Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame
2015 Induction Ceremony
1979 Lansing Eastern Golf Team
July 30, 2015
The 1979 Lansing Eastern Golf
Team went 12-3 during the season and won the State Class A Championship. This is the only inner city high school golf
team to ever win a Golf State Championship in Michigan!
Tom Penrod was the
coach. Doug Mielock, Steve Wakulsky,
Bill Kost and Jeff Sernick were the golfers.
In a bit of coincidence,
Coach Penrod started his career as an assistant football coach in 1963; just
three years after the 1960 team had its undefeated season. Also, Denny Stolz was his supervisor!
Coach Penrod thanked the Hall
for the induction and thanked the golfers.
Lansing Eastern overcame some difficulties that other golf teams did not
face. While most teams had a home golf
course that was their own, Eastern had to share Groesbeck with Lansing Everett
and Lansing Catholic.
He gave special credit to the
players. Unlike other sports, the Coach
has little influence on what happens during the match. The players had to have poise, motivation and
know what to do on their own.
As they had to travel to the
Pineview Course in Three Rivers to play for the championship, Coach Penrod recalled
that they had to request extra money from the Athletic Director, Don Johnson
(who is also in the hall of fame.) He
recalled that Mr. Johnson joked that he was not to come back unless the team
won the championship. Fortunately, they
won and came back!!
He complimented the players,
who have all gone on to have successful lives.
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