THOMPSONVILLE — Golfers wore blue and white ribbons during the second round of the Lober Classic, honoring a fallen coach of a team that was supposed to be in the tournament field.
Grand Rapids South Christian’s team was pulled off the course during Tuesday’s opening round after word of the death of assistant coach Mark VanStee reached Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, site of the two-day tourney.
VanStee is the boys golf coach, girls assistant golf coach, a social studies and economics teacher and dean of students at South Christian. Most of the girls golf team had him as a teacher, and the team did not finish its round Tuesday before returning to Grand Rapids.
“There was a lot of sympathy towards South Christian,” Traverse City West junior Addy Shark said. “We all came here and wanted to play golf for them.”
South Christian, where VanStee taught since 2003, canceled the opening day of school Wednesday.
Traverse City Central coaches purchased the ribbons and, along with players, constructed the heart-shaped memorials on pins Tuesday evening for every team’s players to wear Wednesday.
“Last night, the team and I put together blue and white ribbons for everyone to wear,” Traverse City Central senior Susie Hebert said. “Then we had a moment of silence (prior to the round). It was nice to see everyone come together. It was unfortunate they had to leave, but they’re in our prayers.”
The accident occurred Tuesday morning on a residential cul-de-sac in Grand Rapids.
Officers said the car started rolling after VanStee got out, WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids reported. When he tried to stop it, he was pinned against a tree and died at the scene.
“It was sad, because you have to feel for them,” said Petoskey senior Riley Barr, who placed fifth overall. “I couldn’t imagine losing a coach or a teacher or anything. We’re feeling for them, for sure.”
TC Central also took a group photo with all 20 of the remaining teams Wednesday to send to South Christian as a tribute.
“It was definitely a hard day for everybody,” TC Central sophomore Maggie Gano said. “It’s a really sad, horrible thing that happened. But it’s awesome that we were all able to come out and play today, and we all are thinking of them.”
TC Central coach Lois McManus said after Tuesday’s round concluded, girls from the other teams learned of VanStee’s death. Prior to that, only the girls playing in groups with South Christian players on the Betsie Valley course knew what had happened.
“It was very quiet and sad,” McManus said of the mood after the round. “But that turned into sharing memories.”
Brighton emerged victorious, winning the tournament for the fourth time in five years. The Bulldogs edged out defending champ Grand Rapids Catholic Central by 20 shots — 674-694, with each team counting its top four of six golfers — after holding a 26-stroke lead following the opening round. Hudsonville (759) took third and Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (793) fifth.
Brighton, with six, has won the most titles in the tournament’s 19-year history. Novi, Grosse Pointe South, Farmington Hills Mercy and Rochester each won twice, with the only local team to take the tourney remaining Traverse City West in 2020.
“We kind of just went into the tournament wanting to have fun this year,” said Brighton senior Elle Krill, who took third in the tournament with a 158, behind Reeths-Puffer junior Sophia McCollum (153) and teammate Kaila Oprisiu (157). “In the past, we’ve had a really good team, and we’re kind of trying to rebuild the past couple years. We brought a couple new people up, and we were just trying to see what we could do, especially with our first tournament.”
Montague was runner-up in the Division 3/4 title with a 768 behind Grand Rapids CC, placing fourth overall. Big Rapids tied Cadillac for sixth and claimed third in Division 3/4.
Barr shot an 83 to finish fifth, carding a score five strokes better on Betsie Valley than her opening round on Mountain Ridge in her fourth time playing in the tourney.
“I got four birdies today, five birdies all together,” Barr said. “There’s a couple holes where I did really bad, but I brought back. I brought it back.”
Petoskey finished 10th as a team, one spot and three shots ahead of the host Trojans.
Junior Anna Hasse shot a 195 for the rebuilding PHS roster. Barr and Hasse are the only two players back from last year’s team after graduating four seniors.
Cadillac placed the highest among area teams, tied with Big Rapids for sixth overall.
Junior Audrina Runyon led the Vikings with a two-day 195 to place 22nd and senior Lillian Shankland was 25th with a 196. Seniors Sara Outman (37th) and Addy Joynt (43) also were in the top 50 in the 20-team field.
Elk Rapids claimed fourth in the Division 3/4 field and ninth overall, led by senior Laci Springborn (20th), freshman Piper Smith (22nd), sophomore Madelyn Conrad (44th) and junior Melia Maris (47th).
Hebert eagled the par-5 No. 10 after about a 250-yard drive, chipping her second shot on the green and sinking the putt.
“Mountain Ridge has always been my favorite,” Hebert said. “Betsy has never really been too kind to me, but my short game struggled. I did have an eagle, which made the day.”
Gano finished off the round with a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 to place 15th, one shot ahead of Shark and two in front of Hebert.
“Putting is typically my thing,” Gano said. “Just extra good today. That was definitely a great way to end my round.”
Traverse City West was 15th, with Shark placing 16th with a 186 score. Senior Elizabeth Rice took 51st and sophomore Domino Earl (75th) and Violet Gagnon (98th) were the Titans’ other counters.
“My putting was not working today,” Shark said. “That was rough. My driver was going pretty good for the couple times I hit it.”
Traverse City St. Francis placed 19th as a team, led by freshman Quinn Lumbrezer in 60th place, sophomore McKenzie McCormick (74th) and sophomores Ellie Gruber and Lucy Gruber (105th and 109th).