OKEMOS, me. (WLNS) – Due to increased registrations, the Okemos Girls Golf Team has switched from Division 2 to Division 1 this year. But that couldn’t stop Dan Stolz’s crew from getting another regional crown.
On Monday, Okemos ousted Brighton with three punches at Davidson Country Club and took his third regional title in four years. As a team, Okemos made the necessary strokes in the final holes, shooting a 325 while Brighton finished with 328.
“I had a girl who missed the green on a par 3, it landed right near the sand trap, and then she flopped the wedge one foot of the hole and made the par putt,” said Stolz, the golf coach for Okemo’s girls . “It was pretty big. There was some real drama out there. ”
“It’s so different to win with a team than alone. It was great to share with someone, ”said Alena Li, Okemos’ novice golf player.
Typical Okemos workout runs from 3-4: 30pm, but if you get to Forest Akers East after 4:30 am you can still see the team doing extra work on the driving range. Because of this work ethic, Okemo’s senior Allison Cui has won consecutive state titles.
“On Sunday evening we got a hit in front of Regionals. It was so dark out here that I could barely see the ball on the tee and she was still banging balls on the range, ”said Stolz.
Audrey Chen, Okemos Senior Golfer, said, “She’s definitely leading by example and it’s really cool to see because my game has definitely improved by watching her.”
Cui shot a 71 in the area, and right behind her on the Okemos scorecard was Li, who shot a 78 to top all the newcomers in the area.
“Alena feels the same way. She’s the last girl who goes every night, ”said proudly.
“Sometimes I don’t like hitting balls on the range, but I know it is necessary to get better,” said Li.
Okemos will play in the MHSAA State Finals at Grand Valley State University from October 15-16.