Naperville north wins DVC title easily
There were no sweaty palms or stomach pangs for the Naperville North girls golf team this year at the DuPage Valley Conference championship.
One year after denying Wheaton Warrenville South by a mere shot, the Huskies returned to Phillips Park in Aurora on Tuesday.
Placing six girls in the top nine, Naperville North only needed its top four scores to defend its conference championship with ease.
Senior leader Taylor Arenson fired an inward-nine 1-over 37 to place runner-up and lead three teammates in the top six.
With its 325 total Naperville North was 26 shots better than sister-school Naperville Central.
WW South, whose junior standout Kelly Anderson threatened the magical 30 barrier in her sensational back-nine 32, was third.
Anderson was the individual champion with a 1-under 71, her second under-par performance in the last three days.
Wheaton North was fourth, followed by Glenbard North, West Aurora, Glenbard East and host Lake Park.
“The girls are focused every single time,” Naperville North coach Greta Williams said. “The thing is, we didn’t even play our best golf today. I definitely think we can go lower than this.”
Playing in the final pairing, Arenson made the turn in 5-over 41.
The Huskies’ returning state qualifier did not have the putting gods in her corner coming home.
Time after time, Arenson had quality looks at birdie massage the lip of the cup on her inward nine.
None was as cruel as the par-5 15th — where after an extraordinary recovery shot over trees with barely any green to work with — Arenson had her 12-footer for birdie inconceivably not fall.
“My putts weren’t dropping on either nine,” said Arenson, who finished with a 78.
Arenson was also more aggressive after making the turn.
“I couldn’t use my driver on a lot of the holes on the front nine,” Arenson said.
Blayne Yarmit was third overall for Naperville North with a 79; Caroline Pearson and Christine Grzesiak had matching 84s to conclude the Huskies’ scoring.
Jacie White and Maddie Krejci were eighth and ninth for Naperville North, but their all-conference scores were not even needed.
Avleen Bhandal was fourth with an 80 to lead Naperville Central, which also bestowed all-conference honors on freshman Riya Anand.
Anderson was steaming after 4-putting the ninth hole.
But the WW South standout authored the defining nine-hole high school performance.
After a routine par at No. 10, Anderson nearly drove the par-4 11th hole.
Anderson drained a 20-footer for eagle from the apron to pick up a pair of shots.
“That was my sixth eagle overall, my fourth in competition,” Anderson said.
Anderson then had back-to-back birdies on the par-5 15th and 16th holes.
The Tigers’ junior settled for a 32 after lip outs on two other putts for birdie.
“I wanted to play a shot at a time,” Anderson said. “It was effortless. I knew this back nine (at Phillips Park) had some very birdieable holes. Seventy-one, 71 (her last two 18-hole championship scores) — I’m not going to complain about that.”
“(Anderson) seemed really under control,” playing companion Arenson said.
Hayley Jefferson had the shot of the tournament.
The Glenbard North senior aced the 17th hole to lead the Rams with an 87.
The bottom of the back pin was not observable on the dramatically uphill hole.
“(My fellow competitors and I) were looking for the ball behind the green,” Jefferson said. “We found it in the hole. It hit the green and rolled in.”
Mikayla Harrington earned the final top-10 berth for Wheaton North.
West Aurora entered its final DuPage Valley Conference girls golf championship with plenty of momentum after winning the 14-team Galesburg Invitational over the weekend.
Jordan Lange is attempting to duplicate the senior year her older sister Erica fashioned eight years ago.
Erica Lange and Kim Hunley were the last two Class AA state qualifiers for the Blackhawks, and the younger Lange is the top-rated player for West Aurora this fall.
But Lange had a string of double-bogeys on her outward nine in making the turn with a 48.
The senior was more consistent on the back nine, solidifying her round with 5 pars, but 39 total putts proved her undoing in a final score of 91.
Katie Vongphakdy had the same score for West Aurora, which had its 379 total finalized with scoring contributions from MacKenzie Fabrizius and Mabri Pryer.
“I never got a good feel for the greens,” said Lange, who 2-putted after reaching the green in regulation on all 5 of her back-nine pars. “I wish I could go out and redo (my front nine). I did birdie the ninth (hole), so I suppose that was my turning point (to playing better on the back). I just have to turn it around for next week (at the Neuqua Valley regional).”
“I was kind of hoping for lower scores,” said West Aurora coach Chris Soulsby. “Jordan and Mackenzie didn’t play to their potential. We play better on longer courses. Naperbrook (the site of the Neuqua Valley regional) is longer (than Phillips Park).”