Waubonsie Valley wins Aurora title
Alex Koulos is suddenly the elder statesman of the Waubonsie Valley team.
Wednesday afternoon at the Aurora City Tournament, Koulos’ steadfastness was ever apparent in helping the Warriors’ boys golf team win their third straight city championship.
“This year I knew I had to step (in the leadership department),” Koulos said after his fifth-place, 7-over 78, matched by junior teammate Austin Datz, helped the Warriors turn back sister school Metea Valley, 314-324, to win the eight-school tournament. “We had four really good players graduate (including Class 3A state champion Thomas O’Bryan). My role was to get the guys used to varsity tournaments.”
Marmion (328) edged Aurora Central Catholic by a stroke for third at Phillips Park Golf Club, with IMSA right behind at 331; West Aurora was sixth, followed by Aurora Christian and East Aurora.
Alec Meyer, the Warriors’ other senior returnee, and Jason Marrs fired 79s as Waubonsie Valley was the lone school with four counting scores below 80 under damp and chilly conditions.
“The scores were a little high,” said Waubonsie Valley coach Dave Owles, whose squad was at 292 a year ago. “ To win three years in a row is an accomplishment. Aurora is the second-largest city in the state. What? Darn near 200,000 people. It’s a great accomplishment.”
Upstart Metea Valley, in its third year of existence, had the distinction of crowning the individual city champion.
Senior Adam Kreimer fashioned identical rounds of 37 on his outward and inward nines to turn back Marmion returning state qualifier Matt Fazio by a shot.
“Today was mostly my putting,” said Kreimer, who has admittedly struggled for much of the season. “I was getting it up and down when I missed greens. The pins were tough.”
Matt Marsh was declared in third place for the Mustangs with his 78 to further aid the Mustangs, who also had contributing rounds from Jeremy Forbes and Bill Finnerty.
The late Kreimer run overshadowed what would have been the first city championship for Fazio, who continues to recover from two cancer surgeries last summer.
“The second surgery wiped me out,” Fazio said. “I couldn’t even move.”
The West Chicago resident was still incensed with a 43 on Tuesday and vowed to make amends.
“I went to the range and hit balls for two hours,” Fazio said of his preparation for the tournament. “If I can grind out a 75 every time until I get my touch back, I’ll be happy with that.”
IMSA, with only five players participating, was the surprise of the tournament after seniors Jon Henricks and Pete Howes fired 79s to lead the Titans.
“I was a lot more consistent than I have been before,” said Howes, who lowered his career-best high school round by seven shots.
Aurora Central and Aurora Christian are hoping to make noise in the postseason this year after being dropped to Class 1A as a result of the modification to the multiplier for private schools.
Sean Harreld and Reed Tack powered the Chargers’ fourth-place showing with respective scores of 78 and 80.
“My putting was really good today,” Harreld said. “A lot of the holes you had to keep it short (due to the pin positions).”
West Aurora is still searching for some consistency in its 18-hole tournaments this season.
Ricky Rivera, the only returning letterman for the Blackhawks, revitalized his season by shooting a team-best 80 from the final slot.
“I felt nice,” Rivera said. “We were playing teams not in the DVC. My driver was working great for me.”