6B

DAILY PRESS & ARGUS Sunday, August 25, 2013

SPORTS

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HIGH SCHOOL GOLF

Still green: Geer, 15, is MSU-bound

By Brian Beaupied
Daily Press & Argus

BRIGHTON At 4 years old, Allyson Geer was swinging a golf club. At 15, Geer, a high school freshman-to-be, gave her verbal commitment last week to play college golf. Thats right, college golf. Geer, the top-ranked player in Michigan for the Class of 2017, confirmed her verbal commitment to Michigan State University on Friday. Hows that for being green? Ive wanted to go there since I could remember, Geer said. Nothing else could compare to Michigan State. I love the coaches and the facilities and everything they have to offer me. Even though I looked (at other schools), I came back wanting to go to Michigan State. Geer, the Golfweek Junior Tour Leupold Player of the Year for players 14 & under, had also drawn interest from several other Big Ten schools, parents Brad and Andrea Geer said. Per NCAA rules, college coaches cannot comment on verbal commitments. Geer, who is home-schooled, cant officially sign a letter-of-intent until November 2016. In football, it has become more commonplace to see scholarship offers and verbal commitments from players not yet in high school. For Geers swing coach Eric Colchamiro, who works with other talented, high school-aged golfers at the the Hole Approach Golf Academy at Oak Pointe Country Club in Brighton, this situation is certainly unique. I think its a new thing for me to see start happening, but I think its smart for the schools to really show an interest early on, he explained. It really

Brightons Allyson Geer is the top girls golfer in the state for the Class of 2017. JIM JAGDFELD

Brightons Allyson Geer poses at Oak Pointe Country Club in Brighton. Geer, just 15 and a freshman-to-be, is one of two girls who verbally commited to play golf at Michigan State University last week. JIM JAGDFELD

takes a lot of pressure off of the kids, too. For them, really playing these rigorous scheduled is difficult. After getting a commitment like this, I think it really takes some pressure off. Over the summer, Geer has traveled throughout the better part of the east coast and southeast competing in tournaments. So much so it was easier to say which states she hasnt played in. Among her highlights for the summer thus far, Geer, who is ranked as high as No. 9 nationally for the Class of 2017 by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, won the American Junior Golf Associations Junior All-Star at Forest Lake Country Club in Bloomfield Hills earlier this month. There, she won with a treacherous 18-foot playoff

putt. Geers 2013 scoring average comes in at 75, with four other top-five finishes in national events. As far as what the Spartans womens golf program will be getting in Geer, Colchamiro, who has coached her for three seasons, couldnt say enough. Not only are they getting an outstanding golfer, but theyre getting a great person as well, he said. Allys going to bring her work ethic to the team and I think theyll be able to build a strong team around her going forward. ... Shes done everything weve ever asked of her to do and weve seen nothing but upside and continued improvement. I would say probably her strength would be her

strength, he continued. Ally is a very strong young lady. She hits the ball a long ways which is a huge advantage for her playing with some of the other girls who are still developing. ... Technically, her swing is very sound. ... Were really just doing fine-tuning right now. I dont think we have an major overhauls coming up. And Geer, with four years to go before college golf, doesnt foresee a major change of heart, either. I do feel relieved, she said. My goal has always been to just beat the course, but now I think I can really work on qualifying for the U.S. Open and LPGA tournaments. Im happy I have college figured out and now I can just go out and try and beat the course.

It was as soon as we started talking about it that I knew it was where I wanted to be. I didnt have to think twice about it. Geer tentatively plans to study business at Michigan State, but would like to make professional golf her career. And it all stems from when her parents would strap her car seat to a golf cart and take her out to play with them at Oak Lane Golf Course in Webberville. I dont remember the child seat, but I remember feeding the ducks and trying to swing my dads steel-shaft clubs and not getting too far with it, Geer recalled. I remember just growing and beginning to love the game. It was also something I could do with my dad, which is great. I love (about golf) the fact that if you have a bad day that its not on anyone else, its on you. Its one shot at a time and youre focused on your game and not what everyone else is doing, unless youre in match play. I really try to make it my own and just push myself to what I know I can do.

LOCAL GOLF

Brightons DeMarois fourth at Randy Wise

By Brian Beaupied
Daily Press & Argus

On a tough course and competing against a tough field at this weeks Randy Wise Junior Open, Brightons David DeMarois didnt want to shoot himself out of the tournament. That was pretty much the key for the week, from the first round starting out, he said. Each day I just wanted to try and get better. I think of myself as a pretty good grinder, so if I had a bad hole, I just had to let it go. DeMarois opened with a 4over-par 76 at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc. He closed with 73 and 74 for his highest finish in an American Junior Golf Association event, tying for fourth on Thursday with a three-day total of 223. For his efforts, DeMarois, 17, and a senior this fall at Brighton High School, is exempt to play in any AJGA events throughout the country which are not invitationals. I think it was probably my best tournament this summer, given the caliber of event, DeMarois said. I think it will be key helping to get (a scholarship offer) for college. Its a tour most watched by colleges, and the kids who do well go to decent schools. Playing college golf is DeMarois long-term goal, but for much of the summer, he was fo-

