Matt McCarthy | Iron Mountain Daily News North Central senior golfer Bryson Mercier poses after signing his National Letter of Intent to play Division I college golf at South Dakota State, Thursday at North Central High School. Pictured with Mercier from left: his brother Brody Mercier, father Adam Mercier, mother Melissa Mercier and North Central athletic director Randy McLeod II.

POWERS — Becoming a good enough golfer to obtain an NCAA Division I scholarship is a goal for many aspiring high school golfers.

It’s been a goal of North Central senior Bryson Mercier for a number of years, and this week, that goal became a reality for the young Powers resident.

Mercier signed his national letter of intent to golf collegiately at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.

South Dakota State, whose mascot is the Jackrabbits, is in the NCAA’s Summit League conference with Denver University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Oral Roberts University, the University of St. Thomas, the University of South Dakota and Western Illinois University.

Mercier began learning how to golf around the age of 2. When he was 10 or 11, he said he could tell that he was a good golfer, in comparison to kids his age.

“As I began to progress through the years as a golfer and started winning tournaments, I eventually got to the point where I thought I could make a run at becoming a D1 recruit,” Mercier said.

Mercier chose to attend SDSU over scholarship offers at the University of Detroit Mercy, Oakland University in the Lower Peninsula and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

“I had my sights set on going there (SDSU) for a while now because Casey Van Damme from Perkins was the head coach there,” said Mercier.

Although Van Damme moved on from SDSU, Mercier wasn’t deterred.

“I am looking forward to going and playing for coach (Mike) Nagy. He’s a great person, and I have been able to golf with him before being that he’s from Manistique.”

Nagy, a Manistique High School graduate who played his college golf at the University of Tennessee, is the Jackrabbits head men’s golf coach.

“I am excited to get to college, and I feel like he’s (Nagy) going to make me a better golfer but also a better person,” said Mercier, who will major in business economics at SDSU.

Mercier and Nagy, along with the Ellis twins, Dan and Dave from Negaunee, who golfed at Michigan State, Bryce Douglas of Gladstone who played at Detroit Mercy, as well as Carney-Nadeau graduate and current Marquette University golfer Hunter Eichhorn are said to be the only U.P. high school graduates to earn a Division I golf scholarship.

Hailing from the same county, Eichhorn and Mercier have become good friends and frequent golf partners in the summer months.

“I grew up golfing with Hunter, and I got to watch him go through the process of winning big tournaments and getting noticed. And I also got to watch his recruiting process, picking a school and getting the national attention he gets now,” Mercier said. “To be able to put my name with his, as being a Division I golf recruit is something that I have always dreamt of. He was a huge influence on me and is someone I am grateful for.”

Another person who has made a positive impact on Mercier is also a Powers native, current Michigan State men’s basketball player Jason Whitens.

“Today is something I have been striving for after watching Jason become a D1 athlete. He’s been such a great role model for me. I have been blessed to have someone like him to look up to,” Mercier said with a smile. “I am able to ask him as many questions about not only this process but about college in general. He’s been such a great friend over the years, and I’d have never thought I’d be categorized with him, and now that I signed today, I am.”

Mercier, the son of Melissa and Adam Mercier, the former North Central boys basketball coach, pointed toward his family as an important support structure for encouraging and guiding his growth.

“I want to thank my parents and my brother (Brody), first and foremost. My mom putting up with the three of us — my dad, my brother and I — not coming home for dinner to stay on the golf course because it’s too nice out to go home,” he said. “But also I am so thankful that my dad. As busy as he was when he was coaching basketball, he made sure to take the time to take me to the golf course and golf with me.”