Garber will make a run at winning the state title in his final high school event.

Garber will compete as an individual at MSU's Forest Akers West.

Last year, Garber was sixth in the state and finished tied for second as a freshman. The Northmen standout will play at the University of Michigan in the fall.

DIVISION 3: Grayling senior Taylor DesEnfants will look for redemption at Grand Valley State's The Meadows.

A year ago, DesEnfants tied Kalamazoo Christian's Jacob Rykse with a two-day total for 153, but bogeyed the first hole of a playoff to give Rykse the state title.

Charlevoix will also return to the state finals. Leading the way are seniors Tyler Jones and Gunnar Whitley, as well as juniors Wyatt Drost, Thomas Rich and Josh Nitchman. Jones is a returning state medalist.

DIVISION 4: Eastern Michigan's Eagle Crest Golf Club will have a Leelanau County feel this weekend as Glen Lake, Suttons Bay and Lake Leelanau St. Mary's will all be in action.

The Lakers — who won the regional title — are young without a senior on the roster. Juniors Matt O'Brien, Matt Abramson and Collin Richard will lead the team along with sophomore Brandon Newman and freshman Mike O'Brien.

The Eagles have seniors in Bradford Schaub and Michael Pendergast, as well as sophomores Paul Bardenhagen, Joe Pendergast and Nick Shaffran.

Suttons Bay returns to the state finals after missing a year ago by a stroke. Norsemen senior Chase Palmer, juniors Conor Loberg and Nic Cross, as well as freshmen Sean Lammy and Eric Chapman will all be in the mix.

Also competing in the Division 4 state final is Manistee Catholic with freshman Zack Bialik, juniors Nick Kolanowski and Stephen Campbell, as well as seniors Zach Luomala and Zach Smith.

Individually, St. Francis junior Evan Miller will compete along with Inland Lakes Tucker Fahlen and Stefan Fahlen.

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