Headlines
Duo Adds Accomplished Season to Resumes
Making runs deep into the state playoffs is a feat that does not occur often, or easily. Tell that to Kristina Bosch (right). Bosch, along with Libby Berens, were the two Maroons golfers who traveled to Eastern Michigan University on Friday and Saturday for the individual state finals in girls’ golf. Bosch is making these appearances seem habitual, as she was a pivotal member of the girls’ basketball team reaching the State Semi-Finals last season, also held at Eastern Michigan. She followed that up as one of the main offensive weapons on the girls’ soccer team District Championship in the spring. Now, at Eagle Crest Golf Course, Bosch added the Division II State Finals to her impressive high school resume as she and Berens teed off early in Friday morning for a round of eighteen holes. Friday’s round would be calculated with Saturday’s to determine the individual State Champions. During the first day’s round, Bosch and Berens got off to slow starts but were able to comeback on the back nine putting several pars on the board to stay within the top twenty. Bosch tied for fifteenth after day one shooting a 93 while Berens put together a 97, which was good for
nineteenth
place. Liz Nagel of DeWitt High School shot the low individual round
Friday shooting an incredible 71. A much warmer day welcomed the
golfers back to the tee boxes on Saturday and the Maroons duo knew they
would need strong performances to get back into the top ten. Just as
Kristina Bosch brought in a multitude of experiences to the State
Finals, Maroons freshmen Libby Berens (left) was building her own
resume. The freshman has been nothing short of spectacular all season
long and has a career’s worth of accomplishments in only her first
season at HC. A windier afternoon made for difficult play on Saturday
as Berens was able to be the low Holland Christian golfer. Her round
of a 99 gave her a two day score of 196. Bosch matched that as she
shot a 103 on the day to bring her State Finals score to 196 as well.
152 was the score that won the event as three golfers tied with this
and settled the top three rankings in a playoff. The duo was unable to
crack the top ten but can leave Ypsilanti with their head’s held high
knowing they played in the final competition of the season in the State
of Michigan. The pair will also anchor the Maroons next season where
they will build upon these experiences to aid in the defense of the
conference championship that they helped win this fall for the first
time in school history.
October 9, 2008
Team Narrowly Misses Cut; 2 Maroons Headed to State
The girls’ varsity golf team, hot off their OK-Green championship, traveled to Vickburg for the MHSAA Regionals. This would be the opportunity for individuals, and teams, to qualify for the State Finals next week. The Maroons knew they would have to finish in
the
top three as a team in order to qualify so they were looking to
continue their strong play over the eighteen holes. The teams were
greeted with a beautiful afternoon as the sun shined down on the
course, but the rain from the night before still was an issue in the
morning slowing down the course. The scores in the morning were lower
as early in the afternoon the course dried up and the winds began to
swirl. Holland Christian was able to jump out to a strong start behind
Libby Berens (left) and Kristina Bosch who led the way on the day for
the team. As the teams made the turn, the wind began to play a bigger
factor and it pushed the scores up for the team. Those elevated scores
in the afternoon, for the majority of the teams, was enough to separate
the teams for the state cut. Battle Creek Lakeview took first place
with a phenomenal score of 360. Caledonia came in second with a score
of 405. The run came down for the third and final spot but the Maroons
were edged out by Niles with a score of 409. HC narrowly missed the
third place cut shooting a 417 and finishing in fourth place. In the
Regional format, the top three teams are taken for the state cut.
After the teams are awarded, the scores are thrown out and then the
next highest three individual scores, from teams not qualifying for the
cut,
are awarded a state cut. Despite the disappointment from the Holland
Christian team standpoint not making a state cut, the optimism began to
flow as the scores began to post. Libby Berens was spectacular in her
first Regional qualifying first with a score of 93. The next spot went
to a Vickburg player and the final spot was determined to be a tie
between another Vickburg golfer and the Maroons Kristina Bosch with a
95. The two golfers were driven back out to the eighteenth hole and
got ready to play a tiebreak. Vickburg’s golfer won the coin flip and
elected to go first but that decision came back to bite her. Her drive
went array and Bosch stepped to the tee. She ripped a drive that split
the fairway and then followed it up by plopping her second shot fifteen
feet from the cup. After the opposing girl tapped in for a five, all
Bosch had to do was two put for the state qualifying cut. Bosch
(right) calmly put her first put six inches from the cup and then sunk
the tap in to seal her round and send her, along with Berens, to the
State Finals. Also on the afternoon HC got scoring rounds from Lauren
DePree with a 110 and Amber DeRoo with a 119. Kara Geenen also shot a
120 on the day to round up the season. Berens and Bosch will now head
to Ypsilanti at Eastern Michigan for the State Finals. The finals are
over two days and will tally over two separate rounds on Friday and
Saturday.
October 2, 2008
Cold & Wind Don't Deter Golf from Conference Title
For
the first time in school history, Holland Christian has a conference
championship in girls’ golf. Head Coach Sherry Velthouse and her team
wrapped up the championship at the OK-Green conference match on
Thursday afternoon. A cold, overcast day greeted the Maroons as they
set off for 18 holes in search of the conference title but despite the
biting temperatures, HC’s game heated up. Entering play, HC held a
seven point lead over the surging Bulldogs of Byron Center. Riding the
strength of five first place finishes in the eight conference
jamborees, the Maroons held a 61-54 lead. Byron Center however had
been the hottest team as of late winning the final three jamborees and
looking like they could storm Holland Christian’s party. With the
tournament results counting for double the amount of points, the girls’
knew they would need a strong day to hold onto first place. The
one-two punch for the team all year has been the combination of
Kristina Bosch and Libby Berens. The two have been consistently the
top two scorers all season long and that would not change on Thursday.
The only question was which of the two would go lower. Berens,
competing in her first conference finals tournament, played beyond her
years blowing out the rest of the conference as she shot the low round
of the match. Her 81, highlighted by a birdie on the par three third
hole, was the top score by eight strokes and easily claimed her the top
medalist award on the afternoon. The low round by Berens, which
bettered her top score by 13 shots, got the team off to a great start
and it continued throughout for the entire team. Kara Geenen carded a
111 and was followed into the clubhouse by Lauren DePree’s 115. After
the two came in, Bosch strolled in rounding out her round of 91. The
91 was good for the fourth best score on the day. The Maroons were
then waiting on their final two golfers of the day, Amber DeRoo and
Jenna Wyrick. Both of the girls were not only battling the elements,
but themselves as each of them 
were
ill. As is the case many times in athletics, great performances occur
when one is sick due to the fact they stop thinking and just do what
they have practiced all season long. That was exactly the case for
both DeRoo and Wyrick who put together solid rounds to make the top
four scorers. DeRoo shot a 103 and Wyrick shot a 109. The four
golfers scores totaled to be a 384. Needing to only finish in fourth
place to assure themselves of the title, the team watched as score
after score were posted. Byron Center’s scores went up and it saw
their team shoot a 380, which was good enough to win the event. As the
other scores posted it was clear that no one else would come even close
and the Maroons finished in second place clinching them the conference
championship by a 75-70 points margin. “The girls have been great all
year long and I am so proud of them,” said head coach Sherry
Velthouse. “To do this in my first year is a testament to the team and
how hard they have worked.” The team was awarded the conference trophy
and the All-Conference members were named after the meet was over.
