Girls Golf High School Finals Wrap Up

By Tom Lang

   BATTLE CREEK – Dexter’s Avery Manning, an All-State Dream Team selection last year, entered the Division 2 state finals at Bedford Valley Golf Course as defending champ on a team that was runner up last fall.

   The script flipped this year.

   Manning led her team to the 2025 state championship, while she took third individually with a 154 score.

   “We came into this so strong and so ready to do it, and I’m so proud,” she said… “I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to high school golf.”

   Manning found herself in 7th place after round one, but pulled it together in round two (Oct. 18) … “where I was just trying to stay as steady as possible and keep my position and try to keep the lead for my team. I’m proud that I stayed content, even if something went wrong.”

   Perhaps more difficult than trying to repeat as state medalist was the fact that Manning won all four regional titles of her high school career. She’s heading to Oakland University next.

      Sophia McCollum, a junior at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, was individual medalist leading wire-to-wire. Yet that’s not how she would have scripted it.

   “I really didn’t’ want to be leading after the first day,” she said. “I feel like that’s more pressure, to stay at the top. So, I definitely felt a lot of pressure, but it got a lot better as it went along.”

   McCollum placed T17 last year before making the huge leap in 2025.

   Division 1:

   Northville's juggernaut was at it again, this time at The Meadows at Grand Valley State, winning its sixth team title in the last eight years. Three Mustangs (643) placed among the top seven to secure a winning 29-stroke margin over runner-up Macomb Dakota (672).

   Northville lost just one golfer to graduation from last year’s state title team, so that experience was tough to deny or for anyone else to overcome.

   "It was basically the same team," said head coach Kate Schultz, who as a Northville senior in 2002 won a Finals title before going on to play at Grand Valley State. "So, it was nothing better or worse for us. We're proud that we're a deep team. There may have been more pressure, but the kids didn't know any difference from last year. They know what they have to do, and I knew they would handle putting more pressure on themselves."

   Okemos was third with a 674, and Rochester Adams fourth at 681.

   Plymouth senior Annie Flavin won the individual title with a 71-77-148, yet has no firm plans to play college golf. Flavin admitted she wasn't the most likely candidate to top the field, but credited the improved mental approach to her game as key to successfully "picking my way around a course.”

   Division 3:

   Grand Rapids Catholic Central was the team to chase all season with four golfers back after winning last year’s Final in Division 3. 

   “There definitely was a target,” Catholic Central coach Kim Napieralski said. “The expectations weren’t anything new or different. They just leveled up to it.”

   Senior Kelsey Preston (81-78-159) took third with two more teammates in the top 7; senior Margaret Deimel scored 80-86-166 to place sixth, and fellow senior Sofia Piccione added a 81-86-167 to finish T7. 

   There was also a repeat winner individually, with Grand Rapids Christian senior Lillian O’Grady reigning again after winning last year at Bedford Valley. 

   After birdieing five holes to shoot 72 in the first round, O’Grady birdied six more holes during the second round, finishing with a 1-under par score of 71 for a two-day total of 143. 

   “This course, you can kind of be more aggressive with it and really hit it to good spots on the greens,” said O’Grady, who will play next at the University of Findlay. “I would say it was a lot of good wedge shots into the greens and making some pretty good putts. In some moments, my driver was off, but my irons were really good, and I was making the putts. And then other times my irons were off, but my short game was really good. All combined together, it was really good.”

   O’Grady did have a different dynamic winning the title this year, as her closest pursuer was sister Eleanor, a freshman who finished runner-up with a score of 78-78-156.

   “It was so special to have my sister on the team and experience this with her,” Lillian said of Eleanor. “Hopefully she can do what I’ve done these years.” 

   Grand Rapids Christian finished runner-up, surging ahead of Detroit Country Day (731) with a strong second-day-total of 353 to finish at 711. 

   Division 4:

   Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian girls’ golf coach Myrna Duflo and her freshman daughter, Izzy, made the most of firsts at the Division 4 Final at Katke Golf Course at Ferris State.

   The Duflo family duo guided the Mustangs to their first-ever championship title. Izzy Duflo has led the team all season and took fourth individually with a two-day total of 78-88-166.

   NorthPointe Christian, the runner up last season, edged Lansing Catholic by one shot. The Cougars came that close to their second title in three years. Lansing Catholic also finished second in 2020 and 2021.

   Napoleon senior Anna McCubbins progressed at the Finals each year and won the medalist title by firing a 79-76-155. She tied for 11th at the Final as a freshman, then placed seventh in both her sophomore and junior seasons.

   “Seriously, I’ve dreamed about this moment at least four times,” said McCubbins, who will play next for Saginaw Valley State University. “It’s just such a crazy, surreal experience. Just happy tears, honestly.”

   Note: Reports from the MHSAA contributed.