MC Returns to Win Cascades Golf Title

Michigan Center High School golfer Kamryn Shannon earned medalist honors and top golfer in the Cascades Conference.  Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

Someone finally found a way to defeat COVID-19.

At least for one day.

The Michigan Center High School girls’ varsity golf team earned a win at the Cascades Conference golf final at Ella Sharp Golf Course on Thursday – despite being in COVID-19 quarantine.

The Cardinals shot a four-person total of 370 – four golfers playing 18 holes – to defeat East Jackson High School by more than 40 strokes.

The school shut down athletics for 14 days last week because of COVID-19 concerns. Coaches from the Cascades Conference devised a plan allowing the MCHS golfers to play in groups by themselves.

When Jackson County health officials approved of the plan, MCHS was allowed to play.

The Cardinals have dominated jamborees this fall, winning all of them – mostly by 20 shots for nine holes. They did not play in the final jamboree on Monday at Cascades Golf Course.

MCHS played in groups of three and two at the Cascades Conference final wearing masks while swinging golf clubs. Kamryn Shannon earned medalist honors with 82 and teammate Baylee Carlisle was second with 83.

East Jackson shot 413, Hanover-Horton finished third as a team at 420, Grass Lake shot 441 for fourth place, Napoleon was one stroke behind the Warriors, Vandercook Lake finished with 462, and Addison shot 499.

Players started the day in temperatures in the low 50s, survived a storm, and finished in the afternoon.

Morgan LeFaive was third individually at the final with an 89, Rory Mericle of East Jackson finished fourth with a 91, and Paige Hubert of Grass Lake and Kassidy Alexander of Hanover-Horton tied for fifth with 97s.

The top eight in the conference earn first-team honors. Michigan Center dominated the first team with four players – Shannon, Carlisle, Sydney Cramer, and Ellie Trefry. They were joined by LeFaive, Mericle of East Jackson, and Alexander and Sydney Finch of Hanover-Horton.

Second-team players were Sammy Doerr of East Jackson, Paige Hubert of Grass Lake, Savanna Stewart of MCHS, Holly Miller of Hanover-Horton, Elsa Miller of Grass Lake, Addy Rudd of EJHS, Quincy Stewart of Napoleon, and Alicia VanEpps of HHHS.