Libby Berens and Kristina Bosch (left) were the two members of the golf
team who were named to the OK-Green All-Conference team after
spectacular season. The team will get to enjoy the fruits of their
labor for a few days before prepping for the State Tournament. They
will be headed to Vicksburg on Thursday, October 9 in hopes of
qualifying for the state tournament. PHOTOS / G.R. PRESS
September 25, 2008
Suddenly Hot Byron Center Counters HC's Round
With the points lead already in hand, the Maroons girls’ varsity golf team was looking to gather some momentum heading into the conference tournament next week. Even though HC held a firm grip on the top spot, the group knew that could go by the wayside in the tournament as the finish is worth double points allowing teams to make up a lot of room. The team hosted the final match at their home course, Winding Creek, but the terrain was familiar to the other seven teams. The Zeeland East match on Wednesday was hosted at Winding Creek as well. Without any home course advantage, the Maroons would need to rely on their consistent game to provide them with the edge. Things started well as Libby Berens parred her first hole and Kristina Bosch boomed two shots down the opening fairway to sit on the green in two. The suddenly hot Bulldogs of Byron Center equaled the fast start as their top three golfers again went low in the 40’s on their rounds. With only five golfers playing on the day, Holland Christian would need someone to step up and Jenna Wyrick (left)
did just that for the team. Shooting her lowest round of the year, Wyrick displayed great ball control en route to a round of 49. That round was only bettered by Bosch (right) whose birdies on the thirteenth and seventeenth holes enabled her to shoot a 42. It was her third round of the week with a 42 or better showing why she is top golfer on the Maroons team. Berens came in third for the team with a 51 and Amber DeRoo rounded out the top four with a 53. The total the four put together was a 195. That score would just edge out Unity Christian, which finished with a 196, but would fall four strokes behind Byron Center who won their third straight jamboree. “Jenna was excellent for us today,” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “She really saved us a with a tremendous round. Kristina was again superb on the day as well.” Now with the jamboree portion of their schedule over, the conference tournament looms next week at West Ottawa. The Maroons are in first place with a total of 61 points. Byron Center’s surge has moved them into second with 54 points and Zeeland East fell into third with 48 points. After a long conference season, the OK-Green will be settled on October 2. The tournament will be held at West Ottawa’s home course with the teams teeing off at 9:30 a.m. The Maroons will be looking to win the first conference championship in school history. PHOTOS
September 24, 2008
2nd Place Wraps Up Points Lead
Entering Tuesday’s jamboree, the varsity golf team held a firm grip on first place in the OK-Green. Yet despite that fact, the team had something to prove after failing to finish in first the day prior for the first time in six matches. The second place finish is nothing to scoff at, especially when the Bulldogs of Bryon Center went under 200 as a team to defeat the Maroons. That being said, the team looked to continue their strong play and potentially wrap up first place in the conference headed into the post-season tournament. The mindset of proving themselves was definitely apparent throughout the match as Holland Christian struck the ball nearly as well as they had all season long. The unfortunate thing was, as good as the girls were playing, an opposing team was putting together their best round of the season. Byron Center had three girls shoot in the low forties as they came in with a team score of 188. Playing only five golfers on the day, head coach Sherry Velthouse knew her team would need a strong performance to keep up with the Bulldogs. She received that from her group. A highlight of the afternoon was senior Chelsea Knott making her debut on the golf team. He round was not good enough to score but Velthouse was very proud of one of her seniors. “Chelsea has persevered extraordinarily and I am very proud of her,” said
Velthouse. Fueled by her teammates effort, Kristina Bosch (left) enjoyed another strong day shooting the low round of the afternoon for HC. Her round of 42 boosted Holland Christian’s chances of catching BC. Libby Berens assisted that cause with her round of a 47. The final two golfers scored a 50 (Kara Geenen) and 52 (Lauren DePree) to give the team a score of 191. Despite their second lowest round of the season, the team was forced to take their second straight second place. The seven points bumped the Maroons up and even though it was not what they wanted coming in, they proved their game is beginning to click. “It’s tough to beat any team that shoots that low but we put together a great round and I am very happy,” noted Velthouse. “It’s nice to wrap up the points lead headed into the conference tournament but with double points for conference we need to keep working.” With 55 points, and the nearest school at 46 points (Byron Center), the golf team has clinched the OK-Green regular season portion of the schedule. The regular season conference schedule comes to a close on Thursday with HC hosting the final jamboree. It will be played at the Maroons home course (Winding Creek) starting at 3:30 p.m. PHOTOS
September 23, 2008
Streak Ends with 2nd Place Finish
The appetite for golf was quenched for many fans this weekend when the American won the Ryder Cup. The Cup, which is awarded biennially, was won by the United States for the first time since 1999 and was filled with roaring crowds and tremendous play. The crowds might not have been as large, or boisterous, but the tremendous play was still on display when the Holland Christian girls’ golf team traveled to Rogers to play the first of three straight OK-Green jamborees. The three matches in three days will be a huge test for the front running Maroons who have been able to win all five previous events. The team, which is staked to a 40-33 lead over Zeeland East, will play Wednesday at Zeeland East and then host the final jamboree on Thursday before the conference tournament play is held next week. If HC is able to hold onto the regular season title, they will hold a key margin in points heading into the post-season tournament. This is critical as the tournament is worth double the points and any cushion a team can have heading in is pivotal. Knowing that, the importance of the next three days of matches was magnified. Unlike many teams that wilt
under the watchful eye, the Holland Christian team excelled displaying great ball control and ball striking on Tuesday. The streak however came to a close as Byron Center flourished with a team score of 198. The Maroons came in second to end their winning streak, but the strong round enabled Holland Christian to maintain their hold on first place. Kristina Bosch enjoyed her best round of the season shooting a 40. Boosting the team was Lauren DePree who stepped up from the fifth spot. Her strong scoring round enabled the Maroons to place in second. “I am really proud of Lauren, she really played well and picked us up tonight,” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. Libby Berens carded a 52 for the afternoon and Amber DeRoo shot a 57. Zeeland West’s 201 placed them third and the Chix came in fourth with a 206. Now with a team score of 47, the Maroons enjoy a 12 point advantage over Zeeland East. Not able to rest on their laurels, the girls will be back in action Wednesday looking to stay perfect in conference play. The match will be hosted by Zeeland East and will begin at 3:30 p.m.
