Coach Stearns has led both the girls and boys golf teams at Lapeer East for the last six years, and prior to that was the golf coach at Lapeer West for two years. The honors came from a vote of the 11 coaches whose teams participated in the Regional tournament.
This year’s second-place finish in Regional play is the best showing for the East girls golfers.
“All of the credit goes to the girls. They were the ones who won that. They made me look good by playing well,” said the coach.
“I really was surprised,” said Stearns of the honor. “I had a lot of fun watching the girls play and perform well.”
Stearns, a business and co-op teacher at East, is in his 27th year as a teacher in the Lapeer Community Schools. During that time he also has coached junior high and junior varsity football for 25 years. He is an avid golfer and spends his summers working at Devil’s Ridge golf course in Oxford.
The Lapeer East girls team shot 378 to earn a second-place finish and its first trip the State Finals. The MHSAA Girls Finals Tournament takes place on October 15-16 at Forest Akers West (MSU) in East Lansing.
Host Lapeer West girls golfers shot a 373 to earn first place in the Regional and advance to the state finals for the third year in a row.
Cutline for photo:
Coach Steve Stearns with East golfers Sierra Woodcum, Keely Turczyn, Kelsy Robinson, Meghan Gordon and Audrey Fleming.
