Scouting Lake County girls golf
CARMEL CATHOLIC
HEAD COACH: Jill Franz
LAST SEASON: 5th in East Suburban Catholic Conference, 4th in Class 2A Prairie Ridge regional
RETURNING GOLFERS: Bella Bagshaw (Sr.), Taylor Smith (Sr.), Rachel Fraher (Sr.), Caroline Thompson (Sr.), Annie Pabich (Sr.), Melanie Noonan (Sr.), Grace Gregg (Sr.), Abbey Carpenter (Jr.)
NEWCOMERS: Kayla Ryan (Fr.), Alexa Amato (Fr.)
SEASON OUTLOOK: A veteran group and pair of talented freshmen should make the Corsairs an exciting group to watch. Last season’s squad had six golfers qualify individually for sectionals in Class 2A. Four return in Bella Bagshaw, Taylor Smith, Rachel Fraher and Caroline Thompson. The two others players — Jessica Trunzo and Nikki Pavlis — graduated. Bagshaw is a four-year varsity player. The freshman Ryan shot a team-best 88 in Thursday’s Libertyville invite at Pine Meadow. She and fellow freshman Amato both have plenty of potential. “I’ve got a lot of seniors,” Franz said. “But I’ve got a good future coming up.”
GRANT
HEAD COACH: A.J. Havenga
RETURNING GOLFERS: Sadie Contreras (Sr.), Jen St. Louis (Jr.)
NEWCOMERS: Emily Kerr (Sr.), Ana-Rose Hebein (Sr.), Kirsten Bank (Jr.), Allie Schumacher (Jr.), Ana Rodas (Jr.), Brianna Burgeson (Fr.)
SEASON OUTLOOK: It’s the inaugural season for the Bulldogs, who boast some good athletes. “Although we have an inexperienced team, we plan to compete in the conference,” coach A.J. Havenga said, “and continually improve over the course of the season.”
LAKE ZURICH
HEAD COACH: Mel Fox
LAST SEASON: 7th in North Suburban Conference meet, 6th in Class 2A Prairie Ridge regional
RETURNING GOLFERS: Megan Malcolm (Jr.), Melissa Uhl (Sr.), Savannah Saunders (Jr.), Lindsey Moritz (Sr.), Haylie Larsen (Jr.), Kristina Kininmonth (Sr.), Paige Nagy (Sr.), Dani Sikorski (Sr.), Christiann Finlon (Sr.), Erin Kyrk (Sr.), Aine Mattera (So.), Emily Broj (So.)
NEWCOMERS: Jenni Gorey (Jr.), McKenzie Czabaj (So.), Melissa Goldberg (Fr.), Elizabeth Viken (Fr.), Meaghan Gallagher (Sr.), Aisling Finn (Sr.)
SEASON OUTLOOK: The Bears don’t lack golfers. Veteran coach Mel Fox has plenty of girls she can insert into her lineup. A pair of Bears — four-year varsity player Melissa Uhl and Savannah Saunders — shot in the 90s in Thursday’s Libertyville invite at Pine Meadow. “The season is looking good,” Fox said. “A lot of the girls played over the summer and are competing for varsity positions. Megan Malcolm and Melissa Uhl have been consistently scoring in the 40s for nine holes. We will continue to focus on our short game and scoring strategies. We are looking forward to being competitive in the North Suburban Conference.”
LIBERTYVILLE
HEAD COACH: Greg Pedersen
LAST SEASON: 2nd in North Suburban Conference meet, 4th in Class 2A Lake Forest regional
RETURNING GOLFERS: Camilla Ou (Sr.), Lauren Dohse (Sr.), Paige Webb (Sr.)
NEWCOMERS: Jessica Lovinger (So.), Izzy Alesna (Sr.), Karina Bjorklund (Sr.)
SEASON OUTLOOK: Camilla Ou’s breakout season as a junior last fall made the Wildcats competitive in every match. She opened her senior season Tuesday by carding a 77 (seventh) in the Barrington invite at Bonnie Dundee. The Wildcats’ 349 placed them sixth among 14 teams. Ou then won the Libertyville invite Thursday at Pine Meadow with a 76. “We bring back who we think is the second best golfer in the county in Camilla Ou,” said coach Greg Pedersen, whose team graduated sectional-qualifier Darinka Sutic. “She will lead us in score and example. Lauren Dohse is a rock of consistency and will also provide a good score. Then we need production out of the rest. Paige Webb is healthy again and ready to compete, but now she needs to play with confidence. Jessica Lovinger is a sophomore who has put in a lot of work on her game. She hits the ball a long way and gets better and better with accuracy. (Karina) Bjorklund and (Izzy) Alesna are in their senior seasons and they’re getting their shot right now to contribute.” The Wildcats lost the conference championship by one shot last season and missed qualifying for sectionals also by one shot. They have a pair of three-year varsity golfers in Ou and Webb. “This year we are shooting the best scores we’ve ever had at our early tournaments,” Pedersen said. “We are looking to take another step forward and compete for the conference title.”
MUNDELEIN
HEAD COACH: Barb Hartwig
LAST SEASON: 4th in North Suburban Conference meet, 5th in Class 2A Prairie Ridge regional
RETURNING GOLFERS: Courteney Fabbri (Jr.), Holly Gotlund (Sr.), Hannah Thompson (Sr.), Cristina Loverde (Jr.), Lorrielle Martin (Jr.), Becky Koeller (Jr.)
NEWCOMERS: Holly Petlak (So.), Shannon Streeter (So.), Keara Hurley (So.), Nicole Forsythe (So.), Marli Volpe, Josie David, Darin Chaichitatorn, Grace Gotlund, Megan Wiese
SEASON OUTLOOK: The Mustangs not only went 4-2 in North Suburban Conference matches last year but also produced a pair of sectional qualifiers in Courteney Fabbri and Holly Gotlund, both of whom return this season. Gotlund and fellow senior Hannah Thompson serve as captains. Gotlund and Thompson are four-year varsity veterans. Juniors Fabbri, Loverde, Martin and Koeller have been on varsity the last two years. “Last season was our most successful,” coach Barb Hartwig said. “The Lady Mustangs are prepared to improve upon their record and will be one of the top NSC teams. The girls worked very hard during the off-season, and our very attainable goal is to qualify our team to sectionals and advance qualifiers to the state tournament.”
STEVENSON
HEAD COACH: Brent Mork
LAST SEASON: 1st in North Suburban Conference meet, 3rd in Class 2A Lake Forest regional, 9th in Buffalo Grove sectional
RETURNING GOLFERS: Stephanie Miller (Sr.), Nikki Marquardt (Jr.)
NEWCOMERS: Julia Bever (Sr.), Surya Vijayasanka (So.), Tiffany Scheer (Jr.), Stephanie Namkoong (So.)
SEASON OUTLOOK: It’s the final high school season for the best player ever to tee it up for the Patriots. Stephanie Miller, the 2010 Class 2A state champ and three-time state qualifier, committed to the University of Illinois during a summer in which she also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Miller shot a winning 3-under 68 in Wednesday’s Prospect invite at Mount Prospect Golf Club, but the Patriots’ 347 was good for only fourth among seven teams. Miller and fellow varsity veteran Nikki Marquardt fired 39 and 40, respectively, in the Patriots’ 175-183 loss to Buffalo Grove and Grace Kil (38) on Tuesday. Miller then won her second tournament of the year Thursday, shooting a 75 in the Rockford Guilford invite. She isn’t the only Patriot with the ability to shoot a low score. “Nikki Marquardt also had a great summer and has high expectations for her junior season,” said coach Brent Mork, who replaces Andy Conneen, who stepped down. “Outside of those two, four new faces round out the varsity roster and hope to show continuous improvement throughout the season.”
WARREN
HEAD COACH: Leigh Ann Mondrawickas
LAST SEASON: 5th in North Suburban Conference meet, 6th in Class 2A Lake Forest regional
RETURNING GOLFERS: Gabby Cordova (Jr.), Erica Price (So.), Ellie McPherson (Sr.), Rachel Berzin (Jr.)
NEWCOMERS: Izzy Cordova (Fr.), Kyla McPherson (So.), Nikki Siragusa, Micky Osuji
OUTLOOK: Gabby Cordova’s 87 at regionals last year earned her a sectional berth. The Blue Devils graduated veteran Erin Walker, but freshman Izzy Cordova looks ready to step in and contribute low scores. Gabby Cordova, a junior, played varsity as a freshman. Erica Price, Ellie McPherson and Rachel Berzin all have plenty of experience. “Although half of last year’s team graduated, we have a solid lineup returning,” coach Leigh Ann Mondrawickas said. “All have worked hard in the off-season to improve aspects of their game and to elevate their game to the next level. The team is poised and determined to perform well this year. Freshman Izzy Cordova has been a great addition to our varsity from the start.”
VERNON HILLS
HEAD COACH: Jim Seward
LAST SEASON: 6th in North Suburban Conference meet, 8th in Class 2A Lake Forest regional
RETURNING GOLFERS: Kari Lee (So.), Jenny Park (Sr.), Shannon Healey (Jr.)
NEWCOMERS: Fayth Kim, Katherine Koczwara, Kalina Young
SEASON OUTLOOK: The Cougars boast experience in Kari Lee, Jenny Park and Shannon Healey. The sophomore Lee fired a team-best 46 for the Cougars in the loss to Fremd at Palatine Hills on Wednesday, then shot a 93 in Thursday’s Libertyville invite at Pine Meadow. Healey earned all-conference honors last year.