DETROIT — For the second year in a row, the Catholic High School League girls golf championship trophies will remain in the possession of Toledo St. Ursula and Ann Arbor Greenhills.
Just a dozen strokes separated the four golfers for St. Ursula’s 302 total for the Bishop Division trophy led by Emma Myers’ 69. Sydney Socha and Kennedy Donnelly each carded 76, and Lindsay Kornowa had 81.
This was in sharp contrast to the 31-point spread among Greenhills' quartet making up its winning 330 total in the Cardinal Division. Senior Mia Melendez carried the load with a brilliant six-under 63 (a CHSL finals record) on the 69-par Detroit Golf Club south course. Hannah Lee (86), Kayla Young (87) and Saaya Doshi (94) rounded out the foursome.
Melendez had three eagles, a birdie, 13 pars and a bogey.
“It was fun and challenging,” Melendez, 17, said. “The best part of my game is my driver. I always rely on it to be down the middle (averaging 230-250 yards). I had a steady round ... Our dad got me and my siblings into the game when I was about 5. I started competing at 8 and have been ever since.”
She competed in a dozen tournaments this summer. She was a semifinalist in the Michigan Girls Junior State Amateur Match Play and winner of a pair of Top 50 Scholarship Tour events: the Twin Lakes Junior Summer Challenge and the Fox Hills Memorial Day Classic.
Melendez is one of 12 high school golfers, and one of four CHSL golfers, who has won three Michigan High School Athletic Association events. She was Division 4 medalist in 2021-22-23. The others are Lauren Timpf of Macomb Lutheran North (D3 2021-22-23), Shannon Kennedy of Bloomfield Hills Marian (D2 2017, 2019-20) and Danielle Staskowski of Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (D2 2016-17-18)
Melendez has her sights set on being a four-time medalist, and the first from the Lower Peninsula. There are three in that category now, but all from the Upper Peninsula.
“My season has been building up to that final point,” she said. “I’m excited to be at this level.” The MHSAA final is scheduled for Oct. 18-19 at the Michigan State Forest Akers West layout. Regionals be held Oct. 7-12.
Also excited about the upcoming state finals is Farmington Hills Mercy, the Division 2 champs the last two years. Coach Vicki Kowalski has three seniors from last year’s squad: Maeve Casey, Lila Polakowski and Macy Morphew.
She has high praise for sophomore Megan Guerrera: “She stepped right in. She gives us four solid scorers.”
A final exciting note: Cranbrook’s Alina Yuan used an 8-iron to ace the 131-yard 12th hole. She shot a 78.
Bishop Division scoreboard
Toledo St. Ursula 302, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 306, Farmington Hills Mercy 317, Bloomfield Hills Marian 331, Macomb Lutheran North 349, Toledo Notre Dame Academy 355.
Top 10 Individuals
Sydney Behnke (Cranbrook) 68, Emma Myers (St. Ursula) 69, Sixtine Charnelet (Cranbrook) 72, Pippa Dawson (Marian) 72, Maeve Casey (Mercy) 75, Lila Polakowski (Mercy) 75, Sydney Socha (St. Ursula) 76, Kennedy Donnelly (St. Ursula) 76, Alina Yuan (Cranbrook) 78, Saige Rothey (Lutheran North) 80.
Cardinal Division Scoreboard
Ann Arbor Greenhills 330, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 340, Dearborn Divine Child 361, Wixom St. Catherine of Siena 363, Royal Oak Shrine 396, Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard 403, Jackson Lumen Christi 425, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart DNQ.
Top 10 Individuals
Mia Melendez (Greenhills) 63, Rachel Fay (St. Catherine) 69, Hailey Ward (St. Mary’s) 76, Sophia Harris (Divine Child) 82, Erin McCormick (Divine Child) 82, Lucy Krichko (St. Catherine) 85, Charli Sikorsky (St. Mary’s) 85, Adrianna Sullivan (St. Mary’s) 85, Hannah Lee (Greenhills) 86.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
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