GOLF CHAMPIONS: Eskymos Win Two U.P. Titles

MARQUETTE---"I'm a pretty proud coach".

That was the reaction Wednesday from Escanaba High School golf coach Brian Robinette after his teams swept the MHSAA Division One Upper Peninsula championships in Marquette. The Escanaba boys upset Gladstone to take the title by one stroke, 319-320, while the Eskymo girls outlasted Houghton by 18 strokes, 351-369.

While the Eskymos were favored to win the girls championship, the boys had lost to Gladstone in pretty much every meet this spring.

But not on Wednesday.

"They've played some impressive golf," Robinette said of the Braves. "We've been squeezing our boys to play better golf, and don't just hand it to Gladstone. Make them beat you. They didn't play their best golf today. We knew we had to keep practicing, and keep working, to have a chance to beat them. It's a cliche, but it was a team effort."

Houghton's Ben Strong was the medalist with a 73. Menominee's Evan Kramer was runner-up with a 75, and Negaunee's Jordan Mason was third with a 77.

Escanaba's Johnny Kositzky, Gladstone's Bryce Douglas, and Escanaba's Parker Lapointe tied with 78's. Gladstone's Rudy Peterson shot a 79.

"This is one of the younger teams I've ever coached," Robinette said. "I have to gove Trevor Denome a lot of credit. He's a freshman, but he kept working, and his 80 today was huge. Parker's 78 is something that we really needed if we were going to pull this off. He has transferred from Traverse City West and he's fit in well on our team."

Kositzky, who will play golf at Wisconsin Lutheran next year, was the leader of the Eskymo team all season long.

Robinette said he especially wanted to beat Gladstone.

"That really motivated them, losing to Gladstone every time," Robinette said. "We just kind of baneded together as a squad. Four kids, working together."

Negaunee was third in the boys scoring with 327 strokes. Marquette and Houghton tied for fourth with 337's, and Calumet finished sixth with a 338.

In the girls tournament, Escanaba won for a second straight year after Houghton had dominated the Division One field for several years. Sophomore Paxton Johnson led the way by taking medalist honors with a 75. And she had plenty of help.

"Our girls are on a really good run right now, and none of that has come easy," Robinette said. "They have a lot going on in their lives, and for many of the girls, golf isn't necessarily Number One. I've watched Megan (Dagenais) go from a 100-to-110 golfer to an average of 85 or 86. Sam (Henderson) has had improvement in her game every year. "

On Wednesday, Henderson shot a 91, Dagenais a 92, and Darby Beckon shot a 93, as all four Eskymo scores broke that 100 mark.

Robinette says beating Houghton for a second straight spring was a source of pride.

"We were never in their league, with the scores they were putting up," Robinette said. "They're still impressive, but our girls have worked hard. Darby shot her best round. I just have a bunch of competitive girls who wanted it."

After Houghton's 369, third place was a tie between Marquette and Menominee with 390 scores. Gladstone finished fifth with a 405, followed by Kingsford (423), Iron Mountain (452), and Manistique (452).

Individually, after Johnson's 75, Houghton's Kaaren Liston shot a 77 and Marquette's Ellie Hicks took third with an 85. Kaylee Hubert had Gladstone's best score with a 96.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken by Lisa Kositzky.