Section V Golf Championships

Bulldogs win ‘inspirational’ sectional golf crown

BATH — It’s pretty safe to say that the Livonia golf team had some “help from above” as they captured their second sectional championship in the past three years.

Dedicating their 2012 season to longtime Bulldogs coach/LCAA golf chairman Greg Cole, who passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer March 13, Livonia went out and won the Class B title with a 22-shot victory over runner-up Attica at Bath Country Club Thursday.

“We wanted to win the sectional title for coach Cole,” said Livonia coach and close friend Mike Cronmiller Jr. “Greg was watching over us. His spirit was in their hearts — and in their swings.”

Led by junior Joe Lynch’s co-medalist performance with an 84, Livonia easily captured title over the same Attica program that had defeated Livonia a year ago.

Lynch earned co-medalist honors with Waterloo’s Jake Stephan.

Lynch carded a 43 on the front nine and a 41 on the back.

Coach Cronmiller said the back nine was playing “long from the blues” and “was made for the long hitters.”

According to Cronmiller, Lynch is one of those long ball hitters that can grip it and rip it.

“Joe hits it as far as anybody and has a nice draw to his ball,” said Cronmiller. “What I was most impressed with Joe was how he went out there and played like he was having fun. He seems to do better when he just relaxes and has fun and that’s what he did (today).”

Livonia’s scoring five players totaled 350 strokes with Attica second (372) and Dansville third (375). Cal-Mum (376) was fourth while Perry (395) finished seventh in the eight-team event.

Sophomore Cody Cronmiller and junior Jordan Holley were each next with a 86, while junior Carter Ellis carded a 94 with eighth-grader Jordan Holley shooting a 97 to round out the youthful Bulldogs.

“Cody got into a little trouble on a few holes but he scrambled very well,” said coach Cronmiller, of his son. “He sank a 30-foot par putt on number eight and after he put his ball into the hazard on seventeen, he was forced to take a blind shot through five or six trees from about 30 yards away and stuck it five feet from the cup.”

For Dansville, Zach White led the Mustangs with an 86 followed by Ethan Doe (91); Connor Brokaw (97); Jake Olson (101) and Connor Freas (114).

For Cal-Mum, Matt Hayes put up another solid outing with an 87 followed by Connor Millar (92); Kyle Preston (94); Trevor Swan (103) and Brooks Breschler (121).

For Perry, Adam Sprenger led the way with a 97 followed by Amanda Sprenger (98); Jake Humberstone (99); Kris Kwiecien (101) and Dan Manning (102).

With no seniors on their roster, many local experts figured this year would be a building block to the future foundation of the Livonia golf team.

But that time is now, apparently.

With Cole as the coach two years ago, Livonia won their first ever sectional title.

And coach Cronmiller feels Greg’s spirit was with the Bulldogs throughout the day.

“Two years ago when we were on the bus going to sectionals, Greg scored up what we thought we needed to shoot in order to get the title,” coach Cronmiller said. “Well, its amazing but our top four golfers today, shot the exact same number Greg wrote down that we needed to shoot two years ago. Like I said, Greg’s spirit was definitely with us (today).”