September 18, 2008
Golf Makes it Five in a Row
The girls’ varsity golf jamboree on Thursday began the second half of the conference season for the Maroons. With eight schools in the newly aligned OK-Green, Holland Christian had already completed four conference matches. The team was in high hopes that the second half would begin much like the entire first half. Out of the first four jamborees, the HC team placed first in all of them. Doing so enabled them to hold a five point lead over Zeeland East (32-27) headed into the second half. The teams all convened on Railside Golf Course in Byron Center for the fifth OK-Green match. The tough course provided a great challenge to the conference as the it features multiple holes laden with sand traps and fast putting greens. The difficult environment did not faze junior Kristina Bosch as she rattled off a strong three holes to begin her round. On the par four third hole, Bosch split the fairway and then laid the ball on the green
just feet from the pin. Her putt (right) rolled in for the birdie and HC was off an running. Bosch got the clubhouse with a great round of 41. Libby Berens’ round of 48 enabled Holland Christian to maintain their lead and then the team received a great boost from their fifth golfer. “I thought we were saved by Amber (DeRoo)” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “We needed someone to step up and she did exactly that.” DeRoo (left) was able to shoot a 55 to crack the top four scorers for Velthouse’s team. Kara Geenen carded a score of 58 to finalize the top four. The team scored a 202 to nab first place ten strokes ahead of Byron Center. Zeeland East again took third pace enabling HC to increase their lead. Now up in the standings 40-33, the Maroons will look to continue their run next week. “Five in a row, I am very proud of these girls,” added Velthouse. The second half will continue to roll on when the Maroons head to Grand Rapids on Tuesday. Rogers will be the host with HC looking to improve upon their seven point first place lead. PHOTOS
September 16, 2008
Still the Leader in the Clubhouse
The return to conference play greeted the girls’ varsity golf team on Tuesday. Zeeland West acted as the host for the fourth OK-Green jamboree. Despite the change in venue, and host, the final result remained the same; Holland Christian nabbing first place honors. The leaders stayed the same but the second place finishers changed. Zeeland West was able to nudge out Zeeland East and this change improved the Maroons overall lead. The back-to-back days affected the girls’ scores as they climbed a bit on Tuesday but the team rallied and won their fourth jamboree with a team score of 201. Kristina Bosch’s (left) strong round led the way as she continually pounded fairways and greens in regulation to card a 45. A 48 was the next score in the clubhouse as Libby Berens enjoyed another strong round. The freshman continually steps up and is proving to be a vital contributor to the team. Allison DeKock’s 51 and Kara Geenen’s 57 rounded out the top four scorers for the team. “I think the two days in a row really affected our team,” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “We will back off a bit in practice tomorrow and get ready for a tough course on Thursday.” With the win HC improves their overall score to 32 points. With West overtaking East for second, the Chix are now in second with a score of 27 points. Conference play will continue on Thursday when the Maroons head to Byron Center to play at Railside Golf Course. Holland Christian will look to continue gripping first place in the overall standings. PHOTOS
September 15, 2008
Hard & Fast Course Gives Puts HC in 2nd
Over the past month, the girls’ varsity golf team has surged into being one of the top teams not only in the area, but also the conference. After three straight first place finishes in their OK-Green jamborees, the team stepped out of conference matches for a tournament that holds great weight in the Holland area. The Wooden Shoe Invitational brings in Holland, Holland Christian, West Ottawa, Zeeland East and Zeeland West for the annual invitational that provides greater insight on the top teams in the area. Already battling with Zeeland East (second in the OK-Green) and add to that the Class A West Ottawa, the Maroons knew this would be a tough test and one they welcomed. The tournament was held at Wuskowhan Golf Course and with what head coach Sherry Velthouse called “a tough course with lots of marsh to carry and typically fast greens,” the team was hoping the rain from the weekend would slow things down. Even with the over five inches the Holland area received, the drainage worked to perfection at the course and it was as dry and fast as if it never rained. This hampered the Maroons a bit as the Panthers of West Ottawa jumped out with the early lead in the clubhouse. Libby Berens shot the low round for Holland Christian as
she carded a 47. Kara Geenen once again aided the team’s cause coming in with a round of 48. “Kara had another strong day that helped us out a lot” said Velthouse. The final two that scored for HC were Allison DeKock and Lauren DePree who both came in with 57’s. West Ottawa’s top three golfers all went under 45 to give West Ottawa the team title with a score of 193. The Maroons’ 209 was good for second ahead of Zeeland East (225), Zeeland West (226) and Holland (244). The second place finish ends their run of first places, but with the level of play the group displayed it was a successful afternoon. The tough competition in the Wooden Shoe will only continue to boost the confidence of this young team. They will return to conference action, this time with Zeeland West hosting, tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. PHOTOS
September 11, 2008
Third Time Not the Charm for Opponents
Someone wise once muttered “third time’s the charm” and a popular phrase was born. It is well used in many aspects and surely one several of the opposing teams in the OK-Green used coming into the third conference golf match of the year. After the Maroons won the first two conference jamborees, over the other seven schools, the third match was played with Unity Christian hosting. With many teams hoping that in the third matchup someone other than Holland Christian would win, the teams took to the links but quickly found out how untrue the famous phrase really was. Despite a tougher course, the Maroons performed well as they claimed their third consecutive first place finish. “The course was tougher for the girls” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “It had a lot of the taller heather grass and water all throughout.” In spite of the conditions, HC prevailed behind the strong play of their solid one-two punch of Kristina Bosch and Libby Berens. Bosch stepped up with a solid round shooting a 46. Berens, playing beyond her age (freshman), came in second for HC with a round of 49. Allison DeKock (left) shot a 51. Velthouse highlighted the play of the team’s fifth golfer who stepped up to score. Kara Geenen’s (right) round of 50 solidified the Maroons grasp upon first
place. “She (Geenen) really came through for us today and I am really proud of her,” added Velthouse. With the four golfers in the clubhouse with a team total of 196, the race was on for second place. The Chix of Zeeland East had been able to hold second place down the past two matches and had to fight off the Bulldogs of Byron Center. They managed to do just that eeking out second by one stroke (206 to 207). When asked about her first placed finishes Velthouse showed the true spirit of a coach when she pointed out “it’s golf, one bad round can really hurt us. We just need to continue working. We have some great girls who put the time in and it is showing and we just need to continue to do what has gotten us this far.” The hot start has given HC the lead in conference play. With the three first place finishes, they now lead the OK-Green with 24 points. Zeeland East is three points back with 21 (three second place finishes). They will be back in action, looking to continue to improve, on Monday when they tee it up in the non-conference Wooden Shoe Invitational. The Invite takes place at 3:30 p.m. and will host HC, Holland, West Ottawa and both Zeeland teams. PHOTOS
September 9, 2008
Scoring Error Nearly Takes Away HC Victory
A near technical error almost gave away the golf conference jamboree to Zeeland East. The Chix were on the board with a 198, while Holland Christian was up on the board with a 205. Just before the scores were finalized, the members of the team saw an error in the reporting of HC’s score. Amber DeRoo’s round was scored as a 62. While the Chix began to celebrate their win, the officials met and noticed that DeRoo’s round, really a 52, was scored incorrectly and the subtraction of ten points gave HC their second consecutive conference jamboree victory. Two down, six to go for the Maroons as they took the 8 points with a first place finish. The Chix were the unfortunate team behind the score change as they took second place and gathered 7 points. Libby Berens continued her strong play as she carded a 43, good enough to lead the team on the day. Kristina Bosch’s 45 aided the team as she placed in second place. DeRoo’s controversial 52 was third and Kara Geenen scored a 55 to round out the top five golfers for the Maroons. “I thought our girls played very well” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “Zeeland East closed the gap from our previous match so we will have to continue to work hard in our practices.” The team, quickly becoming one of the top teams of the fall athletics at HC, will look to continue their conference streak looking for a third straight jamboree win when they travel to Unity Christian on Thursday. Each conference team hosts a match where all the conference teams play in with the scores from all eight jamborees decide the conference champion. The Maroons lead the conference with 16 points currently. PHOTOS
