FLINT – Toledo St. Ursula Academy claimed its third straight Catholic High School League Bishop Division girls golf championship and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep its first-ever in the Cardinal Division Monday, Sept. 29, at the Flint Golf Club.
Only eight strokes separated St. Ursula’s foursome, led by senior Sydney Socha’s par 72 round, the best of the day for the 15 schools that participated in the finals. Junior Olivia Rodgers had 76, senior Lindsey Kornowa 77, and freshman Mia McIntyre 80.
Jim McGowan has been coaching at St. Ursula for 26 years.
“You know, we built the program over many years,” he said, “and in Toledo, if you want to play golf, you go to St. Ursula.“
He described a major component of the program: “All year long, we do golf-specific training with a trainer, three times a week. We work very hard on putting and chipping, and I mean like three-foot putts, until they lose their mind.
“And then depending how good they are, then four-foot putts … they'll have to do 25 in a row. And if they miss number 24, they start over again.”
At St. Mary’s, Coach Chris Brecht credits a “good team chemistry, a type of sisterhood where they help each other relax to play good for the team and for their friends.”
He’s coached golf at St. Mary’s for five years since the formerly all-boys school enrolled its first class of girls. His father, Tom, has coached the boys' golf teams for nearly 20 years and celebrated the boys’ Division 2 state championship this past spring.
Senior Hailey Ward shot a 77 to lead the Eaglets. She’s ranked 15th in the state.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS: Sydney Socha (St. Ursula) 72, Megan Guerrera (Mercy) 75, Sixtine Charnelet (Cranbrook) 76, Olivia Rodgers (St. Ursula) 76, Lindsey Kornowa (St. Ursula) 77, Mary Valentine (Notre Dame) 77, Hailey Ward (St. Mary’s) 77, Mia McIntyre (St. Ursula) 80, Josie Vandenhaute 80, Sophia Harris 83 (Divine Child).
Bishop Division
Toledo St. Ursula 305: Sydney Socha 72, Olivia Rodgers 76, Lindsey Karnowa 77, Mia McIntyre 80.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 320: Sixtine Charnelet 76, Josie Vandenhaute 80, Sydney Behnke 81, Harriet Cortez 83.
Bloomfield Hills Marian 335: Pippa Dawson 82, Cathy Wenzel 84, Gwen Slepek 84, Gabriella Curioca 85.
Toledo Notre Dame Academy 354: Mary Valentine 77, Rhiannon Zenz 92, Lily Garcia 92, Caitlin Powers 93.
Macomb Lutheran North 354: Nina Hanley 86, Gabby Gardenes 88, Marie Fortuna 88, Victoria Ratajczyk 92,
Farmington Hills Mercy 357: Megan Guerrera 75, Claire Bates 90, Hinsley Henderson 95, London Smith 97.
Cardinal Division
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep 343: Hailey Ward 77, Claire Donovan 88, Charli Sikorsky 88, Adrianna Salem 90.
Royal Oak Shrine 375: Sarah Kemp 84, Sophie Clemence 93, Abby White 96, Mary Brush 102.
Warren Regina 381: Annamarie Artymovich 88, Mady Diliddo 95, Nina Diliddo 98, Lily Hansen 100.
Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard 385: Greysen Gusfa 96, Megan Nickodemus 94, MacKenzie Weeks 96, Josephine Woodsum 99.
Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart 392: Savannah Casey 95, Romina Palozeti 96, Cece Fischer 100, Maria Hopkins 101.
Dearborn Divine Child 395: Sophia Harris 83, Paige Michalak 96, Bridget Rayha 106, Lauren O’Hagan 108.
Jackson Lumen Christi 413: MacKenzie Whitney 97, Jailyn Bruneel 102, Kathleen McClure 103, Krissy Warren 111.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 434: Olivia Robinson 95, Antonia Randazzo 100, Olivia Boggs 111, Norah Nordin 128.
