Otsego claims Wolverine Conference championship

By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
THREE RIVERS—Otsego’s Spencer Shearer and Vicksburg’s Luke Malocha finished atop the leader board at the Wolverine Conference Championship at Pine View in Three Rivers on Wednesday, May 22.
Shearer and Malocha each carded a three-under-par 69, finishing four strokes ahead of Paw Paw’s Benny Miller and Edwardsburg’s Andrew Kurowski for medalist honors.
In the team standings, it was Shearer’s Otsego squad that earned bragging rights.
Otsego finished at 306, with Vicksburg close behind at 309.
Plainwell was third with a 318, followed by Edwardsburg (324), Paw Paw (339), Niles (347), Sturgis (347) and Three Rivers (357).
The conference championship was the eighth in program history for Otsego.
Two of Shearer’s teammates joined him in the top 10 of the individual standings: Landon Eastman was fifth at 77 and Owen Santman tied for eighth with a pair of Vicksburg golfers at 79.
Jurian Shaffer just missed out on giving Otsego a fourth top-10 player, as he finished locked in a five-way tie for 11th place at 81.
For Plainwell, Jacob Erdody and Drew Rayman led the way, tying for sixth place as each checked in at 78.
Plainwell’s Gage Truitt and Jackson Powell were among the golfers tied with Shaffer for 11th place.
The following day, Otsego traveled to Forest Akers Golf Course on the campus of Michigan State University for the D2 Best of the West Invitational.
The Bulldogs finished at 314 to place sixth in the nine-team field that included some of the top squads in the state.
Otsego was just one stroke behind Gull Lake and Forest Hills Eastern for fourth place and two strokes behind East Grand Rapids for third place. Grand Rapids Christian (296) took top honors, with Forest Hills Central (304) placing runner-up.
Once again, Shearer led the charge for Otsego, posting a 74 that was good for sixth place.
Shaffer (17th at 77), Santman (25th at 80) and Eastman (28th at 83) were the Bulldogs’ other three scoring golfers.
Andrew Ballman (45th at 89) and Karson Holladay (51st at 94) were the other Otsego golfers to participate.