September 3, 2008
Maroons Make Themselves at Home
A strong non-conference showing got the Maroons ready to go for their conference-opening jamboree. In the four tournaments that HC played, they finished no worse than third in them and won the Zeeland East Invitational. On Wednesday, the girls traveled to Wyoming Park to play in the OK-Green Opening Jamboree. The OK-Conferences redid how golf would be played and this was the opening of eight jamborees that the team would play in. Now the format is that each match the team plays in conference, they will face all seven other conference teams and points are awarded for the finish. The first place team receives eight, second place receives seven and so forth. The dual matches are now out the window and that puts more pressure on teams to be consistent against one another more often. Maple Hill Golf Course was the setting for the first jamboree where all eight teams would be playing against one another for the first time. This was the home course of the Wyoming Park
Vikings but the Maroons wasted no time in settling right in. Behind freshman Libby Berens (left) best round of the season, Holland Christian took first place gathering eight points with a team score of 186. The next closest teams were thirteen strokes away (Byron Center & Zeeland East). “Libby played really solid golf today and was the first time she was our top scorer” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. Berens shot a round of 42 to lead the team. Allison DeKock (right) and Jenna Wyrick came into the clubhouse tied for the second lowest score as they carded a pair of 47’s. Kristina Bosch tallied a 49 to round out the top four golfers on the match. “I am very pleased with how well we played,” added Velthouse. “It was a total team effort and it was a great start to our conference season.” The Dux of Zeeland West placed in fourth followed by Unity Christian, Hamilton, Rogers and Wyoming Park. Not having much time to enjoy the first place finish, the team will be back in action at Winding Creek Golf Course tomorrow as Zeeland East hosts the second jamboree of the season. PHOTOS
August 27, 2008
Back to Back Performances
Less than a day after claiming their first title of the season, the girls’ varsity golf team found themselves in a van headed down US 131 to Wayland for their second tournament in as many days. The team has been hard at work from their drives to their short game and all the work showed yesterday. It was their hope that they could do what novice golfers struggle with and put back to back days of golf together and they did just that. Behind a stellar performance by North Pointe Christian (351), the Maroons placed second out of six teams with a team total of 396, bettering their score from the day before. Kristina Bosch continued to lead her
team as she won the third place medal by shooting a 92. Libby Berens enjoyed a terrific day as she broke 100 for the first time this season. Her round of 94 was good for a sixth place medal. One of the true highlights of the tournament was the performance of Amber DeRoo (left). DeRoo, who is Holland Christian’s sixth golfer, enjoyed her best day of the season as she earned a top ten finish. Her round (103) was good for ninth place as her performance really bolstered the Maroons overall score. Allison DeKock rounded out the top four scoring a 107. “I was very happy with how we played, especially being back to back days” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “Amber played extremely well and really helped us out and I am very proud of her and all the girls.” The team now gets ready for the OK-Green conference season and that begins in their next match at the conference jamboree on September 3 at Maple Hill Golf Course. The Maroons will join the seven other schools at Maple Hill and they will compete against the entire conference. PHOTOS
August 26, 2008
Layoff Does Not Hurt Golfers
Repetition is the key to any strong golf swing. The ability to take the same swing over and over separates those who succeed and
those who spray the ball all over the course. Knowing the importance of the mechanics of a golf swing, the performance of the girls’ varsity golf team on Tuesday was even more impressive. After a two week layoff, the Maroons showed no rust in defeating six other teams to take first place in the Zeeland East Invitational. West Ottawa placed in second. Holland Christian only brought five golfers to the tournament and they all shot very close to one another as the team ended the day with a team score of 403. The Panthers were nine strokes back with a 412. Kristina Bosch (right) continued her strong season leading the team again with a score of 92. That score was good enough to place her in the top five medalists as she earned third place. Libby Berens shot a 102 and was followed in by Allison DeKock who shot a 103. Rounding out the top four for the Maroons was Lauren DePree with her 106. “After the two weeks I am very pleased in how well all the girls played today” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “All the girls played close and they all played really well and we are looking forward to Wayland tomorrow.” HC will look to continue to improve their game, and their consistency through competition, as they travel to Wayland for another Invitational.
August 13, 2008
Format Changes, Results Stay Strong
A day after opening their season with a strong second place showing at the Hastings Invitational, the Maroons girls’ varsity golf team again displayed another strong outing at the Gull Lake Invitational. With fifteen team in attendance, and some of the top teams from the
Kalamazoo area, Holland Christian did more than hold their own placing in the top three of the tournament with a third place finish. Battle Creek Lakeview won the tournament with a combined score of 245 followed closely by
Hackett
High School with a score of 255. The Maroons took third place with an overall team total of 281. The format of this tournament was different from the previous days tournament as the teams had to pair into groups of two and play the first nine holes as best ball. Then on the back nine, the groups played a scramble format, again in groups of two. HC’s first group consisted of Kristina Bosch (left) and Jenna Wyrick who totaled a score of 89 in their pairing. Lauren DePree and Kara Geenen went out second for the Maroons
and tallied a 95. They were followed by Holland Christian’s final group which consisted of Libby Berens and Allison DeKock. Berens and DeKock totaled a 97 on the afternoon. “I was very pleased with how the girls’ played” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “There were some very good teams down there from all over
Kalamazoo and with the different format I am very happy in our effort today.” After playing two days in a row, with limited practice, the team will now enjoy nearly a two week layoff to work on their games. Their next match will be a conference match against Zeeland East on August 26. PHOTOS
August 12, 2008
Golf Opens Strongly; Takes 2nd Place
The largest golf news over the summer months has been the absence of Tiger Woods from the PGA tour due to his knee and leg injuries. That streak came to a halt Tuesday afternoon as the Maroons Girls’ Varsity Golf (right) team gave the HC community some positive golfing news in their season opener. It also served as the first competition for the fall for any of Holland Christian’s fall sports. The team, and first year head coach Sherry Velthouse, traveled to Hastings for a four team tournament that featured the host Hastings High School, HC and Forest Hills Northern and Portland. Out of the four teams, the Maroons shot a team score of 467 and grabbed second place honors with three of their top four golfers earning individual medals. The host Saxons of Hastings won the tournament with a team score of 369. “I thought today we had a great team effort, especially for only have three days of practice” added head coach Sherry Velthouse.
“We showed a great game.” Part of that great game was the play of Kristina Bosch, a returning All-Conference member from last season. The junior led the way shooting a 105 on the day which was good for a fifth place medal in the tournament. She was joined in the medal round by fellow junior Kara Geenen who would nab a seventh place medal with a 117. Lauren DePree, a sophomore, placed eighth and earned a medal with a 119. The three medalists are shown at the left. The final golfer scoring in the Maroons top four was senior Allison DeKock who shot a 126. Holland Christian will have little time to rest as they travel to
Gull
Lake, near
Battle Creek, for a tournament on Wednesday morning. “I like how we came out today and we will try to improve upon that tomorrow at
Gull
Lake” added Velthouse.
