Get to know the Greater Lansing high school girls golf teams
Here is an overview of the high school girls golf teams in Greater Lansing.
CAAC BLUE
▶ Coaches’ predictions: 1. Okemos, 2. Grand Ledge, 3. DeWitt, 4. East Lansing, 5. Holt, 6. Waverly
▶ Top golfers: Alena Li, Okemos; Isabel Kelly, Grand Ledge
DEWITT
▶ Last season: 3rd
▶ Coach: Chris Thelen (5th season)
▶ Top returners: Jordyn Crawley (sr.), Laynie Hanlin (sr.), Kennedy Tiemann (sr.), Courtney Novak (jr.), Cate Piesko (jr.)
▶ Other contributor: Jordan Stirrett (jr.)
▶ Outlook: The Panthers have several key golfers back from last year’s regional championship squad and have a lot of experience. Crawley, Novak and Piesko are returning all-league golfers, while Hanlin and Tiemann earned honorable mention accolades. DeWitt hopes to build on last year’s success and return to the state finals.
EAST LANSING
▶ Top golfers: Kinley Kiefer (so.), Grace Knake (so.), Taylor Nelson (so.), Addie Russell (jr.), Elizabeth Gisholt (jr.), Lauren Garrett (sr.)
GRAND LEDGE
▶ Coach: Jeffrey Miller (10th season)
▶ Top returner: Isabel Kelley (jr.)
▶ Other contributors: Aubrie Parish (jr.), Erin McGinnis (so.)
▶ Outlook: The Comets return one of the area’s top golfers in Kelly, who was a Division 1 state qualifier last season and earned honorable mention all-state honors. Grand Ledge has four of its top six from last season back in its lineup and expects to be among the best in the CAAC Blue.
HOLT
▶ Last season: 5th
▶ Coach: Brian Kosloski (6th season)
▶ Top returners: Lauren Johnson (jr.), Maddy Gleason (so.)
▶ Other contributors: Grace Atkinson (fr.), Brehan Corey (sr.), Grace Gaudard (fr.)
▶ Outlook: The Rams are rebuilding and looking to see growth throughout the fall.
OKEMOS
▶ Last season: 1st
▶ Coach: Dan Stolz (16th season)
▶ Top returners: Alena Li (jr.), Addie Karpinski (sr.), Rachel Chomas (sr.)
▶ Other contributor: Emma O’Shea (fr.)
▶ Outlook: The Wolves graduated two of their top five players but do return Li, who was an all-state performer as a sophomore. Stolz said newcomers will have to step up for Okemos to repeat in the CAAC Blue.
CAAC RED
▶ Coaches' predictions: 1. Williamston, 2. Mason, 3. Haslett, 4. St. Johns, 5. Fowlerville
▶ Top golfers: Paige Radebach, Williamston; Nicole Schafer, Williamston; Ellie Thorburn, Williamston; Mina Yoo, Haslett
FOWLERVILLE
▶ Coach: Brent Goulding (5th season)
▶ Top returner: Raya Goulding (sr.)
▶ Other contributor: Keira Mahon (jr.)
▶ Outlook: Raya Goulding is a fourth-year varsity player for the Gladiators. Coach Goulding believes Mahon and Raya Goulding could be in the mix for all-league honors this fall.
HASLETT
▶ Top golfers: Molly Fortier (jr.), Mina Yoo (sr.), Reagan Campbell (so.), Caroline Collins (jr.), Christina Dixon (so.)
▶ Outlook: Yoo was a second team all-state selection last season and also finished second overall in the CAAC Red to lead the Vikings’ returners.
MASON
▶ Last season: 2nd
▶ Coach: Kirk Petee (24th season)
▶ Top returners: Claire Heathman (sr.), Ava Clark (sr.), Kortney Osborn (jr.), Gabby Hanover (jr.), Tylar Southwell (so.), Catherine Ehresman (sr.), Macy Carlson (sr.)
▶ Outlook: The Bulldogs finished sixth at the Division 2 state finals last season and have several key returning golfers. Heathman, Clark, Osborn, Hanover and Southwell each earned all-league honors last fall, while Ehresman and Carlson are fourth-year varsity players.
ST. JOHNS
▶ Last season: 4th
▶ Coach: Rick Schultz (15th season)
▶ Top returners: Leea Gorman (sr.), Sunni Devereaux (jr.)
▶ Outlook: Gorman is a fourth-year varsity player who earned all-league honors last season and leads the returners for the Redwings.
WILLIAMSTON
▶ Last season: 3rd
▶ Coach: Brian Kent (3rd season)
▶ Top returners: Ellie Thorburn (sr.), Nicole Schafer (jr.), Allison Kane (sr.), Athena Hart (jr.)
▶ Other contributors: Sami Ransom (sr.), Delaney Parkin (sr.), Paige Radebach (fr.)
▶ Outlook: Most of the key golfers from last year’s team that claimed a regional title and finished 10th at the Division 3 finals are back for the Hornets. Schafer earned all-state accolades and Thorburn was an all-league golfer and lead the way as Williamston looks to improve its league finish. Radebach is a newcomer who has made an impact and won the Portland Invitational.
