Hillsdale Academy Golf qualifies for the D4 State Finals
GRASS LAKE — The Hillsdale Academy varsity boys golf team – led by head coach Rolla Frisinger – took on the D4 Regional 22 championship on Wednesday, June 1. The Colts took on Lansing Christian, Portland St. Patrick, Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy and 12 other schools in the 18-hole tournament. This year’s regional championship was held at Calderone Farms in Grass Lake.
The Colts would finish the regional championship with a second-place finish and a final score of 333. The Colts qualify as a team for the LP D4 State Championship. The Colts fell just 16 strokes behind the champions: Lansing Christian. Rounding out the top three and qualifying for state was the Hudson Tigers.
This is the second top three finish in a row for the Colts at the regional championship. The Colts and former head coach Charlie Blood finished second last season on their way to competing in the state championship.
The Colts were led by sophomore Ridley Fast, who tied Lansing Christian junior Baylor Brogan for second place as an individual. This would have qualified Fast for the state finals as an individual player if his team wasn’t already qualified. Lansing Christian senior Davis Garrett took first place with a final shot total of 76. All three individuals battled it out over the 18 holes, and Garrett’s play over the course of holes 15-18 helped him finish ahead of the competition.
Ridley Fast had three birdies on the day, all three of which were a part of an on-paper streak of 10 holes with a par or better. Fast improved from his 83 final score from last season’s regional.
Sophomore Rykert Frisinger took 11th overall as an individual with an 84 final score. The sophomore had a birdie on hole one and managed to par eight holes. Freshman Kahle Welden finished in 13th place with a shot total of 85. Welden had eight pars. Jake Waldvogel finished in 15th place with an 87 final score and seven pars. Senior Bennett Fast shot a 95 overall final score, with six pars.
Wrapping up their season, the Will Carleton Academy Cougars finished 12th overall with a final team score of 414. The Cougars were led by Freshman Will Thielen, who shot a 90 over 18 holes. Will Thielen also had one birdie on a par-three hole 15. Freshman Tyler Slade shot a 102 and birdied a par-three hole two. Freshman Thomas Maier had a 104 final score and had two pars. Senior Max Thielen had a 118 final score and had one par.
Hillsdale Academy will travel to East Lansing for the LP D4 State Finals. The Michigan State University course Forest Akers West will host the finals. Forest Akers golf courses are split up into two separate courses: the east and the west. The West Course opened in 1958 and is considered one of Michigan’s best golf courses. The Finals will be split over two days on June 10-11. Tickets will be available for purchase through GOFAN. Tickets may not be available for purchase on-site.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Academy Golf qualifies for the D4 State Finals
