By DAVID COOK
Division 1
The Detroit Catholic Central boys golf team was not to be denied. After coming close the past few years, the Shamrocks ran away from the competition to win the Division 1 team golf state championship at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids.
Catholic Central won its first state golf title since 2010 with a two-day total of 591, 31 strokes better than second-place Lakeview. Canton took third with 624, while Hartland (625) and Rockford (633) rounded out the top five teams.
“The boys just battled all weekend,” Catholic Central coach Mike Anderson said. “The conditions were tough with the wind, but the boys just kept grinding.”
The Shamrocks relied on a team effort and balance to get the job accomplished. Three of the teaml’s golfers placed in the top ten individually, while the fourth score finished just two shots out of the top ten.
Ben Smith led the way, as he finished third individually with a 145.
Max Palmer and sophomore James Piot tied for eighth place with scores of 150, while Will Coffman finished at 152.
Lakeview junior Andrew Walker took home the medalist honors with a two-day total of 142.
Hartland placed fourth overall as a team. Baker Stevenson led the Eagles with a 152, while Beau Breault shot a 154.
Joel Pietila led the way for Rockford, as he finished fifth overall with a 147.
Flushing placed ninth and was paced by Joe Montpas, who finished third individually with a 145.
Midland placed 15th as a team and was paced by Top Kamnark with a 152.
Division 2
DeWitt edged Cranbrook-Kingswood by one stroke to win the Division 2 state title. Owen Beyer (142) and Geoffry Croley (145) both finished in the top 10 individually to lead the Panthers.
East Lansing placed seventh overall. Ian Carroll led the Trojans with a 150, while Joe Croom shot a 153 and Logan Wilcox a 157.
Jack Pilkington of Mt. Pleasant qualified as an individual and shot a 147, while Eric Nunn of St. Johns shot a 150 as an individual.
Division 3
Lansing Catholic won its third straight state title. The Cougars finished with a 623 to outlast second-place Ludington by 12 strokes.
Owen Rush led the way for the Cougars, as he shot rounds of 74 and 77 to place third individually. Senior Patrick Gillespie totaled a 156, followed by fellow senior Niko Voutssaras with a 158.
Powers Catholic placed fourth overall and was paced by Blaise Vanitvelt with a 157 and Joe Cariasso with a 160.
Big Rapids placed 11th overall and was led by Brad Walling with a 166.
Portland’s Rhet Schrauben finished fifth individually, as he shot a 153, while Ben Balen of Freeland and Jagger Richards of Laingsburg both carded 154.
Division 4
Suttons Bay won the Division 4 state title with a 675.
Nouvel Catholic Central earned a top-ten finish, as it placed seventh. Nicholas Ludka finished fourth overall for the Panthers with a 152.
Sacred Heart Academy placed 13th overall and was led by Jake Starry (182) and Sam Kindermann (184).
Fowler’s Derek Bengel shot a 168 individually, while Lansing Christian’s Parker Jamieson shot a 173.