More: Meet the Greater Lansing high school boys tennis teams
CAAC WHITE
▶ Coaches' predictions: 1. Lansing Catholic, 2. Portland, 3. Charlotte, 4. Lakewood, T-5. Ionia, T-5. Olivet, 7. Eaton Rapids
▶ Top golfers: Brynn Anderson, Lansing Catholic; Sophie Hauser, Lansing Catholic
CHARLOTTE
▶ Last season: 2nd
▶ Coach: Kevin Robinson (1st season)
▶ Top returners: Marissa Dye (sr.), Delaina Rosier (sr.), Addison Antcliff (so.)
▶ Other contributors: Kallista McKellar (jr.), Lydia Grey (sr.), Peyton Howarth (fr.)
▶ Outlook: Dye and Rosier finished all-league last season for the Orioles. Charlotte lost its top two golfers from last season but is focused on building on the success from recent seasons.
EATON RAPIDS
▶ Last season: 4th
▶ Coach: Michael Edick
▶ Top returners: Annika Ribby (jr.), Sophia Monroe (jr.)
▶ Other contributors: Lyla Smith (jr.), Taylor Crow (jr.), Skylar White (sr.)
▶ Outlook: The Greyhounds hope to gain experience and improve throughout the fall.
IONIA
▶ Top golfers: Lilia Redder (fr.), Victoria Gutierrez (sr.), McKenna White (sr.), Elena Lance (sr.), McKenna Bussell (sr.)
LAKEWOOD
▶ Last season: 2nd GLAC
▶ Coach: Carl Kutch (22nd season)
▶ Top returners: Makenzie Vasquez (sr.), Audrey Hillard (sr.), Ellie Benham (jr.)
▶ Other contributor: Galatea Archbold-Pyle (so.)
▶ Outlook: Vasquez qualified for the state finals as an individual last season and was a first team all-GLAC performer last season to lead the talent back for the Vikings. Hillard and Benham are varsity veterans who also were all-league golfers. The mission for Lakewood is to try to finish in the top half of the CAAC White.
LANSING CATHOLIC
▶ Top golfers: Sophie Hauser (sr.), Brynn Anderson (jr.), Julia Sambaer (jr.), Tessa Roe (sr.), Addi Rule (so.)
▶ Outlook: Hauser was a Division 4 all-state selection and leads a strong core of returners for the Cougars, who are coming off a third-place finish at the state finals. Anderson, Sambaer and Rule also return after placing in the top 30 individually at the Division 4 finals.
OLIVET
▶ Top golfers: Jocelyn Rolston (so.), Miyah Sheldon (jr.), Brianna Preston (jr.), Olivia Krause (sr.), Grace Limas (jr.)
PORTLAND
▶ Top golfers: Ella Gruber (sr.), Bailee Fish (jr.), Malia Thelen (sr.), Annabelle Bower (jr.), Paige Spedoske (jr.)
CMAL
▶ Coaches' predictions: 1. Bath, 2. Perry, 3. Laingsburg, 4. Pewamo-Westphalia, 5. Durand, 6. New Lothrop
▶ Top golfers: Kaitlyn Dickey, Bath; Anna Schaibly, Bath; Aubrie Schaibly, Bath;
BATH
▶ Last season: 1st GLAC
▶ Coach: Chad Vietzke (3rd season)
▶ Top returners: Anna Schaibly (jr.), Aubrie Schaibly (sr.), Kaitlyn Dickey (sr.), Aubri Torok (jr.), Lilly Dilday (jr.), Kristin Armistead (sr.)
▶ Outlook: Anna Schaibly was the GLAC champion last fall and earned honorable mention all-state honors, while Aubrie Schaibly was the league runner-up for the Bees. Bath has six returning varsity players back from its team that reached the state finals and finished 13th. High expectations surround the season.
LAINGSBURG
▶ Top golfers: Erin Pohlod (jr.), Ashlee Hawes (sr.), Hailey Rueckert (jr.), Tessa Boyle (jr.), Katie Laing (jr.), Lillian Platte (so.)
PERRY
▶ Last season: 4th GLAC
▶ Coach: Jake Baumgartner
▶ Top returners: Neela Willson (sr.), Addy Lampron (jr.), Maddy Kloeckner (jr.), Emily Provost (jr.), Hazel Stone (jr.)
▶ Other contributors: Ila Lentz (sr.), Ava Hansen (jr.)
▶ Outlook: The Ramblers have three full-time starters back in their lineup this fall and expect to be a lot stronger. Willson and Kloeckner were second team All-GLAC golfers last season while Lampron earned honorable mention honors.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
▶ Top golfers: Brooke Spitzley (sr.), Ava Smith (sr.), Grace Fox (sr.), Taylor Nurenberg (jr.), Katie Hafner (sr.), Addison Schroeder (sr.)
OTHERS
CORUNNA
▶ Coach: Tim Challender (4th season)
▶ Top returner: Dara Shay (jr.)
▶ Other contributors: Terrian Boucha (jr.), Macee Stroub (jr.), Katherine Knieper (fr.)
▶ Outlook: Shay leads the experience back from Corunna, which is looking to have its players gain varsity experience this fall and grow.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Greater Lansing high school girls golf overview
