By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Rochester Post | Published October 25, 2023
ROCHESTER HILLS — As the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 Girls Golf Finals wrapped up play Oct. 21 at Forest Akers West in East Lansing, the city of Rochester was well represented in the leaderboards.
Rochester Adams
The defending state champions returned to take back what was theirs, and they did just that with an impressive display of golf over the two-day tournament.
October rain made conditions extremely difficult, but that played right into the strength of Rochester Adams.
“They’re very mentally tough,” Adams coach Jeff Kutschman said. “Whatever the conditions are, they don’t seem to let it bother them. They just go out and play. I think they understand that if you let the conditions bother you, it’ll bother you. If you don’t let them bother you, it won’t bother you.”
While Adams didn’t have anyone place in the top three, seniors Laura Liu (4th) and Katie Fodale (8th) both posted effective scores for the Highlanders. Liu shot a 150, while Fodale tallied a 158 over the two days of play.
Both staples of Adams golf over their four-year careers, Liu and Fodale have a resume that’s difficult to compete with when it comes to legendary duos in high school golf.
Over the course of four years, Liu and Fodale are 20-0 in league matches, 8-0 in Oakland Activities Association Red league tournaments, four-time league champions, four-time regional champions, and now two-time state champions.
“I think with both of them, it’s just consistency,” Adams coach Jeff Kutschman said. “They’re so good at playing the next shot and not worrying about what already happened, and they’re just consistently playing the game. I know that sounds silly, but they just look at what’s in front of them and go do it.”
Sophomore Hannah Wang was a consistent scorer for Adams all year long, and she continued that trend when Adams needed it most.
Finishing in 29th with a two-day score of 174, Wang will be one to watch on Adams next season when she enters her junior year.
“She just puts in hard work on the course,” Kutschman said. “All season for high school, she’s always at the course practicing on the range and the putting green. It’s 100% just her dedication and her hard work.”
Senior Olivia Dance, who competed at the state finals last season, finished in 55th with a 194, while junior Peyton Sage earned 58th with a 196.
Rochester
Finishing in third at the MHSAA State Finals last season, Rochester posted another successful score to cap off its 2023 campaign.
Junior Madison Yang earned 15th with a 165, while senior Brooke Haney earned 18th with a 167, pacing Rochester to a fifth-place finish. Yang and Haney held the top two scores for Rochester last year at the state finals.
Yang, a three-year starter for Rochester, has continued to improve throughout her high school career and will be one to look out for in 2024.
“When she’s firing on all cylinders, she doesn’t have much weakness,” Rochester coach Jeff Haney said. “She hits the ball long, she chips it well, and she putts it well. She’s just a good, all-around player.”
For Brooke Haney, daughter of head coach Jeff Haney, a sensational high school career has come to a close.
While Brooke Haney paced Rochester on the course, her leadership will be missed next season.
“She’s been a real key to our team this year because she’s made such a jump from last year,” Jeff Haney said.
Sophomore Ananya Kumar, who competed in the state finals as a freshman last year, finished in 21st with a 169.
Seniors Natalie Haise and Madelyn Parsons both shot well over the weekend to end their high school careers at Rochester.
Haise, who finished 39th at the state finals last season, will be a key veteran loss alongside Parsons and Haney for Rochester next season.
“Nobody is going to hit more balls or go and practice more than she (Haise) already has,” Haney said. “She puts in so much time into her work because she wants so badly to be good.”
While the state finals finish may not have been what Rochester was hoping for, they were able to add a regional title this year to their trophy room as Kumar (2nd), Haney (4th), Yang (7th), and Haise (9th) all finished in the top 10 at regionals. Parsons finished in 14th.
Don’t be surprised if Kumar and Yang have Rochester right back at the state finals in 2024.