Girls golf: Consistent St. Charles North nabs sectional crown
The St. Charles North girls golf team won't come out and say it, but the North Stars admit that bringing home a state championship trophy from Decatur this weekend is definitely on their minds.
And, the Stars have every right to be thinking big - or low, as you would have it - after they fashioned a 312 Monday to win the Class 2A Schaumburg sectional championship at Schaumburg Golf Club.
It's SCN's second-straight sectional title and third in program history. The North Stars finished fourth downstate last year.
"We've been playing some good golf," said North Stars coach Irish Whalen, who returned from maternity leave to see her team beat out the other team state qualifiers - Wheaton Warrenville South (325) and St. Charles East (340) - for first place in the 12-team field.
"We have six girls who love the game of golf and all of them can go low. They pick each other up and they're confident on the golf course. They know their teammates are right with them.
"At the beginning of the season we talk about team and individual goals and every kid on the team said they wanted to go back downstate and come home with some kind of hardware. In the back of our minds (the state title) is one of our goals but we know the game of golf dictates what you do and we just have to take it one day at a time."
Senior Kate Lillie led the way for the North Stars Monday with a 2-over par 74 that was good for second place individually, 1 shot behind medalist Amy Kucera of Fenwick.
"My back nine was definitely stronger," said Lillie, who went 40-34. "The greens were the hardest part today. They were really fast. On the back nine I hit my driver really well and I played a bogey-free back nine."
Lillie admits winning state is a thought she and her teammates definitely have had.
"It's in the back of everybody's mind but we don't want to come out and say it," she said. "We have two days of golf left but we don't want to have unreasonable expectations."
Lillie was backed up Monday by 77s from Megan Furtney and Emma Hayes and 84s from Sarah Arnold and Katelyn David.
WWS coach Art Tang felt his team could have shot a lower score, but he was happy to see the Tigers advance to state.
"It was a good day for our top two girls but our 3-4-5 girls were below average," Tang said. "But the goal was to qualify for state and I told them we can't win state today, so I'm very proud of the girls to advance. Good conditions, tough course. They just had to stay levelheaded."
Junior Sarah Hauenstein led the way for the Tigers with a 75, while Hadley Moritz (80), Annalee Dannegger (83) and Priya Desai (87) also scored.
"I'm super excited for our team," said Hauenstein. "I started out a little rough but managed to get some birdies. I'm happy with how I played. I just need to fix my driver and (this weekend) I hope to play the best rounds of golf I can."
St. Charles East will be making its second-straight trip downstate after the Saints took the final qualifying spot by 6 shots over Fenwick.
"Considering what it looked like early, they hung in there and kept it going," said SCE coach Rod Osborne. "They played much better on the back nine. Breanna (Sheehan) and Nicole (Jordan) were both below average and did a real good job.
"We're hoping to save our best for last and end on a positive note and just feel good to be able to compete at the state finals."
Jordan led the Saints with a 79 while Rose Bundy had an 85, Sheehan 86 and Riley Sullivan 90.
"I was striking the ball really well but my putting struggled some," Jordan said. "But I'm happy with my score. It's a pressure situation."
Geneva junior Darby Lillibridge qualified individually, tying for seventh place with a 79.
"I started rough but I got a few strokes back," she said. "I was four-over through 15 but then I finished double, bogey, bogey. I stuck with it and kept a positive attitude. There was a lot of waiting out there and that didn't help but it was a good day."
Lake Park junior Nicole Hansen also advanced with a 79 and will be making her second trip downstate in three years.
"I was even on the front so going to the back I was pretty confident but then I blew up on 13 and couldn't come back," Hansen said. "But I kept moving forward knowing I had enough room to be solid again."
Also advancing as an individual was Glenbard West junior Samantha Moody, who shot 81.
"I struggled on the back - the water got me," said Moody, who also made it to state as a freshman. "I just tried to keep a positive attitude and push through. For me today it was just some course management issues that can be cleared up."
Other individual qualifiers included Jennifer Cappello of Schaumburg (85) and Brooke Maloney of Lake Park (86).