Waubonsie Valley, St. Charles North win UEC crowns
Bing Singhsumalee capped her extraordinary four-year regular season at Waubonsie Valley with yet another superlative round of golf Monday afternoon in West Chicago.
The Warriors' defending Upstate Eight Conference champion hit all 18 greens in regulation, touring St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in 1-under par on each nine.
The resulting 69 by the reigning Class AA state runner-up powered Waubonsie Valley to a 321 total as Kayla McHale and Arushi Singh complemented the championship performance with fifth- and sixth-place scores of 79 and 81.
The senior was coming off a torrid 4-under 68 at the Naperville North Invitational on Saturday; the back-to-back medalist performances earned Singhsumalee Player of the Year honors.
“I didn't even notice (the consecutive greens in regulation),” Singhsumalee said. “I don't think I have ever done that (hit every green) before. My approach shots were really solid, but my putting wasn't there. These greens are hard to read.
Metea Valley, which had twin stalwarts Niquole Mangal and Katelyn Kline finish third and fourth, was a distant second at 339.
Neuqua Valley, which features the defending state champion in junior Jessica Yuen, was third, followed by Glenbard East, the Bartlett/South Elgin/Streamwood co-op and West Aurora.
It was the third time in the last four years Waubonsie Valley has won a conference championship.
“Three-twenty-one is a nice score,” Waubonsie Valley coach Jack Farner said. “It's nice to have a 69, but to win championships you need four solid scores.”
Yuen was three 3-putts away from potentially matching the 2-under score Singhsumalee authored.
The junior played her inward-nine holes in 1-under 35 to accentuate her runner-up 72.
“I couldn't read the greens for some reason,” Yuen said. “Overall, I am pretty happy (with the score). I wish I could have had birdies on the three par-5s.”
Mangal, the Metea Valley junior, was paired with Singhsumalee and Yuen in the marquee foursome.
“They are really good players,” Mangal said of her top-ranked counterparts at her two sister schools. “I had a few 3-putts, which is not good.”
Mangal made a snaking putt on her penultimate hole for birdie to illuminate her 75.
Kline, the Mustangs' two-time state qualifier, was a shot behind her teammate to place fourth.
Gillian Ostrowski and Grace Ludwig led Glenbard East in its first foray in the Upstate Eight with an 84 and 88.
Irish Whalen picked an opportune time to take over the reins at St. Charles North.
“I did inherit a nice group,” Whalen said.
The North Stars returned half of its six-man crew from its downstate contingent from a season ago.
St. Charles North also completed a perfect regular season in the River Division behind sophomore standouts Gi Furrie and Kate Lillie.
The underclassmen were the lone players to break 80 in the division as Furrie, despite putting issues, cemented MVP honors with her medalist 76.
Lillie, who had a career-low Saturday at Naperville North with a 71, fired a 79.
Gabi Spinazze, the third returning state member for St. Charles North, was all-conference as well with her 84.
Kayla Janchick completed the North Stars' 330 total with a 91.
“I couldn't make a putt to save my life,” Furrie said. “I was making a lot of pars. (My approach putts) were going dead at the hole, but they were short every single time.”
Morgan Snook and Alina O'Donnell are the other starters for the North Stars.
“I have competitive girls,” Whalen said. “They want to go out and play well every time.”
Batavia reversed its regular-season verdict against Geneva 343-346 to finish runner-up.
The archrivals ended up tied for second in the division as a result.
Nicole Hassels was solo third place with her 81 for Geneva, but the Bulldogs' Becca Hasemann and Emily Clark fired matching 82s to negate Hassells' effort.
“I didn't make any birdies,” said Hassels. “My consistency with making pars was really good, though. My drives were really consistent.”
St. Charles East sophomore Rose Bundy made it a three-way tie for second with her 82 total.
Top-ranked Batavia senior Lauren Anderson fired an uncharacteristic third-lowest score for Batavia with her 89, but her regular-season exploits still enabled her to earn all-conference distinction.
Hassels, Haseman, Clark, Bundy, and Geneva senior Mary Claire Novak, who fired an eighth-place 85, earned the same honor.
West Aurora was truly making its debut as the Blackhawks' program did not exist during its original tenure in the Upstate Eight.
Jessica Livingston, Mabri Pryor, Gabby Pall and Sammy Hall were the Blackhawks' four counting scores in the Valley.
“It was nice to have this many teams here with this level of talent,” West Aurora coach Chris Soulsby said.
Kristie Toondarack and Brynn Warwick were the leaders for the Elgin schools' co-op.
Toondarack, a junior at Streamwood, and South Elgin sophomore Warwick hovered around top-10 status with their scores of 90 and 91.
Paired with reigning state champion and runner-up for the round, Toondarack played commendable.
St. Andrews' notoriously undulating greens hindered what could very well have been a much better round for the Sabres' lone member.
“I wanted to play my game,” Toondarack said. “I know that I cannot shot even (par) but wanted to play the best I could today.”
Warwick had a day to remember.
“It was the best score I have had for 18 holes,” Warwick said. “I would have liked to have had an 89. The greens here are a lot faster than what I am used to.”
Teagan Pompa, Katie Kirby and Molly Mehita all shot in the low 100s for the co-op.
“I was pretty happy with the way they played,” co-op coach Brett Anderson said. “They're not happy but I'm happy. Where they are right now, they are real close to start to shave off some serious strokes.”
Jordan Dick was the low performer for the Elgin/Larkin co-op.