North Miami Middle/High School

North Miami’s top five faced one of the toughest back-to-back tournament stretches of the season last weekend, competing Friday at the Tippecanoe Valley Invite at Round Barn Golf Course before turning around Saturday morning for the Pioneer Invitational at Pond View Golf Course. By the end of the weekend, the Warriors had done far more than post solid scores. They proved they can compete with some of the best teams in the area — and along the way, they delivered one of the most meaningful moments of the season. Friday at Round Barn, North Miami finished 4th out of 10 teams with a 369 on one of the area’s more demanding layouts. Fremont captured the title with a 336, followed by Lewis Cass (349) and TVHS Green (351). Senior Gavyn Fritz led the Warriors with an 87, finishing tied for 7th overall and narrowly missing medalist honors via tiebreaker. Fritz’s round was defined by resilience. Round Barn punishes mistakes quickly, but Gavyn repeatedly answered difficult stretches with composed recovery golf and clutch pars to stay near the top of the leaderboard all afternoon. Senior Zeph Reshkus carded a 93 and delivered several steady holes through the difficult middle portion of the course, while Hayden Spin matched him with a 93 of his own, continuing a stretch of increasingly confident golf. Spin’s consistency off the tee and ability to limit damage on difficult holes played a major role in keeping North Miami competitive. Sophomore Max Craft battled his way to a 99 while continuing to show the calm mentality coaches love to see from a young golfer by pushing through and finishing on a strong stretch. Senior Kale Deardorff added a 96, highlighted by several momentum-saving holes that kept the Warriors from surrendering big numbers late in the round. But if Friday showed the toughness of this group, Saturday at Pond View may have revealed its heart. Against a stacked 13-team field at the Pioneer Invitational, North Miami improved by 11 strokes from the previous day, finishing 5th overall with a 358. Pioneer won the event with a stellar 319, while Lewis Cass and Rossville rounded out the top three. And once again, Fritz found himself right in the middle of the medalist race. Starting on Hole 14, Gavyn came out firing and looked poised to break 80 for much of the afternoon. His round featured controlled drives, confident iron play, and the kind of composure that kept him climbing the leaderboard hole after hole. Late in the round, however, Pond View reminded everyone how quickly tournament golf can change. After a beautiful tee shot on Hole 11, Fritz slightly overshot the green on his approach shot and found himself in difficult tree trouble, leading to one of the few costly stretches of his day. Even so, the senior still finished with an outstanding 85 (+15), once again barely missing medalist honors by a tiebreaker. Yet somehow, Gavyn’s score only tells part of the story. Exactly one year earlier, Fritz played in this same invite while actively battling leukemia. During last year’s tournament, he carried his infusion bag in a fanny pack just so he could continue competing with his teammates despite ongoing treatment. He played because he refused to quit on golf, his team, or himself. This year looked completely different. Healthier. Stronger. More energy. More confidence. More hair. More smiles. And perhaps one of the most rewarding moments of the weekend came away from the scorecards entirely. Coaches from other schools who remembered Gavyn from last season made a point to come over throughout the day — handshakes, hugs, pats on the shoulder, and simple comments like, “Man, I’ve been thinking about you.” It was a powerful reminder that high school golf is bigger than standings and trophies sometimes. Reshkus followed Fritz with an impressive 89, continuing to provide steady veteran leadership throughout the lineup. Hayden Spin added a 90 and continued his breakout stretch with another composed round full of momentum-saving holes and smart course management. Craft posted a 94 while continuing to prove his ability to help lead the team after the loss of so many seniors this year, especially considering the mental grind of playing two difficult invites in two days. Deardorff rounded out the scoring with a 95 and once again delivered key depth for the Warriors with his ability to recover after tough holes and keep rounds together. Two days. Two difficult courses. Two loaded tournament fields. Two tiebreakers separating Gavyn Fritz from medalist honors. But more importantly, one unforgettable reminder of just how far this team — and one incredible young man — have come. #ProudToBeAWarrior