St. Charles North rises to the top

Kate Lillie had other thoughts on her mind after points for the Upstate Eight Conference girls golf MVP were tallied.

"It would have been nice to win it," the St. Charles North junior said Monday afternoon at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago.

But Lillie was more than content to walk away with medalist honors instead.

Lillie and freshman teammate Megan Furtney fashioned 3-over par rounds of 74 to highlight the North Stars' comfortable 18-shot triumph over St. Charles East.

"It's not my goal to win player of the year," Lillie said after edging Furtney in a scorecard playoff for top honors. "I want to make sure I play well. I had a few rough patches where I made a double."

But Lille rebounded with a slew of pars as St. Charles North had its 310 total finalized with a 79 from fifth-place Gi Furrie and freshman Emma Hayes' 83.

Geneva had three players in the top 10 to place third at 335.

Batavia was fourth, followed by Glenbard East, the Bartlett/South Elgin/Streamwood co-op, West Aurora and West Chicago.

The Elgin-Larkin co-op had only two players.

"They have been playing very well," St. Charles North coach Irish Whalen said of the North Stars. "All of the girls have invested themselves in the sport. They know when to take risks, they know when to play safe."

The North Stars won the River Division championship last year, but the conference reverted to a single-league tournament with the departure of Waubonsie Valley, Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley to the DuPage Valley Conference.

St. Charles East boasted the MVP in junior Rose Bundy, who fired a 76 to finish third overall.

"It means a lot," Bundy said of the points she accrued in the regular-season duals and conference tournament. "I didn't think I would win. It's heartwarming to know all the hard work I have put in has paid off. I played here in March with snow on the ground."

Nicole Jordan fired a sixth-place 79 to further anchor the Saints' eventual 328 total.

Bundy edged Batavia senior Rebecca Hasemann - fourth overall with a 77 - and Lillie.

Geneva had three players - Darby Lillibridge, Reilly Krohe and Kendal Fioresi - craft all-conference campaigns.

"Last year I missed it by a few strokes," said Lillibridge, who led Geneva with a seventh-place 79. "I hung in there and made a lot of pars at the end."

West Aurora had three players make the all-conference cut in Annika Gienger, Melissa Fidler and Jess Livingston.

Teagan Pompa had the distinction of firing the low round among the five U-46 programs. The South Elgin junior was the lone all-conference selection among the Elgin-area high schools.

"I started off really well," Pompa said. "It allowed me to keep going. It was a pretty good round, my all-time best (score)."

Glenbard East senior Grace Ludwig snared the final top-10 berth to lead the Rams.

"I didn't have to putt a few times because I chipped in," Ludwig said of pair of 40s. "One was from 70 yards out. I used my 9-iron."

Gillian Ostrowski and Olivia Sterling joined Ludwig as all-conference members for the Rams.

"It was an outstanding day," Glenbard East coach Scott Miller said. "Three out of four (counting scorers) did really well."