Members of the Marquette Senior High School golf teams pose with their boys team trophy as the Sentinels’ Easton Aho and Abby Luke also carried off individual medalist honors at the Great Northern Conference Championships held at the Pine Grove Country Club in Iron Mountain on Monday. (Photo courtesy Ben Smith)

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Marquette Senior High School golf teams nearly pulled off a four-way sweep at the Great Northern Conference Championships at Pine Grove Country Club on Monday, but settled for winning three of a possible four titles.

The Sentinels’ Easton Aho beat out teammate Kaleb Chipelewski for boys’ medalist honors, while MSHS standout Abby Luke had a three-shot edge for the girls’ medalist honors.

In team competition, Marquette won the boys title by nearly two dozen strokes, while the Sentinels girls came up just a half-dozen shots shy of Kingsford for that team title.

Also on the line that day were the GNC season championships that included results from five previous tournaments, one hosted by each conference member school, with the GNC Championships added in.

Luke carried off the Player of the Year honor among girls, while the Marquette boys eked out their team title by a single point after trailing previous frontrunner Escanaba entering Monday.

And while Esky’s Bryson Lancour carried off his Player of the Year honor, the next four point-getters were all Sentinels and made up the bulk of the conference’s First Team.

Here are more details about the GNC Championships and season races:

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Aho edges out Chipelewski

On Monday at Pine Grove, MSHS head coach Ben Smith reported that Aho captured the boys’ medalist honor only after draining a 25-foot putt on the first playoff hole against Chipelewski after both posted 18-hole totals of 74. Interestingly, both Sentinels recorded a 38 on the front nine and 36 on the back nine.

They finished just one shot ahead of Gladstone’s Matt Mayer, who had 36-39–75, and two shots on top of Marquette’s Jack Pond with 38-38–76.

The Player of the Year, Lancour, was three shots back with 39-38–77 on Monday.

“It was a rainy day at Pine Grove, but the kids hung in there and played really well,” Smith said about his MSHS boys team in an email detailing the results.

Marquette won going away as much because of its depth as its quality at the top as No. 4 shooter Boden Moore, who had 40-40–80, tied for sixth overall.

Even the Sentinels’ fifth shooter, Pavel McCutcheon, whose score didn’t count unless there was a tie, posted a solid 38-44–82 to tie for 10th overall and provide insurance in case a teammate needed picking up.

Marquette rolled up a 304 total, 23 strokes better than runner-up Escanaba’s 327. Menominee was third with 330, while Gladstone had 331 and Kingsford 343.

The remainder of the individual top 10 included Gladstone’s Deegan Miron and Menominee’s Jonah Slawinski, each with 80 to tie for sixth; Escanaba’s Shane Wallin with 81 to finish ninth; and five other golfers with 82 to tie McCutcheon for 10th — Menominee’s Jacob Schultz and Keegan Wickstrom, Kingsford’s Lance Harry and Nick Doran, and Gladstone’s Owen Gereau.

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Luke earns top girls laurels

Also on Monday at Pine Grove, Marquette’s Luke put together nines of 39 and 47 for her winning total of 86, three strokes ahead of Kingsford’s Bryonna Sanders, who carded 44-45–89 as runner-up.

“Abigail Luke was leading the conference coming into the day and finished the GNC season off as medalist … also making her the GNC Player of the Year,” Smith said. “Our conference structure values both good play and consistency, which Abby showed both this spring.”

Next for the Sentinels was Roegen Hruska with 47-51–98 as she finished sixth, and Kylie Smith with 49-53–102 to tie for eighth.

The MSHS scoring was rounded out by Hayden Schetter with 55-53–108 as she tied for 14th, while Ella Pond, like McCutcheon, provided insurance with a solid team fifth-place score of 59-52–111, which was 18th overall.

Marquette totaled 394, six strokes behind the Flivvers’ winning total of 388 and one stroke ahead of third-place Escanaba’s 395. Menominee was fourth with 419 and Gladstone fifth with 558.

Rounding out the top five individuals was Escanaba’s Kamrie Scott with 41-50–91 to finish third, Kingsford’s Grace Maki, 43-49–92 for fourth, and Escanaba’s Sophia Derkos, 47-48–95 for fifth.

The second five included Hruska with her 98, Menominee’s Lexi Marineau with 100 for seventh, and Marquette’s Smith, Menominee’s Mackenzie Doyle and Kingsford’s Maddy Zeuske, all with 102 to tie for eighth.

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Luke, MSHS boys win season

Luke rolled up 86 points for the season, including 30 for winning Monday, to claim the girls’ Player of the Year by just 4 1/2 points over Escanaba’s Scott.

Joining Scott on the First Team were Kingsford’s Maki and Sanders and Menominee’s Marineau and Doyle.

Marquette’s Hruska and Smith were both on the Second Team and joined by Escanaba’s Derkos and Maddie Wilson and Kingsford’s Zeuske.

Team-wise, Marquette is listed as finishing third for girls teams though the Sentinels matched second-place Escanaba’s 26 points. Kingsford won the girls title with 30 as Menominee had 16 and Gladstone 7.

“Kingsford and Escanaba were tied for first entering the day, and we would have been tied for the season with a victory (Monday), it was super tight with us all finishing within seven shots of each other,” Smith said about his Sentinels girls. “The girls have come a long way, Abby (becoming) Player of the Year and Roegen and Kylie on the Second Team.”

In the boys season races, Marquette’s 32 points just edged out Esky’s 31 as Menominee followed with 16, Gladstone 15 and Kingsford 11.

“The boys went out and took care of business today,” Smith said about his Sentinels. “It was nice to come out on top and see them get recognized with all (the) conference awards.

“Our depth has been our strength this spring, with a lot of guys stepping up and playing well when needed. They have been on the course a ton.”

After Lancour rolled up 66 points for the boys POTY, Marquette’s Pond was just behind him while heading up the First Team with 64 1/2 points. Three teammates immediately followed — Moore had 63 1/2 points, Chipelewski 62 and Aho 53.1 as all were also on the First Team.

They were joined by Kingsford’s Henry on the First Team.

Making up the Second Team were Escanaba’s Graham Johnson and Shane Wallin, Menominee’s Jonah Slawinski and Keegan Wickstrom and Gladstone’s Deegan Miron and Matt Meyer.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.