Scores plummet at Fox Valley
The Batavia Invitational routinely attracts an elite boys golf field, and it was the Fox Valley Country Club that felt the brunt of the latest assault on par.
Hinsdale Central sophomore Sean Marquardt is the Red Devils' fifth-rated player, and yet the depth of the defending team champions was as evident as the collective talent of the field.
John Lewis and Chris Meyer fired a 74 and 76, respectively, for Hinsdale Central, and their scores were discarded like the spring trash as Marquardt toured the North Aurora par-72 layout in 4-under 68.
Jordan Gold was also in red figures for Hinsdale Central with a 71, while Brett Tomfohrde and Theo Lederhausen posted matching 73s to give the Devils a 3-under-par team total of 285.
Glenbard West, the Devils' irascible rival from the West Suburban Silver, had Leo Karris' 71 to lead four equally noteworthy scores.
"That's some nice shooting," said Hinsdale Central coach Jess Krueger.
It was a banner day for scoring on the rain-softened greens at Fox Valley on Saturday; there were 17 individual scores of 73 or better, and six teams were at 300 or less.
It also was a flawless morning and afternoon for a pair of area golfers as West Aurora southpaw Kurtis Luedtke and Batavia ace Shawn Steurer enjoyed career days.
The two players had bogey-free rounds to highlight excellent team performances for the their squads.
Luedtke, the Blackhawks' No. 3 player, was second overall with a sterling 3-under-par 69 that featured birdies on a pair of par-5s.
"I've never shot in the 60s before," said Luedtke, who cited a critical 10-footer for par on the ninth as the primary momentum builder. "I felt really good. I had a six-footer for birdie on my final hole. If I would have made it, I would have had the school record (shared with Orchard Valley pro Tom Tierney)."
West Aurora broke its five-year school record for lowest team performance; Jeff Etter continued his strong play with a 76, and Brandon Vicory, fresh off a fourth-place collaboration with Illinois native D.A. Weibring in a Champions Tour national pro-am, had a 77.
Kyle McCradic delivered an 80 for West Aurora to give the Blackhawks a 302 finish, good for eighth as a team.
Steurer, meanwhile, was almost as efficient as Luedtke, using 16 pars and a pair of birdies to notch his career-best 70, which was fourth overall.
"There weren't any big mistakes," said Steurer. "I had a lot of luck in key places."
The host Bulldogs' 303 effort was made possible by a 73 from James Henkelman, and a combined 160 from Kyle Ewert (79) and Collin Huber (81).
Marmion was once again laid claim to downstate legitimacy; one week after their second tournament victory of the season at Fenton, the Cadets were right back in the thick of things.
With team stalwarts Luke Kolquist and Bryce Emory gunning for more individual glory, the team came up shy of the superlative play of Hinsdale Central.
Kolquist had one of seven under-par rounds, and Emory posted a 73, later duplicated by Tim Johnson, and Marmion finished fourth as a team with a 298.
"It was a day where I could have gone really low," said Kolquist. "I didn't capitalize on my opportunities."
Tyler Deetjen had a 78 to lead St. Charles East, which edged its cross-town rivals by 4 strokes; Matt Sprengel was the low man for St. Charles North with a 78.
Kaneland had an 81 from Curtis Lubic, but freshman Hayley Guyton has not only solidified her standing on the squad but also figures to be a force to reckon with as an at-large competitor in the girls state series.