Event Details
Michigan Center wins Cascades golf title
Photo, story by Jeff Steers
Jackson Area Sports
Normally it is coaches who recruit athletes for their team.
Michigan Center High School golfer Mallory Gilson took a different approach when it came to choosing a coach for the Cardinals.
Gilson recruited Matt Withers to coach the Cardinals after knowing that last year’s coach would not be back.
It paid off as Michigan Center won the Cascades Conference tournament and title Wednesday at Sharp Park Golf Course.
Michigan Center tied with Grass Lake Wednesday at the conference final scoring 398 for 18 holes. Michigan Center won the final based on the team’s fifth-place golfer.
Napoleon finished third (405), Columbia Central was fourth (423), Hanover-Horton placed fifth (453), and Addison finished sixth (510).
Gilson earned medalist honors for the Cardinals at the conference final with an 88.
She was the catalyst in Withers becoming the coach.
“I would come into his class (the next day) after a match and talk about how I played,” Gilson said. “He as the first person I talked to about (possibly) becoming our coach.
“I knew we had a cohesive group that would work hard.”
Withers said he was excited about the challenge of coaching a new sport.
“The girls have spent so much time getting ready for today,” Withers said. “We worked hard to get to this point.”
Karsyn Smith shot a 100 for Michigan Center helping to earn first-team all-conference honors.
Ava Rentfrow, Ellie Roberts, and Emma Troyer all shot 98s for Grass Lake.
Michigan Center, Napoleon, Columbia Central, and Grass Lake all had a chance to win the conference title heading into the finals. All four schools won jamborees at one point in the season.
Avery Rhodes finished with a 91 for Napoleon earning the conference medalist honors for the season based on scoring average. Katelyn Ault also shot a 94 for Napoleon finished 1/10th of a stroke away from winning the scoring average.
Aubry Koch of Columbia Central shot a 97 and Maddy Truax and Caraline Shong each shot 105s – earning all-conference honors.
Sam Penn of Hanover-Horton finished with 101 to earn conference honors.
Avery Rhodes finished with a 91 Wednesday for Napoleon High School earning Cascades Conference medalist honors for 2026.