MANISTIQUE — A few years ago when Tim Noble and Erik Mason took on the coaching positions for the Manistique Boys and Girls Golf Teams, they had one goal in mind — to win the Division 2 U.P. Boys and Girls Team Championships. The goal was met May 31 at Oak Crest Country Club in Norway.

The girls golf team consisting of Nora Cunningham, Macy Green, Maddie Maline, Clara Cunningham and JoLynn Zellar came out on top with a team score of 455, 46 strokes ahead of second place Bark River – Harris.

“The score seemed a lot closer during the day” said Coach Erik Mason. “Watching the competition and getting feedback from our girls seemed that there would be a closer outcome.”

Nora Cunningham led the team and the rest of the field with her 18 hole round of 101 brining home the Individual U.P. Division 2 U.P. Individual Championship. “It feels really good,” Cunningham said of her individual achievement. “Above all, though, I think the team win definitely feels the best. Last year we ended up good individually, but the team win was our ultimate goal, so it was nice to get that this year.”

Macy Green came in with a round of 107, sharing third place with her teammate Maddie Maline.

“It’s nice to see Nora and Macy really have some success,” Coach Tim Noble said. “It’s nice to see these two pillars of the girls program go out on top. Maddie has been our consistent number 3 girl all season, golfing in the 120s all season, the last few weeks, she used a new driver and with some practice, she started shaving off around 2 strokes a hole by making straighter, longer shots off the tee.”

Clara and JoLynn have been going back and forth all season at the number 4 spot. “One match we would use JoLynn’s score and another match we would use Clara’s; today we used Clara’s round of a 142,” Mason said. “These two girls were very important to the team all year, they are great teammates, always encouraging each other and without them, we wouldn’t have a team score and achieve the ultimate goal of U.P. champs.”

The boys team consisting of Landen Dougherty, Nate Schoenow, Ryan McEvers, Kyle Flodin and Grant Mason achieved their quest of U.P. champ by a much closer margin. The boys took home the trophy with a team score of 331, just 3 shots ahead of second place Painsdale-Jeffers.

“As the scores were coming in we new that if the last Jeffers boy scored an 86 or higher on his card we would win,” said lone boys senior Grant Mason. “When he brought in a card of 88 we knew we had the trophy.”

Ryan McEvers lead the team and field of 13 schools with a U.P, championship score of 74. “I’d be happy shooting in the 80s today,” McEvers said. “But the guys that I was playing with were fun, and I felt really good about it. I didn’t look at my scorecard until the end, and it all added up nicely. I think I counted I only had two bad shots, My drives were straight. Putting from the fringe probably saved me a lot. But it was all coming together nicely.”

Coming together nicely is being modest for Ryan to say. “Ryan is a true testament to the quote that “hard work pays off,” said Mason. Ryan and his grandma drove over to Oak Crest at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning to golf a practice round, because he was not going to be there in the evening when the rest of the team was going to go through their practice. Why? Because he had a double header baseball game in the evening. Then after the game, his mom drove him back to Norway to be with the team for the rest of the evening.

“Ryan was constantly critiquing his game and course management throughout the season,” said Noble, “This is what great golfer do.”

Landen Dougherty also brought in a great score of 78 earning him the fourth place medal. Nate Schoenow added an 89 followed by Flodin with a 90 and Mason a 91.