Top of the game: Yurik wins long-anticipated Miss Golf award

MORE ON YURIK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/10/16/7263/

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BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

BATH, Mich. — As one of Michigan’s most competitive and successful prep athletes, Gabby Yurik does not get nervous that often.

Yet on Sunday night, the Rochester Stoney Creek senior was quite nervous at the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association All-State Banquet at Eagle Eye Golf Club.

Yurik was a finalist for the 2011 Miss Golf Award.

“As the ceremony went along, I was starting to get a little nervous. I was starting to wonder if I had won it or not,” admitted Yurik, much more relaxed at Monday’s girls basketball practice at Rochester Stoney Creek. “I thought I had a great chance, but I was nervous until they called my name.”

BLUE CHIP: Rochester Stoney Creek's Gabby Yurik signed with Michigan State last week and was honored as Michigan's Miss Golf for 2011 at the MIGCA All-State Banquet Sunday night. File Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com

Yurik, who officially signed with Michigan State University last week, is one of eight players that were named to the All-State Super Team this season, the third straight year she earned that honor. She joined Flint Powers Catholic’s Chloe Lawrie, Plainwell’s Hannah Lewis, Plymouth’s Kelsey Murphy, Okemos’ Elle Nichols, Brighton’s Hannah Pietila, Hastings’ Gabrielle Shipley, Muskegon Mons Shores’ Morgan Smith, which also made up the remaining cast of finalists for Miss Golf 2011.

Her numbers this season, along with a stellar four-year career, which was anchored by helping her school to back-to-back state runner-up finishes, were enough to put her over the top.

Yurik comes from a long legacy of top-flight golfers form the area. In fact, she is the second straight Miss Golf winner to hail from Stoney Creek, as former high school teammate Devon Compton won the award in 2010.

Christine Meier of Rochester captured the honor in 2009, giving the Rochester area three straight winners for prep golf’s highest honor in Michigan.

“It’s an amazing honor,” said Yurik. “It is something that I had thought about. To be on (that list) is pretty amazing.”

MR. AND MISS: Francesco Ruffino of Birmingham Seaholm (left) and Gabby Yurik of Rochester Stoney Creek show off thier respective Mr. Golf and Miss Golf trophies for 2011. Courtesy Photo

Yurik averaged 75.33 for 18 holes this season, similar to last season, and finished in the top five at every tournament this season. She had seven individual titles, placed third twice and fourth once.

Yurik was champion at the Division 1 state, regional, Oakland County Division I, OAA Red Division Tournament No.1, Holliday Inn Express, Grosse Ile Invitational and Mattick Invitational tournaments this past fall season. She also placed third at the Ann Arbor Pioneer Invitational and OAA Red Division tournament No. 2 and fourth at the Azure Dynamics Invitational. She shot between 71 and 83 throughout tournament play this season with a 71 coming at Pontiac Country Club, the sight of the county tournament.

She shot 153 (78-75) at the D-1 state finals in mid-October to win the title by four strokes.

Yurik is now ready for her next chapter of a fine four-year athletics career at Stoney Creek. She is expected to be one of the top girls basketball players in southeastern Michigan and help her team contend for league and district titles.

“We should be pretty good this season,” smiled Yurik, a 5-7 combo guard and one of the area’s deadliest three-point shooters. “We hope to compete in our league and try to win a district. We haven’t done that yet.

“Now, I don’t have to worry about golf right now,” she added. “It’s all basketball the next couple of months.”

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Tags: 2011 MIss Golf, featured, Gabby Yurik, girls golf, golf, High School Girls Golf, Prep Girls Golf

Category: BWW Athlete of the Week