Houghton tops field to win boys Division 1 golf title
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BARK RIVER -- The Houghton Gremlins claimed the MHSAA Division 1 U.P. Finals Team Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Sage Run Golf Course.
Menominee's Brady Badker won the individual U.P. Finals championship.
It was only Houghton's second time on the course.
"I'm really proud of the kids. We had never seen the course until yesterday," said Houghton coach Corey Markham. "We came down to do a practice round and the wind was howling like 30-, 35-mile an hour winds. So it was hard to get a read on how you're playing the course in those kind of winds. But, they got to see the course and how it was laid out so that really was great.
"They showed up. I told them going in if we could average between 80 and 85, we'd be right in the mix. We had Marino (Pisani) go down into the 70s and the rest were all between 80 and 85. So, I'm really proud of how they played today."
Houghton put together a collective score of 329. Following in second were the Marquette Redmen just five strokes back at 334.
"Going in, I thought if the guys played well and had a really good day there would be a good chance we'd be in the mix," said Marquette coach Ben Smith. "I bet if you asked the kids while they were out there you probably wouldn't get too many 'it's going great coach' responses. But, conditions were tough out there. Obviously, the wind and the course itself is not easy... But, credit to the kids, they hung in there."
Smith added close contests throughout the year played a role in preparing the team for the U.P. Finals.
"We've had a couple matches this year that came down to a shot or two," he commented. "So, I think the kids kind of bought into the idea that every swing matters and even if it doesn't seem like it's your day, just try and get the ball in the hole. Credit to them, they hung in there for each other and were able to come out with a second-place finish."
For Badker, it has been a senior year of second places as he earned second place in the Great Northern Conference and played a vital part of the Maroons' basketball defense in their run to the Breslin Center that fell just 10 points shy of a state title.
That changed Wednesday.
"This one feels good to get off my chest," said Badker. "The last two things I cared about most were basketball and golf and was runner-up, runner-up. But, this one was kind of the one I wanted really bad because last year I came up short."
Badker finished three strokes ahead of Houghton's Marino Pisani, shooting a 75 to Pisani's 78.
Badker felt he earned the advantage in the first half of the day's golf.
"I'd say on the front nine my approach shots were kind of getting real close," he said. "I got good looks at birdies instead of those long five-foot par putts. Those are the ones you have to save out here because it's a tough course. When you've got those five footers for birdie instead of five footers for par, that really helps to keep your mindset going."
Behind the top two was a three-way tie for third between Kingsford's Cole Myllyla, Iron Mountain's Cooper Pigeon, and Westwood's Tyler Annala, who all carded 79.
Calumet and Kingsford tied for the third spot in the team standings at 337 while Escanaba rounded out the top five with 341.
The top five team's covered a span of just 12 strokes from the effort from Houghton's five golfers at 329 to Esky's five at 341.
Four of those Escanaba five will return next year as senior Clayton Smith completed his final high school round of golf. The Eskymos were led by Bryson Lancour's effort of 83 which left him four strokes back of the tie for third.