IRON MOUNTAIN - One golfer stayed on top while another got over the hump at the 2012 Mid-Peninsula boys and girls golf championship Thursday at warm and breezy Pine Grove Country Club.
Defending U.P. Division 2 champion Mike Nagy, a senior at Manistique High School, captured his third league title with a score of 76, and Negaunee senior Taylor Debski, the 2011 runner-up, won the girls crown with a 93.
Westwood swept the meet, with the boys edging Iron Mountain 342 to 345, and the girls shooting 16 strokes better than the second-place Mountaineers, 417-433.
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Ron Deuter | Iron Mountain Daily News
Mike Nagy, left, of Manistique and Taylor Debski of Negaunee won Mid-Peninsula Conference golf medalist honors Thursday in?Iron Mountain.
"I came in blind, having never played the course before," said Nagy, who is committed to the University of Tennessee this fall. "There are a couple of holes where it would have helped to know where to hit it."
Nagy was two-under par through the first six holes, but double-bogeyed the seventh to go even through nine. On the back nine, he bogeyed the two par fives.
"I liked the course," he said, noting he's not sure if he'll be able to come back and compete in this summer's 98th Annual U.P. Golf Association's Men's Championship which takes place here Aug. 9-12. "It was a challenge today. I enjoyed playing here."
Fact Box
BOYS
First team
Mike Nagy (MAN), 76; Nick Markell (IM), 80; Tanner Truscott (WW), 83; Tyler Prophet (WW), 83; David Renaldi (NEG).
GIRLS
First team
Taylor Debski (NEG), 93; Megan Manninen (WW), 96; Berkley LaFreniere (WW), 98; Hailey Hoholik (MAN), 101; Abbie Simone (IM), 104.
Nagy's Emeralds finished sixth overall. Following Westwood and Iron Mountain were Negaunee (354), Norway (358) and Ishpeming (365), with Gwinn (387) in seventh behind Manistique (367).
The champion Patriots were led by Tanner Truscott and Tyler Prophet, both firing 83.
"The boys have been consistent all through the year, and even though we don't have the low score or often have the medalist, they seem to play real consistent golf and that's been the strength," Patriots coach Jared Koski said.
The Mountaineers were led by runner-up medalist Nick Markell with an 80..
Debski, in capturing her first MPC title, said she had last played Pine Grove two years ago at the U.P. Finals.
"After a few holes I started to remember where I could hit my ball and where I couldn't hit my ball," she said. "Conditions today were great. The course was in real great shape."
Debski added that the increasing winds were not a real factor until about 13 holes into the match. Still, it wasn't enough to derail her championship effort.
"It feels awesome," she said. "It's been a goal of mine to put together a solid round and place well."
Westwood's team title was led by Megan Manninen and Berkley LaFreniere, who had 96 and 98, respectively.