Boys golf: Barrington grabs third-place state finish

With all of its great young talent, the future of the Barrington boys golf team looks very bright.

The present isn't so bad either.

Led by super sophomores Timothy Lim and Tom Calbi, the Broncos were able to take home hardware from Saturday's Class 3A state tournament finals on a cold day at the "Den" course in Bloomington.

Lim shot 73 at the meet's final round to finish in a tie for sixth individually (at 6-over par for the two day meet), while Calbi carded a 74 on the final day to tie for 12th place individually with a 151 (7-over).

The stellar showing of the sophs along with a 77 from junior Burke Barsamian helped Barrington claim the third-place team trophy.

"I'm so happy for these kids," said Broncos coach Mike Kallenbach of his squad. "They played great."

Hinsdale Central won its third straight championship, finishing 21 strokes better than runner-up New Trier.

Central junior Kenneth Li shot an unbelievable round of 67 Saturday, 5-under par, which saw him win individual medalist honors after finishing second last year.

"He was playing out of his mind," said Barsamian, who played in the same group as Li. "He pushed me to do better, but I'm not sure it was in a good way."

Lim said the trophy win was dedicated to the two seniors on the Broncos' state roster, Joey Batliner and Kevin Altenberger.

"We wanted to make sure that their last year turned out to be their best year," said Lim, who was ultra consistent in the final day at Fox Creek Golf Course with 3 birdies and 12 pars. "I think we did that."

One of Barrington's senior standouts, Batliner, rebounded from a rough showing on Friday to finish Saturday with a 38-38-76, including 2 birdies on the back 9.

"I was terrible yesterday," said Batliner. "My driver was off from the very first hole. Today, I played steady all day."

St. Viator senior Nick Carlson, playing as a individual, fired an 81 Saturday, a round that included 3 birdies.

Another standout senior, Prospect's Grant Gavin, concluded his prep days in style.

Gavin carded 80 at the Den at the finale, including a 39 on the back nine where had a birdie on the par-4 16th.

Gavin's showing at Fox Creek and his overall career left an indelible impression on Prospect coach Tom Martindale.

"Grant has meant a ton to us over the years," said Martindale. "He's a three-year varsity starter, a captain, and a great leader.

"When I look at Grant, I say, 'Here's someone who has done things the right way.' From his etiquette on the golf course to the way he's so respectful of his teammates and the game, he's represented his school, his family and himself very well."

Gavin's parents, his uncle and of course his coaches were on hand to watch his final prep golf performance.

"It goes by fast," said Gavin of his high school career. "I'm glad I was able to rebound and have a good day today. I was hitting the ball well, and I knew what spots to hit to and I was able to hit the right spots. I fought hard for every shot.

"It would have been nicer to be down here with my team, but it helped to have Robert (Garmoe) here."

Garmoe, a sophomore, also competed individually for the Knights, and although his two-day total of 171 wasn't exactly what he'd hoped for, he said he learned a lot at Bloomington this year.

"I learned how to play in the cold and wind," said the sophomore, "and also what it's liked to be in competition with so many great golfers. I can't wait to get back here next year."

"He's very talented," said Gavin of Garmoe, " and he just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to see what he does the next couple of years."

Junior Cole Kempinski added to Barrington's success with a two-day score of 162, while Altenbeger, who fired a 79 on his final prep round, said that he was extremely happy with the Broncos' third-place finish.

"I didn't think I played as well as I could," said the senior, "but to finish third in state, that's great.

"Friday, the wind was crazy, it was blowing about 30 mph. It calmed down a little today so our scores were lower. It would have been nice to win or come in second, but third - we'll take it."