Prospect's Garmoe, Gavin and St. Viator's Carlson make state
While their respective teams didn't achieve Monday's ultimate goal, bittersweet individual berths will certainly do.
The Prospect duo of Robert Garmoe and Grant Gavin, and St. Viator's Nick Carlson punched their tickets to the Class 3A state finals during a tough New Trier Class 3A sectional at Winnetka Golf Club.
Garmoe and Carlson each fired a 3-over par 74 to tie for fourth place with three others, while Gavin made the cut via a five-way tie for 16th at 6-over 77.
"I'm satisfied with my own score, but it would've been nice to get the whole team down there," said Garmoe, who was even-par through the front nine. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen today."
En route to his top-five placement, Carlson's round played out opposite of Garmoe via a 4-over front, but he turned it on after a double bogey on the ninth hole with a 1-under back.
"It's a good feeling." Carlson said. "I'd rather go as a team, but going as an individual is still going to be a fun time."
For Gavin, it is his second trip to state after joining his team one year ago.
"I'm disappointed we didn't make it as a team because I knew we had a chance, but I'm happy to make it and get down there," said Gavin. "It will be a fun tournament, but I wanted to get down there as a team one last time. We were right there."
Prospect (310) and St. Viator (313) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, looking to break through a challenging field of perennial contenders and gain repeat state visits in team action.
The trio of Loyola (295), New Trier (302) and Glenbrook North (305) certainly had something to say about that.
Thanks to a pair of even-par 71s from Matt Jacobson and Bennett Cotton, who took the individual crown via a playoff, Loyola grabbed the overall title ahead of the event host Trevians.
Conant (354) was seventh while Schaumburg (343) landed 11th overall in team action.
Individually, however, Prospect and St. Viator were each close to adding additional competitors at the state level. The Knights' T.J. Swan and the Lions' Matthew Triberger each missed the cut by 1 stroke with a 78's. Fremd's Jason Doering (78) suffered the same fate as part of the four-way tie for 21st.
Among the other regional individual finishes of note: Buffalo Grove's Jon D'Amico (80), Conant's Jake Jones (85), Palatine's Dan Coleman (82), Prospect's Jack Kavanagh (81), Joey Dellanina (81) and Johnny Bruno (82), Schaumburg's Brandon Tudor (83) and Miguel Go (84), St. Viator's Preston Drehobl (79), John Carlson (82) and Liam Warner (84).
Garmoe, Gavin and Carlson will begin state play Friday at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington.