Power surge for Prospect

Prospect girls golf coach Jim Hamann delivered his post-meet talk as darkness settled in Tuesday night near the practice putting green.

But my, how his Knights lit up the Mt. Prospect Golf Club just hours earlier.

Led by senior Ally Scaccia’s school-record two-under 69 and classmate Kiley Walsh’s school-record 32 on the back nine for a 71, state power Prospect wiped out its former team record of 297 by out-shooting visiting Loyola 291-310 in the 18-hole dual meet.

Scaccia, who recalled shooting a 119 when she first started playing the sport as a freshman, carded 2 birdies on the front and three more on the back en route to her record round.

She broke teammate Noreen Caporusso’s 70 set in the 2012 regional (at Bonnie-Dundee in Carpentersville) when the Knights also shot the previous team record of 297.

Walsh’s 32 on the back nine broke the school record of 33 for nine holes which was shared by Kiley and her sister Allison, now a sophomore at Bradley.

“This was the first time Kiley and I played together,” said Scaccia, who averaged 53 for nine holes as a freshman.

“I could never have pictured Ally and I shooting a 69 and 71 when we started playing as freshmen,” said Kiley, who won Monday’s Conant Early Bird Invite at Fox Run Golf Course with a 71. “Maybe we better keep playing together.”

The Knights’ record-setting day also featured strong efforts from junior Kacie O’Donnell (41-34-75), senior Emma Menich (38-38-76), senior Bridget Brassil (40-38-78) and senior Isabelle Flack (42-39-81).

Brassil’s round was her personal best.

“It was so exciting to be a part of this,” Brassil said. “The competition among us all is so great. It makes you just want to keep getting better.”

It couldn’t not have gotten any better than Tuesday for the Knights, whose top four golfers came in at a combined 7-under for the back nine, including O’Donnell’s personal-record two-under back nine of 34.

“We could not ask for a better day,” Hamann said. “Honestly, much of it came on the back nine. We played pretty well on the front but fantastic on the back.”

Scaccia and Walsh each putted for birdies on the final hole, a severe dog leg right. They finished with pars after hitting strong drives that left them less than 125 to the green.

“The girls and I have developed long-term personal goals,” Hamann said. “And Ally accomplished hers by breaking 70. Kiley did it with her 32 on the back. Bridget did it by breaking 80 and Kacie by going under par on the back nine.

“Being an educator and a coach, I have so much fun seeing the kids reach these goals.”

And fun is what it’s all about in one of state’s elite golf programs.

“It is always our goal to be the team that has the most fun,” Hamann said. “We know this is a long process and we want our girls to be playing their best in October.”

Isabelle Kane led Loyola with a 72 while teammate Blake Yaccino shot a 78.

“Loyola played great,” Hamann said. “A 310 score in girls golf is fantastic. That would have won state last year (champion New Trier scored a 313 in the rain-shortened state final last year). There are a lot of good teams in the area. We know that we have to continue to work hard.”

Huntley Invite: Palatine finished fifth, led by Carolyn Angiollo (10th with a 46) and Hannah Colbrook (tied for 15th with a 52).

Hersey 150, Maine West 186: Freshman Megan Kopeney (33), senior Claire Schwaba (36), sophomore Lexi Heidkamp (40) and junior Ashley Johnstone (41) paced Hersey in the dual meet.

Olenka Kalinowski (38) and Natalie Kozenczak (45) were top scorers for the Warriors.

Libertyville 173, Elk Grove 202: Marki Kaim (45) and Sarah Hartness (47) led the Grens in the dual meet.