EAST LANSING — Rochester Adams rallied from 11 strokes down to win its second consecutive Division 1 girls’ golf title, on a water-soaked weekend at Forest Akers West, topping Brighton by a single stroke, 669 to 670.
“These girls; championships breeds championships,” Adams coach Jeff Kutschman said as the girls gathered for congratulations from others nearby. “They have the pedigree, they’ve been working their tails off.
“We just stuck to it. The girls just played their game without trying to do too much at one time. Good or bad, they just tried to play the next shot and it ended up being good.”
There was standing water on about one-third of the greens on Friday, forcing a delay while the grounds crew worked on them. After almost a two-hour stoppage, Round 1 was not completed before dark and continued Saturday morning.
HISTORY FOR CASS TECH: Girls golf team makes history heading to state championship tournament
Kutschman praised Katie Fodale (tied for eighth) for earning four state titles: two in golf and two in downhill skiing. He said he also was amazed by the fortitude of the injured Olivia Dance, “who was playing on one leg. We were not sure on Wednesday if she was going to play because she sprained her ankle really bad. She gutted it out and played through it. She struggled Friday but came back (105-89) so impressive the second day.”
Laura Liu led Adams with a two-day 150, tied for fourth individually.
A trio of seniors were the only three golfers to finish under par, with Elise Fennell of East Kentwood taking home medalist honors with a 4-under 140. Jessica Jolly of Rockford and Byron Center’s Macie Elzinga, the Division 2 state champ last year, tied for runner-up at 141. Fennell and Jolly are both headed to Illinois State.
“I was refreshing (the online scoring app) all the time,” Fennel said about the final round. “It was motivation for me. I stayed steady. I made a lot of good par saves just to keep things going, but I got my birdies when I could.
“It’s amazing to win this. Last year I got second (to friend Kate Brody of Grand Blanc). I had a chance on the last hole to tie it, so that kind of hurt a little.”
Detroit Cass Tech became the first Public School League team to compete in the girls golf state finals. The Technicians finished in 17th place, led by senior Kennedy Watts’ 204.
Division 2: Farmington Hills Mercy repeats as champ
At Forest Akers East, Farmington Hills Mercy also won its second consecutive title, with a two-day total of 636, ahead of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood at 653. Mercy has four state championships under the program’s only coach, Vicki Kowalski, with the first coming in 1999. Kowalski started the program when World Golf Hall of Famer Meg Mallon, then a junior at the school, begged her to field a team.
Mercy’s top player, Maeve Casey, who shot 73 Friday and was second overall, departed Friday night to play junior hockey at a tournament in Minnesota, slipping the final round.
“For the girls to come through today, counting on a score that didn’t count (Friday), but she (senior Brinlee Nay) came through with the same score she shot yesterday, an 89,” Kowalski said.
Two golfers shot career bests: Abby Slankster posted a 70 on Saturday after shooting 80 in the first round, and Macy Morphew had an 81 to follow an 85 in the first round.
“We’ve been back and forth with them (all season),” Kowalski said of Cranbrook. “Some of the tournaments we’d be ahead and some of them, we would be. It was really interesting that the top two teams in Division 2 are in the same league and the same regional.”
Lauren Davis of Coopersville was medalist and the only player under par, shooting a pair of 70s. She is headed to Central Michigan University.
“My putting was super solid, so that was the biggest help for me,” Davis said. “There were sometimes we’d putt through puddles, then by the hole it would be dry. It was definitely tough.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan girls golf: Rochester Adams, Farmington Hills Mercy repeat