Marmion's Morton putts, chips his way to Augusta National

Jimmy Morton mastered the competition.

On Sept. 6 at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, the Marmion freshman advanced to the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship National Finals to be held at Augusta National on April 5, 2015, the Sunday before the Masters.

"I'm really excited to go to Augusta," said Morton, who advanced through local, subregional and regional qualifiers

in the oldest of four age groups, 14-15. He'll compete against nine other boys in his age group in the finals.

"At the beginning I didn't think I'd make it this far so it's pretty cool that I did. It was pretty fun, the whole thing, the travel and stuff," he said.

Somewhat amazingly - or not, because Marmion's got a pretty good golf team - Cadets sophomore Nick Huggins also reached the Crooked Stick regional. The two boys had tied atop the leader board at the subregional Aug. 16 at Oak Brook Golf Club.

Only one could advance in Indiana, and 14-year-old Jimmy was the one.

"We were both rooting for each other," he said.

The Drive, Chip & Putt Championship was announced in April 2013 as a joint venture of the United States Golf Association, the Masters Tournament Foundation and the Professional Golfers' Association of America. Youth golfers get three shots apiece on drives, pitches and putts with points assigned for distance and accuracy.

"It tests you on the basic skills of golf," said Morton, whose sister, Marissa, is a senior cheerleader at Rosary.

Morton's golf skills and interest were sufficient for him to shelve a promising baseball career in favor of a full-time golf focus despite the pleas of his former baseball coaches, said his mother, Kathy.

She noted Morton has won the junior championship the past two years at Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva, and with his father, Jim, also won the junior-parent title. Jimmy said chipping is probably his best skill, which puts him ahead of most of us hacks.

One of Kathy's friends suggested Jimmy give Drive, Chip & Putt a shot and he took it.

At the Pete Dye-designed Crooked Stick course competitors dealt with a wind that kicked up just as they started hitting their drives. A bright sun glaring on the green didn't make the pitching part easy, either.

"I feel like there was a lot of pressure on each shot, but after the first one it seemed a little easier," said Morton, who led his boys age group in the putting portion and earned he and his father a Golf Channel interview along with the berth to Augusta.

April 2015 is months away. Meanwhile Morton, Huggins and coach Doug Roberts' Cadets will continue their season. When the snow flies Morton will take it inside, blasting drives into a net in his garage.

"I'm going to be using that a lot," he said.

Deep, talented and lucky?

St. Charles East's boys soccer team entered the season ranked No. 16 in Top Drawer Soccer's "Fab 50" teams nationwide.

The online service referred to the 2013 Saints club as "deep, talented, but unlucky" after going 20-1-4 but beaten 1-0 by Lake Park in the 3A Schaumburg sectional championship. (Couldn't have been that unlucky since fourth-place Lake Park was a 21-game winner and No. 2 seed to the Saints' No. 1.)

Anyhow, Top Drawer has elevated St. Charles East's stock each week and currently had the Saints, 6-0 entering Thursday, at No. 10. Top Drawer mentioned Taylor Ortiz's game-winning overtime goal in a 2-1 win over Lyons to capture the New Trier Invitational championship, and Christian Memije's assists on both St. Charles East goals.

Edwardsville (No. 13), Quincy (16), Plainfield North (21), Naperville Central (38), Morton (39) and Rockford Boylan (45) are the other Illinois teams in this week's Fab 50.

Fame can be fleeting. Hinsdale Central opened the season ranked No. 8.

A real home game

Northern Illinois University's women's soccer team offers Sammy O'Brien.

We bring this up because on Friday the Huskies host Chicago State not in DeKalb but at Commissioners Park in Naperville. That's relatively close to the freshman forward's old stamping ground at West Aurora High School.

Game time is 7 p.m. If heading south on Route 59 to Commissioners Park on 111th Street, give yourself about a day.

What a kick

Early in its first season, Mooseheart's girls cross country program scored a win when on Sept. 6 the Winged Foot Foundation donated training shoes, running spikes and clothing to the Ramblers.

Earlier that day the girls entered their first competition, Harvest Christian's Fall Classic, wearing flats. In Mooseheart's next cross country meet, the Northeastern Athletic Conference Relays on Sept. 16 hosted by Westminster Christian, they'll be in spikes.

The Naperville-based Winged Foot Foundation has donated gear to 71 track and cross country programs since its 2004 founding according to Darryl Mellema, a Moose International spokesman and freelance writer who does great work for the Daily Herald. He added the foundation receives goods directly from shoe manufacturers as well as retailers such as Geneva Outfitters.

Winged Foot founder Mitch Johnston, a runner at Thornton in the 1970s, told Mellema Mooseheart was "a special place" for him. Johnston ran on Mooseheart's track in an Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics qualifier in 1973.

The Ramblers football team also received a donation of new cleats before the season began. Generosity like that and by Johnston is a two-way benefit, Mellema believes.

"Budgets are always tight," he said. "Every dollar that Mooseheart doesn't have to spend on football shoes or cross country shoes or the many clothing items donated by the Winged Foot Foundation is money that can be spent in other ways.

"And every time we make one of these connections, it gives people from outside Mooseheart a chance to meet the children here and to experience what's made this place special for over a century."

Coach Kopec has the floor

On St. Francis girls volleyball's "Alumni Night" Aug. 29, the Spyglass Athletic Center volleyball court was dedicated as "Coach Peg Kopec Court."

Illinois' prep coach with the most victories regardless of sport, more than 1,160 of them plus 10 state titles spanning 40 years, Kopec graciously accepted the honor.

"They made more of it than I expected," she said this week. "I don't know what I expected, but it was quite lovely and quite touching, and it gave me an opportunity to thank a lot of people. I liked that. I thanked my family for allowing me to live my passion."

In addition to noting her children Jason, Joshua, Jennifer and Erin, the coach credited assistant coaches Lisa Ston and Dave Boze.

"One person cannot do this at all," Kopec said.

Inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association and the Illinois Girls Coaches Association halls of fame, perhaps Kopec's favorite honor was participating in the Chicago Sky's Title IX Team reception in 2008. That saluted the 40th anniversary of legislation expanding female athletic opportunities.

"I really like that a woman's name is on the floor," Kopec said.

Among those attending the court dedication were four of her five grandchildren.

The fifth? She was at volleyball practice.

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

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