Prospect comfortably wins Guilford Invite
It’s to the point where Prospect’s girls golfers seem to have the home course advantage when they play at Ingersoll Golf Course in Rockford.
For the fifth straight year, the Knights won the Rockford Guilford Invite on the par-72, 5,600-yard layout, this time scoring a season-low 310 for 18 holes to outdistance runner-up Stevenson by 18 strokes.
Two years ago, the Knights won a sectional crown at Ingersoll.
“The girls like the course,” said Knights coach Jim Hamann. “It’s fun to play. It’s definitely worth the drive if the kids are having fun on the golf course.”
Junior Noreen Caporusso sure had fun Saturday, shooting a par 72 to tie the Knights school record set by Allison Walsh when she won the IHSA state tournament last fall.
Caporusso tied with Stevenson’s Nikki Marquardt for second behind medalist Stephanie Miller, also of Stevenson, who shot a 5-under 67.
Miller’s round included 6 birdies and tied her own school record.
Other scores that counted for the champion Knights were Ally Scaccia (76, tie for fourth), Kiley Walsh (80) and Noelle Johnston (82).
“This is what we try to do,” Hamann said. “We work on different things in August and September and hope to be playing our best golf during the postseason.”
The Knights have a big Mid-Suburban League dual meet with Fremd on Tuesday at the Mt. Prospect Golf Course. Both teams are undefeated in the league. Prospect hosts Barrington on Wednesday.
“We have good teams coming to Mt. Prospect and the kids are looking forward to the excitement,” Hamann said.
Caporusso sure had an exciting and history-making round on Saturday, in the eyes of Hamann.
“Since I have been here, Noreen is the first girl to reach nine consecutive greens in regulation,” he said. “She hit every one on the front nine.”
Caporusso shot par 36s on the front and back, totaling 4 birdies and 4 bogeys.
“It was a big confidence-booster for her,” Hamann said. “Noreen has unbelievable talent and we’re just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Obviously, she played real well this round.”
Fremd (336) was third followed by St. Charles East (338), Maine South (349), Rockford Boylan (349), Naperville North (356) and St. Viator (356). Conant was 12th with a 376 in the 19-team event.
St. Viator’s Dana Gattone tied for sixth with a 77.
Fremd’s top golfers were Jennifer Kim (79) and Angie Kim (83).
The defending Class AA state champion Knights were 2 strokes shy of their school record 308 set a year ago .
Glenbard East Invite: Elk Grove finished third among 12 teams playing on the Glendale Lakes Golf Course in Glendale Heights.
The Grens’ Katie DeMeulenaere finished second in the individual compeition with an 82; teammate Marki Kaim was 10th with a 92.