August 11, 2008
Golf Roster Posted
New head coach Sherry Velthouse has published her 2008 roster. The team will tee off their season on Tuesday by traveling to Hastings for a 9:30 a.m. match. The Maroons team includes three seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and one freshmen. Highlighting the group is returning All-Conference player Kristina Bosch. For the entire roster check the roster section of the Golf website. Stay tuned for news on their first match of the season!
Duo Adds Accomplished Season to Resumes
Making runs deep into the state playoffs is a feat that does not occur often, or easily. Tell that to Kristina Bosch (right). Bosch, along with Libby Berens, were the two Maroons golfers who traveled to Eastern Michigan University on Friday and Saturday for the individual state finals in girls’ golf. Bosch is making these appearances seem habitual, as she was a pivotal member of the girls’ basketball team reaching the State Semi-Finals last season, also held at Eastern Michigan. She followed that up as one of the main offensive weapons on the girls’ soccer team District Championship in the spring. Now, at Eagle Crest Golf Course, Bosch added the Division II State Finals to her impressive high school resume as she and Berens teed off early in Friday morning for a round of eighteen holes. Friday’s round would be calculated with Saturday’s to determine the individual State Champions. During the first day’s round, Bosch and Berens got off to slow starts but were able to comeback on the back nine putting several pars on the board to stay within the top twenty. Bosch tied for fifteenth after day one shooting a 93 while Berens put together a 97, which was good for
nineteenth
place. Liz Nagel of DeWitt High School shot the low individual round
Friday shooting an incredible 71. A much warmer day welcomed the
golfers back to the tee boxes on Saturday and the Maroons duo knew they
would need strong performances to get back into the top ten. Just as
Kristina Bosch brought in a multitude of experiences to the State
Finals, Maroons freshmen Libby Berens (left) was building her own
resume. The freshman has been nothing short of spectacular all season
long and has a career’s worth of accomplishments in only her first
season at HC. A windier afternoon made for difficult play on Saturday
as Berens was able to be the low Holland Christian golfer. Her round
of a 99 gave her a two day score of 196. Bosch matched that as she
shot a 103 on the day to bring her State Finals score to 196 as well.
152 was the score that won the event as three golfers tied with this
and settled the top three rankings in a playoff. The duo was unable to
crack the top ten but can leave Ypsilanti with their head’s held high
knowing they played in the final competition of the season in the State
of Michigan. The pair will also anchor the Maroons next season where
they will build upon these experiences to aid in the defense of the
conference championship that they helped win this fall for the first
time in school history.October 9, 2008
Team Narrowly Misses Cut; 2 Maroons Headed to State
The girls’ varsity golf team, hot off their OK-Green championship, traveled to Vickburg for the MHSAA Regionals. This would be the opportunity for individuals, and teams, to qualify for the State Finals next week. The Maroons knew they would have to finish in
the
top three as a team in order to qualify so they were looking to
continue their strong play over the eighteen holes. The teams were
greeted with a beautiful afternoon as the sun shined down on the
course, but the rain from the night before still was an issue in the
morning slowing down the course. The scores in the morning were lower
as early in the afternoon the course dried up and the winds began to
swirl. Holland Christian was able to jump out to a strong start behind
Libby Berens (left) and Kristina Bosch who led the way on the day for
the team. As the teams made the turn, the wind began to play a bigger
factor and it pushed the scores up for the team. Those elevated scores
in the afternoon, for the majority of the teams, was enough to separate
the teams for the state cut. Battle Creek Lakeview took first place
with a phenomenal score of 360. Caledonia came in second with a score
of 405. The run came down for the third and final spot but the Maroons
were edged out by Niles with a score of 409. HC narrowly missed the
third place cut shooting a 417 and finishing in fourth place. In the
Regional format, the top three teams are taken for the state cut.
After the teams are awarded, the scores are thrown out and then the
next highest three individual scores, from teams not qualifying for the
cut,
are awarded a state cut. Despite the disappointment from the Holland
Christian team standpoint not making a state cut, the optimism began to
flow as the scores began to post. Libby Berens was spectacular in her
first Regional qualifying first with a score of 93. The next spot went
to a Vickburg player and the final spot was determined to be a tie
between another Vickburg golfer and the Maroons Kristina Bosch with a
95. The two golfers were driven back out to the eighteenth hole and
got ready to play a tiebreak. Vickburg’s golfer won the coin flip and
elected to go first but that decision came back to bite her. Her drive
went array and Bosch stepped to the tee. She ripped a drive that split
the fairway and then followed it up by plopping her second shot fifteen
feet from the cup. After the opposing girl tapped in for a five, all
Bosch had to do was two put for the state qualifying cut. Bosch
(right) calmly put her first put six inches from the cup and then sunk
the tap in to seal her round and send her, along with Berens, to the
State Finals. Also on the afternoon HC got scoring rounds from Lauren
DePree with a 110 and Amber DeRoo with a 119. Kara Geenen also shot a
120 on the day to round up the season. Berens and Bosch will now head
to Ypsilanti at Eastern Michigan for the State Finals. The finals are
over two days and will tally over two separate rounds on Friday and
Saturday.October 2, 2008
Cold & Wind Don't Deter Golf from Conference Title
For
the first time in school history, Holland Christian has a conference
championship in girls’ golf. Head Coach Sherry Velthouse and her team
wrapped up the championship at the OK-Green conference match on
Thursday afternoon. A cold, overcast day greeted the Maroons as they
set off for 18 holes in search of the conference title but despite the
biting temperatures, HC’s game heated up. Entering play, HC held a
seven point lead over the surging Bulldogs of Byron Center. Riding the
strength of five first place finishes in the eight conference
jamborees, the Maroons held a 61-54 lead. Byron Center however had
been the hottest team as of late winning the final three jamborees and
looking like they could storm Holland Christian’s party. With the
tournament results counting for double the amount of points, the girls’
knew they would need a strong day to hold onto first place. The
one-two punch for the team all year has been the combination of
Kristina Bosch and Libby Berens. The two have been consistently the
top two scorers all season long and that would not change on Thursday.
The only question was which of the two would go lower. Berens,
competing in her first conference finals tournament, played beyond her
years blowing out the rest of the conference as she shot the low round
of the match. Her 81, highlighted by a birdie on the par three third
hole, was the top score by eight strokes and easily claimed her the top
medalist award on the afternoon. The low round by Berens, which
bettered her top score by 13 shots, got the team off to a great start
and it continued throughout for the entire team. Kara Geenen carded a
111 and was followed into the clubhouse by Lauren DePree’s 115. After
the two came in, Bosch strolled in rounding out her round of 91. The
91 was good for the fourth best score on the day. The Maroons were
then waiting on their final two golfers of the day, Amber DeRoo and
Jenna Wyrick. Both of the girls were not only battling the elements,
but themselves as each of them were
ill. As is the case many times in athletics, great performances occur
when one is sick due to the fact they stop thinking and just do what
they have practiced all season long. That was exactly the case for
both DeRoo and Wyrick who put together solid rounds to make the top
four scorers. DeRoo shot a 103 and Wyrick shot a 109. The four
golfers scores totaled to be a 384. Needing to only finish in fourth
place to assure themselves of the title, the team watched as score
after score were posted. Byron Center’s scores went up and it saw
their team shoot a 380, which was good enough to win the event. As the
other scores posted it was clear that no one else would come even close
and the Maroons finished in second place clinching them the conference
championship by a 75-70 points margin. “The girls have been great all
year long and I am so proud of them,” said head coach Sherry
Velthouse. “To do this in my first year is a testament to the team and
how hard they have worked.” The team was awarded the conference trophy
and the All-Conference members were named after the meet was over.
