ESCANABA — The Escanaba Country Club hosted the 18-hole First Bank Invitational Thursday for area high school teams, and for the second year in a row, it did not disappoint.

For the second consecutive year, the boys’ half of the competition ended in a three-way shootout.

After 18 holes of golf, the top three of Brady Badker (Marquette), Bryson Mercier (North Central) and Cam Rector (Marquette) sat tied at 73.

To settle things, the three played in a two-hole playoff.

Badker ended up taking the win, with Mercier and Rector following in second and third.

The face-off between the trio was reminiscent of the 2021 First Bank Invitational that featured a play-off between Menominee’s Andrew McIntyre Brady Badker and Kingsford’s Matt Solda.

Rounding out the top ten on the boys’ side were, in order, Jace Moore (Marquette) and Shane Wallin (Escanaba) at 74, Adam Heikilla (Marquette) 77, Rogan Gravelle (Escanaba) 78, Clayton Smith (Escanaba) 79, Owen Riipi (Marquette) 81 and Brett Labre (Escanaba) 82.

Boys’ team scores were as follows: Marquette 1, 305; Escanaba 1, 317; Menominee, 344; Marquette 2, 356; North Central, 388; Gladstone — with only four reported scores — 411; Escanaba 2, 428.

While the boys’ fight for the top spot was hotly contested, the girls’ side of competition saw a clear winner as Menominee’s Madison Derusha carded an 89 which was eight strokes clear of second-place Zoe Smith of Marquette at 97. Escanaba’s Cierra Scott finished third with a score of 99.

The win for Derusha is her second consecutive podium finish at the First Bank Invitational after she finished third last year.

Abby Luke (Marquette) 102, Addy Saunders (Marquette) 109, Mackenzie Doyle (Menominee) 113, Peyton Wellman (Escanaba) 114, Maddie Wilson (Escanaba) 116, Sophie Derkos (Escanaba) 117 and Lexi Smith (Marquette) 118 were the remaining players ranked in the top ten.

Finding themselves at the top of the team standing for the second year in a row at the First Bank Invitational was Marquette, with a total team score of 426.

Escanaba and Menominee followed with team totals of 446 and 464, respectively.

The teams of the Great Northern Conference return to the Escanaba Country Club next week, May 26, for the culmination of the year-long battle for the conference.