Boys golf: Isenhart, Vanderway reign supreme once again

Tyler Isenhart and Ryan Vanderway took diametrically different paths to the Class 3A boys golf state tournament in Bloomington last year.

Isenhart, who ultimately finished tied for third, accompanied the Geneva team.

Vanderway was an at-large qualifier for West Aurora.

But the two athletes demonstrated Wednesday at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club that some things never change.

The two juniors, for the third consecutive year, captured individual top honors in the two divisions of the Upstate Eight Conference tournament.

Isenhart powered Geneva to the River Division team title with a medalist-earning 76.

Vanderway had the low performance among all the players in the two divisions by making birdie on his final three holes for a 74.

"I probably made 200 feet worth of putts today," Vanderway said.

West Chicago senior Jason Gimre, who was third in the Valley with a 77, played with Vanderway.

"I was competing with Ryan the whole way," Gimre said. "He got the better of me because he made some incredible putts down the stretch."

Isenhart and fellow junior Jack McDonald, who was runner-up for Geneva with a 78, reversed the 1-shot loss to St. Charles East during regular-season dual play by turning back the Saints 312-323.

Batavia and St. Charles North were third and fourth, respectively, in the River.

Isenhart is the River MVP for the third straight season.

"I focused more on the team," Isenhart said. "I really didn't play that well. I struggled off the tee and around the greens. I am just happy that we won."

McDonald is seeking to find his form from a year ago.

"I sort of struggled early (in the regular season), but I have been playing better lately," McDonald said. "I am happy with how it went today."

Nick Geen, the third returning member of the Vikings' state crew, was fourth with a 78.

Teegan Ebel was sixth with an 80 for Geneva as only four players broke the barrier in the River.

"St. Andrews is a great golf course," St. Charles East coach John Stock said. "It always plays tough, especially this time of the year."

The Vikings' Jake Mills and Brett Romanelli were in the top-10 individually with their matching rounds of 82, but their scores were not even required for Geneva.

St. Charles East senior Mason Meadows could have forced a playoff with Isenhart, but a double bogey on the final hole left him in third with a 78.

"It's hard," Meadows said of falling short of Geneva for the overall conference championship. "But we'll be ready for them at regionals."

Vanderway was 5-over par after six holes in defense of his twin crowns in the Valley.

"I thought I was out of it," Vanderway said.

But Vanderway played his final 12 holes in 2-under for the round of the day.

"At the beginning, I thought everyone's eyes were kind of on me," Vanderway said. "It was kind of an up-and-down round."

Bartlett was determined the overall division champion due to its flawless dual-meet record.

"Winning (our division) feels great, being my first year on varsity," said Bartlett junior Justin Everson, who led the Hawks with a fifth-place 81.

Vanderway missed the Blackhawks' dual meet against archrival East Aurora due to a back injury.

Glenbard East senior Tyler Reitz stepped in the void.

"I'm not going to lie," the Rams' senior said of his mindset possibly being division Player of the Year. "A lot of it was on my mind."

"I just tried to play, my game, play confident," Reitz said. "(I was) hitting fairways, hitting a lot of greens and making putts. I have put in a lot of work over the last four years. (Being MVP) means a lot to me."

West Chicago won the battle but proverbially lost the war in finishing runner-up to Bartlett for the overall Valley championship.

The Wildcats won the tournament with a collective score of 332 behind Gimre, Tighe Walsh (81), Dennis Hoffman (85) and Tommy Enger (89).

"It's fun to win the tournament," West Chicago coach Nick Kempski said. "It's exciting for the kids. It's the first tournament we have won all year. It's disappointing we couldn't pass Bartlett to win the overall conference championship."

Gimre finished third overall with his 77.

"My first nine holes I did a phenomenal job of putting the ball," Gimre said. "I thought it was a good round."