Libby Berens and Kristina Bosch (left) were the two members of the golf
team who were named to the OK-Green All-Conference team after
spectacular season. The team will get to enjoy the fruits of their
labor for a few days before prepping for the State Tournament. They
will be headed to Vicksburg on Thursday, October 9 in hopes of
qualifying for the state tournament. PHOTOS / G.R. PRESSSeptember 25, 2008
Suddenly Hot Byron Center Counters HC's Round
With the points lead already in hand, the Maroons girls’ varsity golf team was looking to gather some momentum heading into the conference tournament next week. Even though HC held a firm grip on the top spot, the group knew that could go by the wayside in the tournament as the finish is worth double points allowing teams to make up a lot of room. The team hosted the final match at their home course, Winding Creek, but the terrain was familiar to the other seven teams. The Zeeland East match on Wednesday was hosted at Winding Creek as well. Without any home course advantage, the Maroons would need to rely on their consistent game to provide them with the edge. Things started well as Libby Berens parred her first hole and Kristina Bosch boomed two shots down the opening fairway to sit on the green in two. The suddenly hot Bulldogs of Byron Center equaled the fast start as their top three golfers again went low in the 40’s on their rounds. With only five golfers playing on the day, Holland Christian would need someone to step up and Jenna Wyrick (left) did just that for the team. Shooting her lowest round of the year, Wyrick displayed great ball control en route to a round of 49. That round was only bettered by Bosch (right) whose birdies on the thirteenth and seventeenth holes enabled her to shoot a 42. It was her third round of the week with a 42 or better showing why she is top golfer on the Maroons team. Berens came in third for the team with a 51 and Amber DeRoo rounded out the top four with a 53. The total the four put together was a 195. That score would just edge out Unity Christian, which finished with a 196, but would fall four strokes behind Byron Center who won their third straight jamboree. “Jenna was excellent for us today,” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “She really saved us a with a tremendous round. Kristina was again superb on the day as well.” Now with the jamboree portion of their schedule over, the conference tournament looms next week at West Ottawa. The Maroons are in first place with a total of 61 points. Byron Center’s surge has moved them into second with 54 points and Zeeland East fell into third with 48 points. After a long conference season, the OK-Green will be settled on October 2. The tournament will be held at West Ottawa’s home course with the teams teeing off at 9:30 a.m. The Maroons will be looking to win the first conference championship in school history. PHOTOSSeptember 24, 2008
2nd Place Wraps Up Points Lead
Entering Tuesday’s jamboree, the varsity golf team held a firm grip on first place in the OK-Green. Yet despite that fact, the team had something to prove after failing to finish in first the day prior for the first time in six matches. The second place finish is nothing to scoff at, especially when the Bulldogs of Bryon Center went under 200 as a team to defeat the Maroons. That being said, the team looked to continue their strong play and potentially wrap up first place in the conference headed into the post-season tournament. The mindset of proving themselves was definitely apparent throughout the match as Holland Christian struck the ball nearly as well as they had all season long. The unfortunate thing was, as good as the girls were playing, an opposing team was putting together their best round of the season. Byron Center had three girls shoot in the low forties as they came in with a team score of 188. Playing only five golfers on the day, head coach Sherry Velthouse knew her team would need a strong performance to keep up with the Bulldogs. She received that from her group. A highlight of the afternoon was senior Chelsea Knott making her debut on the golf team. He round was not good enough to score but Velthouse was very proud of one of her seniors. “Chelsea has persevered extraordinarily and I am very proud of her,” said
Velthouse. Fueled by her teammates effort, Kristina Bosch (left) enjoyed another strong day shooting the low round of the afternoon for HC. Her round of 42 boosted Holland Christian’s chances of catching BC. Libby Berens assisted that cause with her round of a 47. The final two golfers scored a 50 (Kara Geenen) and 52 (Lauren DePree) to give the team a score of 191. Despite their second lowest round of the season, the team was forced to take their second straight second place. The seven points bumped the Maroons up and even though it was not what they wanted coming in, they proved their game is beginning to click. “It’s tough to beat any team that shoots that low but we put together a great round and I am very happy,” noted Velthouse. “It’s nice to wrap up the points lead headed into the conference tournament but with double points for conference we need to keep working.” With 55 points, and the nearest school at 46 points (Byron Center), the golf team has clinched the OK-Green regular season portion of the schedule. The regular season conference schedule comes to a close on Thursday with HC hosting the final jamboree. It will be played at the Maroons home course (Winding Creek) starting at 3:30 p.m. PHOTOSSeptember 23, 2008
Streak Ends with 2nd Place Finish
The appetite for golf was quenched for many fans this weekend when the American won the Ryder Cup. The Cup, which is awarded biennially, was won by the United States for the first time since 1999 and was filled with roaring crowds and tremendous play. The crowds might not have been as large, or boisterous, but the tremendous play was still on display when the Holland Christian girls’ golf team traveled to Rogers to play the first of three straight OK-Green jamborees. The three matches in three days will be a huge test for the front running Maroons who have been able to win all five previous events. The team, which is staked to a 40-33 lead over Zeeland East, will play Wednesday at Zeeland East and then host the final jamboree on Thursday before the conference tournament play is held next week. If HC is able to hold onto the regular season title, they will hold a key margin in points heading into the post-season tournament. This is critical as the tournament is worth double the points and any cushion a team can have heading in is pivotal. Knowing that, the importance of the next three days of matches was magnified. Unlike many teams that wilt under the watchful eye, the Holland Christian team excelled displaying great ball control and ball striking on Tuesday. The streak however came to a close as Byron Center flourished with a team score of 198. The Maroons came in second to end their winning streak, but the strong round enabled Holland Christian to maintain their hold on first place. Kristina Bosch enjoyed her best round of the season shooting a 40. Boosting the team was Lauren DePree who stepped up from the fifth spot. Her strong scoring round enabled the Maroons to place in second. “I am really proud of Lauren, she really played well and picked us up tonight,” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. Libby Berens carded a 52 for the afternoon and Amber DeRoo shot a 57. Zeeland West’s 201 placed them third and the Chix came in fourth with a 206. Now with a team score of 47, the Maroons enjoy a 12 point advantage over Zeeland East. Not able to rest on their laurels, the girls will be back in action Wednesday looking to stay perfect in conference play. The match will be hosted by Zeeland East and will begin at 3:30 p.m.September 18, 2008
Golf Makes it Five in a Row
The girls’ varsity golf jamboree on Thursday began the second half of the conference season for the Maroons. With eight schools in the newly aligned OK-Green, Holland Christian had already completed four conference matches. The team was in high hopes that the second half would begin much like the entire first half. Out of the first four jamborees, the HC team placed first in all of them. Doing so enabled them to hold a five point lead over Zeeland East (32-27) headed into the second half. The teams all convened on Railside Golf Course in Byron Center for the fifth OK-Green match. The tough course provided a great challenge to the conference as the it features multiple holes laden with sand traps and fast putting greens. The difficult environment did not faze junior Kristina Bosch as she rattled off a strong three holes to begin her round. On the par four third hole, Bosch split the fairway and then laid the ball on the green
