Conant, Hoffman Estates getting it write
If a book were coming out on how to improve your golf game, Wednesday's top scorers for the Conant and Hoffman Estates girls teams certainly qualify to write a chapter.
Junior Megan Nagorzanski led Conant with a medalist round of 39 as the Cougars posted a 183-208 triumph over host Hoffman Estates at the par-36 Highland Woods front nine.
The Hawks were led by senior Maeve Prusnick's 48.
One year ago at the Rockford Guilford Invite, Nagorzanski shot a 102.
At the same tournament last Saturday, she came home with a career-best 76.
She was never a medalist as a sophomore. On Wednesday, she carded her fifth meet-leading score as a junior.
"Megan worked extremely hard over the summer," said Cougars coach Megan Hebert. "She got new clubs and started with a golf coach (Keith Donovan) from the Schaumburg Golf Club. And she has been focused all season."
As a freshman, Prusnick was shooting in the 70s.
Three years later, she is often in the low 40s.
"Maeve has done a tremendous job," said Hawks coach Tim Teegarden. "She organized our tournament this year, setting up prizes for lowest score, closest other pins and everything. She has done a remarkable job leading the team."
Hebert says it's all about teamwork with her top two players of Nagorzanski and senior Carly Bryeans, who shot a 44 on Wednesday.
"They have worked out so well together," the Conant coach said. "They're co-captains and they're a team together. They have been really helpful.
"They both kind of play off each other. There' competitive against one another, but not in a bad way."
When Nagorzanski shot her career-best 34 on Sept 15 against West Aurora, she birdied holes No. 7 and 8 at Fox Run in Elk Grove.
"So Carly says, 'I've got to get a birdie now'" Hebert said. "And sure enough, she did on No. 9."
Bryeans, the only senior for Conant, was honored at the Cougars' meet Tuesday against Hersey.
Coincidentally, it was Hoffman's senior day on Wednesday.
And the Hawks, who honored Prusnick, Aashna Singh, Haenah Kim and Laura Turf, didn't forget about Bryeans.
Prusnick presented her with a gift bag before the round.
"Oh my gosh, I've know, the Hoffman girls for so long and they're so sweet," Bryeans said. "That was so nice."
And Bryeans says she couldn't have asked for a better playing partner than Nagorzanski for her final high school season.
"That's my favorite part of golf," she said of teaming up with Nagorzanski. "She's so great, and I love being so competitive with her. She has grown so much from last year. I love playing with her."
Playing up to each other's level was never more evident than at Rockford last Saturday when Bryeans also fired her career best with a 79.
But Bryeans was more impressed with Nagorzanski's effort.
"We were all laughing because we remembered Megan's round last year (102) and we were saying how no one on our team was even over 100 this year," Bryeans said. "We were teasing her about that. We always tease her. She takes it well."
It probably helps that she's taken her game to a whole new level.
"It was just working on my mental game," said Nagorzanski, a two-time sectional qualifier. "Last year, I'd hit a bad shot and I'd get a little upset. This year, it hasn't fazed me as much. So the mental part of my game has gotten better and I'm just trying to stay consistent.
"It's so much fun playing with Carly," added Nagorzanski. "We compete against each other. It's easier to compete when you are playing someone at your same level. We make each other better."
Teegarden loved seeing Prusnick and his seniors get better in their four years."
"I'm going to miss them a lot," he said. "They've been with me all four years that I've been the head coach."
"It was just really upsetting to me when I was playing as a freshman with girls shooting 20 to 30 strokes better," Prusnick said. "I'm pretty competitive in nature so it was making me want to calm down and get better. I realized I could do it so I never stopped working hard at it."
Singh (53), Kim (53) and Sakhee Sakhardande (54) completed the Hawks' score card on Wednesday while Lina Jang and Marissa Murray each shot 50s to round out the scoring for Conant.
"It's just tremendous how Carly and Megan have led us," Hebert said. "It's the teamwork of those two that makes us so strong."
Barrington d. Schaumburg: Barrington's Reena Sulkar was medalist with a 36 at the Schaumburg Golf Course as coach Jodi Schoeck's Fillies (10-1) shot a league-low 161 for the second time this season. Jennifer Cappello had a 42 for the Saxons (199).
BG d. Palatine: Emily Carnes and Haeri Lee each shot 42s for Buffalo Grove (175) at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course. Freshman Jenny Myslinski (46) led Palatine (212).
Fremd d. Rolling Meadows: Jaehee Hur (39), Annmarie O'Sullivan (42) and Haezi Jung (43) were leaders for Fremd (8-2) which shot a 174 at Palatine Hills while Rolling Meadows (210) was paced by Lauren Jattory (44).
Hersey d. Wheeling: Megan Kopeny (40) earned medalist honors for Hersey (177) which finished 8-3 in the MSL. Wheeling was led by Kirsten Wilhelm (54) and Renata Olvera (55).
Conference meet: The Mid-Suburban League girls meet is scheduled for Tuesday at Palatine Hills.
Prospect will enter with an 11-0 record for the seventh straight season after the Knights scored a 184 on Tuesday to defeat Hoffman Estates (205) and Schaumburg (236) at Highland Woods. It was the Knights' 86th straight conference win under coach Jim Hamann.