Golf: Hillsdale Academy wins first SCAA league jamboree of the year
JACKSON — The Hillsdale Academy boys golf team kicked off their league season with a jamboree held at Ella Sharp Park Golf Course in Jackson.
Things went according to plan for the Colts, defeating the competition with a final team score of 155. Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy took second with a score of 189. Jackson Christian took third with a team score of 193.
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It was a celebratory day for the Colts, who topped their team-best SCAA jamboree score of 167 from last season, and this was only their first league match of the season.
The Colts were led by their two all-state seniors. Ridley Fast was the day's medalist after carding a meet-best 34, two-under par. Fast had three birdies on the day, with just one bogey. Frisinger birdied holes one and nine on the way to a second-place finish and a score of 37. Just behind them was junior Kahle Welden with a final score of 41.
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Freshman Ben Lutz tied Will Carleton Academy junior Will Thielen and Jackson Christian's Nate Locke for fourth. Thielen and Lutz had a final score of 43. Academy freshman Lincoln Knirk took seventh with a 44. Rounding out the top 10 was Will Carleton junior Tyler Slade with a 48.
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For the D4 No. 2 ranked Colts, despite having won four straight SCAA golf titles, there's still plenty for them to gain from competitive play as they look to reach their ultimate goals of a state title.
"Every competition is important," said Colts coach Rolla Frisinger. "I think iron sharpens iron. Not only is it good competition against other teams, but it's good competition amongst ourselves as far as what seeds our own players are going to playing roles in down the road."
As a step to not only compete, but to also prepare for the eventual regional and state meets, Hillsdale Academy has several marquee matchups on the horizon. This weekend, the Colts will travel to the Colonel B Invitational at the Jack Nicklaus designed American Dunes on Friday in Grand Haven, Michigan. Some of the best teams in the state will be there. Further down the road is their hosted, and third annual, Matthew Krustch Invitational on Friday, May 10.
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They will also travel to the Meadows golf course at GVSU for an invitational, the site of the Division 4 state championship this season. All of these invitationals service the team's goals of improving in specific areas of play against competition they will see at regionals and at state finals this season.
"We're excited about that because that's the site of the state championship this year," coach Frisinger said. "So, we're hoping to get good experience there. We're really stressing the short game this year, keeping it in play and eliminating the blow-up holes. They're starting to dial that in pretty good at this point. Our goal right from the start is to make sure that our players improve, not only in the golf world, but as good character people as well. The thing I like about this team is we have a little more depth than we've had in the previous years. So, it's fun to see everybody competing for spots and trying to move up the ladder."
Hillsdale Academy will also be hosts of the regional championship for their grouping. That event will take place at the Coldwater Golf Course the weekend of May 28-June 1.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Golf: Hillsdale Academy wins SCAA opener beating last year's team-best league score
