By Kevin McGavin
Daily Herald Correspondent
Aurora Central Catholic
Coach: Cliff Pensyl (fifth year)
Last season: third in the Metro Suburban Conference; fifth at Class A Wheaton Academy regional.
Top athletes: Kaitlyn Alicz, so.; Deanna Arellano, sr.; Liza Buckley, sr.; Caitlin Cerza, sr.; Sam Gaddis, sr.
Outlook: The Aurora Central Catholic girls program has striven for legitimacy over the last decade. The Chargers have steadily made strides in recent years, and the four seniors have all been in the program since their freshman year. "I would expect that we would be better than we were at this time last year," Pensyl said. Cerza will be the top player for ACC this fall. "I would hope for sure that (Cerza) would be a sectional qualifier," Pensyl said. Less than half of the schools in the Metro Suburban have girls programs, and the Chargers finished third last year in the five-team field. "I know Wheaton Academy is going to be really tough," Pensyl said of the defending league champion and Class A team-state qualifier.
Batavia
Coach: Tim Kaufmann (second year)
Last season: tied second in Upstate Eight River; Class AA Burlington Central runner-up; 10th at Conant sectional.
Top athletes: Sam Baumann, jr.; Emily Clark, sr.; Becca Hasemann, sr.; Chess Hoffman, jr.; Madi McCoy, so., Kaitlyn Stangl, so.
Outlook: Batavia made significant strides not only in the River Division but also in the state series by advancing its team to the Conant sectional. Haseman will enter the season as the No. 1 player in the Batavia lineup. "To build on that experience," Haseman said of the Bulldogs' postseason mini-run last year. "We have a really new team this year. Hopefully, we can go farther at sectional and state this year." Haseman is more than realistic there will be no guarantees for the Bulldogs, who have yet to play their first competitive round. "It's going to be really tough in conference this year," said Haseman, who has designs on playing for Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington upon graduation. Clark, No. 3 in the lineup, is the only other senior in the top six for Batavia. McCoy and Stangl will man the second and third slots; juniors Hoffman and Baumann round out the lineup.
Geneva
Coach: Doug Ross (second year)
Last year: tied for second in the Upstate Eight River; fourth at the Class AA Burlington Central regional.
Top athletes: Gabby Devlin, jr.; Kendal Fioresi, jr.; Katherine Flatt, jr.; Reilly Kroehe, sr.; Darby Lillibridge, so.; Natalie Saeger, sr.
Outlook: Ross has grand ambitions for the Vikings' girls this fall. "My main goal is to qualify them for state (as a team)," Ross said. "I believe we have the ability to do so." Geneva has had a peculiar dynamic in recent years in its program, and it is not out of the question it could be replayed frequently this season. Its leading scorer could come from anywhere in the lineup. Kroehe and Sanger are the Vikings' two returning Conant sectional qualifiers, but Lillibridge and Fioresi will start the season as the two top-ranked players. "I believe these girls have really worked hard in the off-season," Ross said. The central regular-season aim is to better its Upstate Eight River status from last year. "I'm looking for them to improve upon their conference finish," Ross said.
Rosary
Coach: Joe Hughes (second year)
Last season: no conference affiliation; sixth at Class AA Plainfield North sectional.
Top athletes: Emily Emerson, jr.; Morgan Martinez, sr.; Reis McCue, sr.; Riley McCue, so.; Natalie McKee, jr.; Catherine Oros, so.
Outlook: One year after advancing its team to the Class A state finals for the first time in program history, Rosary failed to produce any regional advancers last season in AA. But the Royals' fortunes could be vastly improved this fall behind senior veterans Reis McCue and Martinez. The two Rosary leaders have almost six years of combined varsity experience. "I've got a lot better this year," Reis McCue said. "I feel a lot more confident. I definitely want to go to the sectional (this year)." Martinez was on the cusp of making the regional cut, only to have a disastrous double-digit score on a par-3 down the stretch to torpedo her chances. "It's going to be a good season for all of us," Martinez said. "I want to try my best and finish as well as I can before I go to college." Riley McCue, Emerson, McKee and Oros are the Royals' other starters.
St. Charles East
Coach: Rod Osborne (25th year)
Last season: fourth in Upstate Eight River; third Class AA Burlington Central regional; fifth Conant sectional.
Top athletes: Brooke Brotzman, sr.; Rose Bundy, jr.; Kacie Gaffney, jr.; Nicole Jordan, so.; Breanna Sheehan, jr.; Riley Sullivan, so.
Outlook: St. Charles East advanced out of the Class AA Burlington Central regional after finishing in the middle of the pack in the Upstate Eight River. Jordan took advantage of the Saints extending their season by qualifying for the state tournament in Decatur as a freshman. "She shot the best round of the year when she most needed to do it," Osborne said of Jordan. The Hall of Fame coach is hopeful the team is ready to make another run this season. "They have improved quite a bit from last year," Osborne said. "Individually, they have their goals that they want to reach. They have team-score goals they want to reach." In addition to his top-six players, Osborne has Grace Westerhoff and sisters Karina and Reanna Shah to complement his starters.
St. Charles North
Coach: Irish Whalen (second year)
Last season: Upstate Eight River champion; Class AA Burlington Central regional champion; Conant sectional runners-up; 11th in state.
Top athletes: Sarah Arnold, fr.; Gi Furrie, jr.; Megan Furtney, fr.; Emma Hayes, fr.; Kate Lillie, jr.; Reagan Stanton, jr.
Outlook: The North Stars have already staked a claim elite status on the state stage by establishing a program-record 299 score in claiming the Conant Invite on Monday to start the season. "It should be a fun year," Whalen said. Lillie and Furrie were twin anchors from the North Stars' state team last fall, but Furtney starts the year at No. 1 as one of three freshmen in the top five. Lillie, Furrie and Furtney swept the top three slots at Conant. Stanton is a transfer from St. Charles East. "There's a lot of good upperclassmen guiding the underclassmen," Whalen said. "We have good leadership between Kate and Gianna." State veteran Kayla Janchik and senior Emily Brainard give Whalen additional options. "I am hoping they have healthy competition among themselves to make our team stronger."
West Aurora
Coach: Chris Soulsby (sixth year)
Last season: fifth in the Upstate Eight Valley; seventh at the Class AA Plainfield North regional.
Top athletes: Madeline Bozik, jr.; Melissa Fidler, sr.; Samantha Hall, sr.; Jessica Livingston, sr.; Diana Padilla, so.; Gabby Paul, sr.; Brianna Robertson, so.; Taylor Ullrich, sr.; Annie Wu, fr.
Outlook: With the three Indian Prairie high schools departing the Upstate Eight Valley - to join the Blackhawks' former league, the DuPage Valley - the six-team Valley Divison will have an entirely different look without two-time defending state champion Jessica Yuen (Neuqua Valley). Paul will be one of the top players as the senior was able to hone her game while serving as a caddie at Rich Harvest Farms - site of the 2009 Solheim Cup - this summer. With archrival East Aurora not having a program and the five Elgin high schools forming co-op teams, the Upstate Eight will revert to a single-division conference for girls golf this fall. West Aurora does have the luxury of widespread participation as Soulsby - who does not make cuts - typically has more than 25 players in the program.