just feet from the pin. Her putt (right) rolled in for the birdie and HC was off an running. Bosch got the clubhouse with a great round of 41. Libby Berens’ round of 48 enabled Holland Christian to maintain their lead and then the team received a great boost from their fifth golfer. “I thought we were saved by Amber (DeRoo)” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “We needed someone to step up and she did exactly that.” DeRoo (left) was able to shoot a 55 to crack the top four scorers for Velthouse’s team. Kara Geenen carded a score of 58 to finalize the top four. The team scored a 202 to nab first place ten strokes ahead of Byron Center. Zeeland East again took third pace enabling HC to increase their lead. Now up in the standings 40-33, the Maroons will look to continue their run next week. “Five in a row, I am very proud of these girls,” added Velthouse. The second half will continue to roll on when the Maroons head to Grand Rapids on Tuesday. Rogers will be the host with HC looking to improve upon their seven point first place lead. PHOTOSSeptember 16, 2008
Still the Leader in the Clubhouse
The return to conference play greeted the girls’ varsity golf team on Tuesday. Zeeland West acted as the host for the fourth OK-Green jamboree. Despite the change in venue, and host, the final result remained the same; Holland Christian nabbing first place honors. The leaders stayed the same but the second place finishers changed. Zeeland West was able to nudge out Zeeland East and this change improved the Maroons overall lead. The back-to-back days affected the girls’ scores as they climbed a bit on Tuesday but the team rallied and won their fourth jamboree with a team score of 201. Kristina Bosch’s (left) strong round led the way as she continually pounded fairways and greens in regulation to card a 45. A 48 was the next score in the clubhouse as Libby Berens enjoyed another strong round. The freshman continually steps up and is proving to be a vital contributor to the team. Allison DeKock’s 51 and Kara Geenen’s 57 rounded out the top four scorers for the team. “I think the two days in a row really affected our team,” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “We will back off a bit in practice tomorrow and get ready for a tough course on Thursday.” With the win HC improves their overall score to 32 points. With West overtaking East for second, the Chix are now in second with a score of 27 points. Conference play will continue on Thursday when the Maroons head to Byron Center to play at Railside Golf Course. Holland Christian will look to continue gripping first place in the overall standings. PHOTOSSeptember 15, 2008
Hard & Fast Course Gives Puts HC in 2nd
Over the past month, the girls’ varsity golf team has surged into being one of the top teams not only in the area, but also the conference. After three straight first place finishes in their OK-Green jamborees, the team stepped out of conference matches for a tournament that holds great weight in the Holland area. The Wooden Shoe Invitational brings in Holland, Holland Christian, West Ottawa, Zeeland East and Zeeland West for the annual invitational that provides greater insight on the top teams in the area. Already battling with Zeeland East (second in the OK-Green) and add to that the Class A West Ottawa, the Maroons knew this would be a tough test and one they welcomed. The tournament was held at Wuskowhan Golf Course and with what head coach Sherry Velthouse called “a tough course with lots of marsh to carry and typically fast greens,” the team was hoping the rain from the weekend would slow things down. Even with the over five inches the Holland area received, the drainage worked to perfection at the course and it was as dry and fast as if it never rained. This hampered the Maroons a bit as the Panthers of West Ottawa jumped out with the early lead in the clubhouse. Libby Berens shot the low round for Holland Christian as she carded a 47. Kara Geenen once again aided the team’s cause coming in with a round of 48. “Kara had another strong day that helped us out a lot” said Velthouse. The final two that scored for HC were Allison DeKock and Lauren DePree who both came in with 57’s. West Ottawa’s top three golfers all went under 45 to give West Ottawa the team title with a score of 193. The Maroons’ 209 was good for second ahead of Zeeland East (225), Zeeland West (226) and Holland (244). The second place finish ends their run of first places, but with the level of play the group displayed it was a successful afternoon. The tough competition in the Wooden Shoe will only continue to boost the confidence of this young team. They will return to conference action, this time with Zeeland West hosting, tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. PHOTOSSeptember 11, 2008
Third Time Not the Charm for Opponents
Someone wise once muttered “third time’s the charm” and a popular phrase was born. It is well used in many aspects and surely one several of the opposing teams in the OK-Green used coming into the third conference golf match of the year. After the Maroons won the first two conference jamborees, over the other seven schools, the third match was played with Unity Christian hosting. With many teams hoping that in the third matchup someone other than Holland Christian would win, the teams took to the links but quickly found out how untrue the famous phrase really was. Despite a tougher course, the Maroons performed well as they claimed their third consecutive first place finish. “The course was tougher for the girls” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “It had a lot of the taller heather grass and water all throughout.” In spite of the conditions, HC prevailed behind the strong play of their solid one-two punch of Kristina Bosch and Libby Berens. Bosch stepped up with a solid round shooting a 46. Berens, playing beyond her age (freshman), came in second for HC with a round of 49. Allison DeKock (left) shot a 51. Velthouse highlighted the play of the team’s fifth golfer who stepped up to score. Kara Geenen’s (right) round of 50 solidified the Maroons grasp upon first place. “She (Geenen) really came through for us today and I am really proud of her,” added Velthouse. With the four golfers in the clubhouse with a team total of 196, the race was on for second place. The Chix of Zeeland East had been able to hold second place down the past two matches and had to fight off the Bulldogs of Byron Center. They managed to do just that eeking out second by one stroke (206 to 207). When asked about her first placed finishes Velthouse showed the true spirit of a coach when she pointed out “it’s golf, one bad round can really hurt us. We just need to continue working. We have some great girls who put the time in and it is showing and we just need to continue to do what has gotten us this far.” The hot start has given HC the lead in conference play. With the three first place finishes, they now lead the OK-Green with 24 points. Zeeland East is three points back with 21 (three second place finishes). They will be back in action, looking to continue to improve, on Monday when they tee it up in the non-conference Wooden Shoe Invitational. The Invite takes place at 3:30 p.m. and will host HC, Holland, West Ottawa and both Zeeland teams. PHOTOSSeptember 9, 2008
Scoring Error Nearly Takes Away HC Victory
A near technical error almost gave away the golf conference jamboree to Zeeland East. The Chix were on the board with a 198, while Holland Christian was up on the board with a 205. Just before the scores were finalized, the members of the team saw an error in the reporting of HC’s score. Amber DeRoo’s round was scored as a 62. While the Chix began to celebrate their win, the officials met and noticed that DeRoo’s round, really a 52, was scored incorrectly and the subtraction of ten points gave HC their second consecutive conference jamboree victory. Two down, six to go for the Maroons as they took the 8 points with a first place finish. The Chix were the unfortunate team behind the score change as they took second place and gathered 7 points. Libby Berens continued her strong play as she carded a 43, good enough to lead the team on the day. Kristina Bosch’s 45 aided the team as she placed in second place. DeRoo’s controversial 52 was third and Kara Geenen scored a 55 to round out the top five golfers for the Maroons. “I thought our girls played very well” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “Zeeland East closed the gap from our previous match so we will have to continue to work hard in our practices.” The team, quickly becoming one of the top teams of the fall athletics at HC, will look to continue their conference streak looking for a third straight jamboree win when they travel to Unity Christian on Thursday. Each conference team hosts a match where all the conference teams play in with the scores from all eight jamborees decide the conference champion. The Maroons lead the conference with 16 points currently. PHOTOSSeptember 3, 2008
Maroons Make Themselves at Home
A strong non-conference showing got the Maroons ready to go for their conference-opening jamboree. In the four tournaments that HC played, they finished no worse than third in them and won the Zeeland East Invitational. On Wednesday, the girls traveled to Wyoming Park to play in the OK-Green Opening Jamboree. The OK-Conferences redid how golf would be played and this was the opening of eight jamborees that the team would play in. Now the format is that each match the team plays in conference, they will face all seven other conference teams and points are awarded for the finish. The first place team receives eight, second place receives seven and so forth. The dual matches are now out the window and that puts more pressure on teams to be consistent against one another more often. Maple Hill Golf Course was the setting for the first jamboree where all eight teams would be playing against one another for the first time. This was the home course of the Wyoming Park Vikings but the Maroons wasted no time in settling right in. Behind freshman Libby Berens (left) best round of the season, Holland Christian took first place gathering eight points with a team score of 186. The next closest teams were thirteen strokes away (Byron Center & Zeeland East). “Libby played really solid golf today and was the first time she was our top scorer” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. Berens shot a round of 42 to lead the team. Allison DeKock (right) and Jenna Wyrick came into the clubhouse tied for the second lowest score as they carded a pair of 47’s. Kristina Bosch tallied a 49 to round out the top four golfers on the match. “I am very pleased with how well we played,” added Velthouse. “It was a total team effort and it was a great start to our conference season.” The Dux of Zeeland West placed in fourth followed by Unity Christian, Hamilton, Rogers and Wyoming Park. Not having much time to enjoy the first place finish, the team will be back in action at Winding Creek Golf Course tomorrow as Zeeland East hosts the second jamboree of the season. PHOTOSAugust 27, 2008
Back to Back Performances
Less than a day after claiming their first title of the season, the girls’ varsity golf team found themselves in a van headed down US 131 to Wayland for their second tournament in as many days. The team has been hard at work from their drives to their short game and all the work showed yesterday. It was their hope that they could do what novice golfers struggle with and put back to back days of golf together and they did just that. Behind a stellar performance by North Pointe Christian (351), the Maroons placed second out of six teams with a team total of 396, bettering their score from the day before. Kristina Bosch continued to lead her
team as she won the third place medal by shooting a 92. Libby Berens enjoyed a terrific day as she broke 100 for the first time this season. Her round of 94 was good for a sixth place medal. One of the true highlights of the tournament was the performance of Amber DeRoo (left). DeRoo, who is Holland Christian’s sixth golfer, enjoyed her best day of the season as she earned a top ten finish. Her round (103) was good for ninth place as her performance really bolstered the Maroons overall score. Allison DeKock rounded out the top four scoring a 107. “I was very happy with how we played, especially being back to back days” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “Amber played extremely well and really helped us out and I am very proud of her and all the girls.” The team now gets ready for the OK-Green conference season and that begins in their next match at the conference jamboree on September 3 at Maple Hill Golf Course. The Maroons will join the seven other schools at Maple Hill and they will compete against the entire conference. PHOTOSAugust 26, 2008
Layoff Does Not Hurt Golfers
Repetition is the key to any strong golf swing. The ability to take the same swing over and over separates those who succeed and
those who spray the ball all over the course. Knowing the importance of the mechanics of a golf swing, the performance of the girls’ varsity golf team on Tuesday was even more impressive. After a two week layoff, the Maroons showed no rust in defeating six other teams to take first place in the Zeeland East Invitational. West Ottawa placed in second. Holland Christian only brought five golfers to the tournament and they all shot very close to one another as the team ended the day with a team score of 403. The Panthers were nine strokes back with a 412. Kristina Bosch (right) continued her strong season leading the team again with a score of 92. That score was good enough to place her in the top five medalists as she earned third place. Libby Berens shot a 102 and was followed in by Allison DeKock who shot a 103. Rounding out the top four for the Maroons was Lauren DePree with her 106. “After the two weeks I am very pleased in how well all the girls played today” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “All the girls played close and they all played really well and we are looking forward to Wayland tomorrow.” HC will look to continue to improve their game, and their consistency through competition, as they travel to Wayland for another Invitational.August 13, 2008
Format Changes, Results Stay Strong
A day after opening their season with a strong second place showing at the Hastings Invitational, the Maroons girls’ varsity golf team again displayed another strong outing at the Gull Lake Invitational. With fifteen team in attendance, and some of the top teams from the and tallied a 95. They were followed by Holland Christian’s final group which consisted of Libby Berens and Allison DeKock. Berens and DeKock totaled a 97 on the afternoon. “I was very pleased with how the girls’ played” said head coach Sherry Velthouse. “There were some very good teams down there from all over August 12, 2008
Golf Opens Strongly; Takes 2nd Place
The largest golf news over the summer months has been the absence of Tiger Woods from the PGA tour due to his knee and leg injuries. That streak came to a halt Tuesday afternoon as the Maroons Girls’ Varsity Golf (right) team gave the HC community some positive golfing news in their season opener. It also served as the first competition for the fall for any of Holland Christian’s fall sports. The team, and first year head coach Sherry Velthouse, traveled to Hastings for a four team tournament that featured the host Hastings High School, HC and Forest Hills Northern and Portland. Out of the four teams, the Maroons shot a team score of 467 and grabbed second place honors with three of their top four golfers earning individual medals. The host Saxons of Hastings won the tournament with a team score of 369. “I thought today we had a great team effort, especially for only have three days of practice” added head coach Sherry Velthouse.
“We showed a great game.” Part of that great game was the play of Kristina Bosch, a returning All-Conference member from last season. The junior led the way shooting a 105 on the day which was good for a fifth place medal in the tournament. She was joined in the medal round by fellow junior Kara Geenen who would nab a seventh place medal with a 117. Lauren DePree, a sophomore, placed eighth and earned a medal with a 119. The three medalists are shown at the left. The final golfer scoring in the Maroons top four was senior Allison DeKock who shot a 126. Holland Christian will have little time to rest as they travel to
August 11, 2008
Golf Roster Posted
New head coach Sherry Velthouse has published her 2008 roster. The team will tee off their season on Tuesday by traveling to Hastings for a 9:30 a.m. match. The Maroons team includes three seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and one freshmen. Highlighting the group is returning All-Conference player Kristina Bosch. For the entire roster check the roster section of the Golf website. Stay tuned for news on their first match of the season!