Morgan Rhodes of Marquette, who led the Redettes with 96, hits a chip shot during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 girls golf finals at the Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy Dennis Grall)

HARRIS — Paxton Johnson only achieved half of her goal in her final high school golf match here Wednesday, but it was a special half.

The Escanaba High School senior won her fourth straight MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 golf championship to join two other four-time winners.

On a sunny, 81-degree day, the southpaw posted a sharp 4-over-par 76 at the Sweetgrass Golf Club, which next month will host its ninth straight Symetra Tour women’s professional golf tourney.

Menominee High School dashed Johnson’s second goal by winning the team title, ending Escanaba’s three-year title reign. The Maroons shot a dazzling 385 to finish a whopping 27 strokes ahead of the Eskymos.

“I wanted the team to win so bad,” Johnson said. “I can honestly say I wanted the team win more than the individual win. I tried to encourage my teammates and play as best I can and try to pull it off.”

Johnson, who has received a golf scholarship to Northern Michigan University, joins Marquette golfers Kendra Palmer (1996-99) and Carley Saint-Onge (2008-11) as the only four-time champions.

“It is an honor. I really look up to both of them,” Johnson said. “It is amazing. It was a really great four years.”

She finished 11 strokes ahead of runner-up Emma Hofer of Menominee and knew she was the heavy favorite but pushed the pressure to win aside.

“I was competing against myself,” Johnson said. “I knew if I stayed out of trouble and out of the bunkers I would be OK. I wasn’t thinking of anything else, just thinking about one shot at a time.”

Emma Hofer of Menominee was runner-up with 87, while Morgan Rhodes of Marquette was third with 96.

Paced by Marissa Neveau’s 103, Negaunee was third with 449, while Marquette was fourth with 455. Westwood finished seventh with 547, paced by Haley Mattila with 132, while Manistique was ninth with 549, led by Payton Hoholik with 126.

Johnson overcame a pair of consecutive short putt misses — for par and birdie — on holes 12 and 13.

“I tried not to get too discouraged and tried to let it go,” she said, still visibly perturbed at those miscues after the round ended. “I didn’t let it get in my own head. But if I had capitalized around the green I would have played much better.”

She also missed a good opportunity on the short No. 14, leaving her tee shot short-left and then chipping over a bunker to the back fringe before two-putting for par.

“I’m not upset with par but the hole should be a birdie. But pars are good. You can’t get too mad at par.”

Johnson, who won the U.P. Ladies Golf Association crown last year, stayed within herself most of the balmy day by following her primary creed.

“I was kind of in a zone,” she said. “I focused on my game. Swinging freely is my best thing.”

Escanaba coach Brian Robinette said Johnson “is fundamentally as sound as any high school player.”

He also said the “consistency the way she hits the golf ball” is a key.

“She is a high-IQ golfer. She can regroup (from a bad stretch) and can leave the past in the past,” Robinette said. “You rarely see her follow up a bad shot with another bad shot.”

He is also impressed with the way “she can compress the golf ball and works right through the bag, driver to wedge.”

Two of her playing partners, Hofer and Rhodes, copied Johnson’s approach by paying attention to their own shots and were not overwhelmed by her dominance.

“I know she is better than me. I’m totally fine with that,” said Hofer, a frequent opponent the past four years. “I try to get closer to her and if I’m close to her I’m fine.”

Rhodes said playing with Johnson helps her.

“It makes me a better player playing with someone more advanced,” the Marquette player said. “I just don’t compare myself to them.”

Menominee has won 15 U.P. girls titles, but this was the first since 2008 and the first for coach Tony Hofer, who has two daughters (Emma and Josie) on the team.

“All year we’ve had all five girls score well. Different girls step up and do something good at every meet,” he said, noting four seniors have led the way as they chased Escanaba.

“We were not very good four years ago but they stuck with it. This year we knocked off a handful of strokes here and there.”