cusing on trying to regain confidence in his game. Im just kind of proud of myself, he said. It was time for me to do well. Under all the pressure I managed just to kind of hang in there as other kids were falling behind. I was 5-under through 15 holes of my first event of the summer, he added. Then summer came and I started to play inconsistent and not as confident. The weekend before (the Randy Wise Junior Open), I got some of that confidence back. If you would have told me going in that I would finish fourth, I wouldnt have believed you. DeMarois finished five shots back of winner Nicholas Rose of Ontario. Adam Firavich, a 2013 Hartland High School graduate, and his former teammate, junior Baker Stevenson, each tied for 27th in the event. Firavich, who will play college golf for Oakland Community College, shot rounds of 77-7977 for a total of 233. Stevenson, after firing an 80 his first day, closed with 77 and a 76. Another Hartland golfer, senior Austin Rivet, shared the first-round lead after a 1-overpar 73, but slipped his final two rounds to finish tied for 47th with 239. On the girls side, Brighton freshman Julia Dean finished 13th, going 78-78-83 for a total of 239 24 shots behind winner Jillian Hollis from Ohio.

Brightons David DeMarois finished tied for fourth at the American Junior Golf Associations Randy Wise Junior Open Thursday at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc. SUBMITTED PHOTO

HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP

Pirates kick off soccer season with pair of wins

Daily Press & Argus

BIRMINGHAM The Pinckney soccer team bounced back from a loss in its season opener to collect a pair of wins at the Birmingham Detroit Country Day Invitational on Saturday. Pirates coach Joel Lindblade said too many mental errors came back to bite the Pirates in a 4-1 loss to Bloomfield Hills on Friday. We did come out flat that first game, he said. The goals they scored were off mental breakdowns and a lack of focus. I think the boys realized they were the kind of silly, mental breakdowns that happen in your first match of the year. They responded well to it. Foreign exchange student Nicolas Bueghler scored Pinckneys only goal in the loss on a

free kick. On Saturday morning, the Pirates, on goals from Brock Mannen, a head-in from Matt Lawrence and another free kick by Bueghler, blanked Farmington, 3-0. Griffin McNeily made five saves to get the shutout. That first game of the day against Farmington, we just had guys flying all over the place, Lindblade said. We were crushing the play and really pressuring. They were dominating. It was a fun way to come back from the night before. The Pirates (2-1) closed the tournament with a come-frombehind 3-2 win over Berkley. Pinckney trailed 2-0 before the game was even five minutes old. Bueghler, again on a free kick, Lawrence and Christian Stone each scored second-half

goals to lift the Pirates. Volleyball Airport Invitational CARLETON Pinckney reached the championship round of the tournament, facing Livonia Stevenson, while Brighton got to the quarterfinals before losing to the host Jets. Overall it was a good day, Brighton coach Shelley Fix said. We have a few things to tweak, but I think the girls will come together just fine. Katie Daavettila had 22 kills and 23 digs while Rachel Burkart had 12 kills for Brighton. Brittany Jandasek had 94 assists while Becca Jandasek had 29 digs and 10 aces. Fridays Roundup Brighton 1, Birmingham Brother Rice 0 BIRMINGHAM The Bulldogs won their season opener

when Strati Moustakeas scored off a corner kick in the 79th minute. Blake Barribeau assisted on the goal, while Jack Hackett picked up the shutout in goal. Fowlerville 2, Lakewood 2 LAKE ODESSA The Gladiators pulled out a tie in the season opener for both teams despite being outshot 14-6. Jesse Bonnville and Chase East scored for the Gladiators, while Will Massey and Jamie Jabars. Jacob Jarvis had 12 saves in net for Fowlerville. Tennis Fowlerville Tournament FOWLERVILLE Howell won the event, scoring 19 points while Fowlerville, Whitehall and Pinckney battled for second. Fowlerville and Whitehall

tied for second with 16 points, while Pinckney was in fourth with 15. Howell won four events, sweeping the singles flights. Mason Wenzel won at No. 1 singles, while Nate Garrison downed Fowlervilles Jacob Prochnow at No. 2, Jake Lachowicz beat Fowlervilles Cody Durbin at No. 3, and Matt Wenzel downed Pinckneys Adam Fickema at No. 4. All were in straight sets. The Fowlerville doubles teams of Cody Leggert and Zach Wilber downed Howells John Langford and Drew Norton at No. 2 doubles, and the No. 3 team of Chad Borland and Grant Taylor also won its flight. Pinckney took the No. 4 doubles flight. Allen Benedetti and Tom Cremonte won a tight match, 7-6 (2), 7-5.