Part of the legacy: Rochester golfers building without star power
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
ROCHESTER HILLS — There’s something a little different with Rochester’s girls golf team this season compared to many of its recent teams.
There are no bona fide all-state players on the Falcons’ roster. There are no Miss Golf candidates and not a list of players who are being recruited to play at the college level — yet.
The Falcons do have a team that is rapidly improving and hopes to extend Oakland County’s longest streak come regional week. The Falcons are going after their 13th straight state finals appearance when they play in the Twin Lakes regional Oct. 6.
“We are a little different this year,” laughed Rochester coach Jeff Haney, who is in his seventh season as head coach. Haney was Rochester’s head coach on its 2008 and 2009 Division 1 state championship teams and head coach on the fall 2007 state runner-up squad. The Falcons were third in the spring 2007 season.
“We don’t have that one great player like we’ve had,” he added.
Beginning with the 2000 season, Rochester has made the state-meet cut on 12 straight seasons. They won 11 straight regional championships from 2000-2009 (two in the 2007 calendar year due to the seasons switch from spring to fall) before finishing second at the regional level last October to Rochester Stoney Creek.
Rochester has also had at least one top-10 state-finals individual finisher in 12 of the past 13 years. Dating back to 1999, when Cara Christenson finished sixth in the state, the Falcons only missed out in 2004 without a top-10 individual, although they were still fourth as a team that season.
Since the 1999 campaign Rochester has had 19 different occasions where a golfer finished in the top 10 at state and 21 times a golfer finished in the top 12, aremarkable feat.
Christine Meier was the Miss Golf and D-1 state champ in 2009, while she added a runner-up finish and two third-place showings in her career. Older sister Amy Meier was the 2009 D-1 medalist with three other top-eight finishes, including twice being the state runner-up. Christenson (twice), Stacy Goins (twice), Megan Bradley, Stacey Solverson (twice), Abby Long and Rosalie Shyu (three times) have also added to Rochester’s legacy with top 10 state finals finishes. Shyu and Megan Bradley both finished 11th one time apiece.
This fall is different, as there are no likely candidates to fill that void if the Falcons are to qualify. Rochester has made tremendous strides this season, beginning the season with a team shooting in the high 370s to a team that has posted in the low 350s.
This week Rochester made a return trip to the Division 1 top 10 for the first time since the state finals a year ago. The Falcons finished eighth at the state finals last year, the school’s 12th straight top 10 state finish.
Rochester returned its No. 3 and No. 4 golfers from last year’s team, senior Amanda Graham and junior Hailey Bradley. Junior Jazmin Haque has also come up into the Falcons’ top five after playing sparingly in tournaments last season. Junior Abby Saber, sophomore Alex Brinkman and senior Samantha Blair have also rotated in Rochester’s top group. All have seen their tournament averages drop over the course of the past two months.
SWING AWAY: Rochester senior Amanda Graham in one of two returnees from the Falcons top-10 state finals team from last season. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
“We have been very blessed over the years,” said Haney. “We’ve had a steady strong of great players come through here and we’ve had some great success. There was a stretch there with the Meier sisters (Amy and Christine) where we knew we would always be one of the top teams at every tournament. Last year we still had Rosalie (Shyu) and she was one of our top golfers for four years and Jyl Monahan, who ended up playing in college.
“This year we are young and didn’t bring back a ton of players. But these girls have worked so hard and they have come a very longs ways,” continued Haney. “We’ve been able to shoot sometimes 10-20 strokes better than where we were at during the first couple of tournaments of the season.”
Rochester shot in the 360s, 370s and 380s at various tournaments in August and early September, but showed great strides in recent weeks. In some of those tournaments, the Falcons didn’t even finish in the top 10.
At last week’s Oakland County Division I Tournament, Rochester shot a play-five, count-four team scored of 357, which landed the Falcons fifth in a field of multiple state-ranked teams. It marked the Falcons’ 14th straight top-five finish at the county tourney and more important yet, proved that these Falcons are starting to live up to their potential.
“I think we have the potential to be good, the girls have put I the time and we’ve seen some improvement,” said Haney. “If we can get all five players to have a good day at the regional, I think we’ve got a chance to make it out. (Top-ranked Rochester) Stoney Creek and Utica are in our regional, and Utica is very good this year. Stoney Creek has beaten us every time we’ve played them this year. It will be interesting, but I like to think we have a chance (to advance).”
WATCHING HER FLY: Rochester's Jazmin Haque and seen her game soar into being a key contributor for the 10th-ranked Falcons. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
The top three teams and the top three individuals not on qualifying teams advance to the Lower Peninsula Division 1 state finals Oct. 14-15 at The Meadows Golf Course in the campus of Grand Valley State University.
“Our goal is to qualify again this season and hopefully finish in the top 10 at the end of the season,” offered Haney. “It’s a realistic goal, but we have to play well at the regional and we have to keep getting better as a team. We don’t have that one great player like we’ve had in the past. But it’s been a fun season to watch these girls improve their game.”
ROCHESTER GIRLS GOLF AT STATE FINALS IN RECENT YEARS
1990: Seventh Class A
1991: Seventh Class A
2000:10th Division 1
2001: Third Division 1
2002: State Champs Division 1
2003: Fourth Division 1
2004: Fourth Division 1
2005: Second Division 1
2006: Seventh Division 1
2007 Spring: Third Division 1
2007 Fall: Second Division 1
2008: State Champs Division 1
2009: State Champs Division 1
2010: Eighth Division 1
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Rochester
