Wadington's sights set on doing better
Elgin Academy senior Turner Wadington earned himself quite the second chance.
Wadington, who was none too pleased with how he played in last year's Class A boys state golf finals, will get a chance to correct that Friday at the Class 1A state golf tournament at Prairie Vista in Bloomington.
"I didn't play as well as I would have liked to last year," said Wadington, the vice president of the Elgin Academy student council who is also part of a group of students at the school who help out at a PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) facility in Elgin.
"Last year was a bummer. The weather was terrible and I don't know what happened to my game. I didn't play like I wanted to. I'm happy I got a second chance."
Wadington feels his game has become more consistent this season.
"Last year I was all over the place," said the St. Charles resident. "I'd shoot a 44 and then I would have a 38. This year I'm in the low 40s and high 30s all the time."
He's also strung together an impressive postseason run. He shot 77 at the sectional and 79s at the regional and Independent School League tournaments.
"I'm happy that I'm playing consistent and I'm not going wild in my scores," said Wadington, who has a 3.9 GPA and knows all 37 senior class members and virtually the entire student population by name. "I've been hitting the fairways and the greens lately and going for the 2-putt pars."
Wadington has a distinct game plan in mind for Friday.
"Everyone that goes there wants to win. That would be great," said Wadington, who kept his yardage book from last year's state tournament and has been studying up on the course. "But I'm going to go in and play my best and have fun. As long as I'm having fun, I'm going to be OK."
St. Edward senior Brad Winters is also back in the state tournament -- this year at the Class 2A level. Winters will compete at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University in Normal.
When contacted earlier this week Winters was on the computer studying the layout on the course's Web site.
"It's not overpowering," said Winters. "It looks like there is a lot of long par 3s. I think it will put a premium on hitting the driver and keeping it in the fairway."
Winters would like to get into the top 15 this weekend.
"My goal would be the top 15," said Winters. "I didn't play good in the tournament last year. You could kind of call this revenge. I want to prove to myself that I can play with the best people in the state."
On the Class 3A side, Bartlett and Cary-Grove both qualified as teams -- the Hawks for the first time in school history and the Trojans for only the second time and first since 1975. This is the first time two area boys teams have qualified since 1999 when Larkin and St. Edward went to state. They'll compete Friday at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington. An area team hadn't made the state finals since 2002 (Crystal Lake South). Bartlett becomes the sixth area boys team to qualify (Cary-Grove, CL South, Elgin, Larkin and St. Edward).
Cary-Grove is paced by Fox Valley Conference and regional individual champion Brian Colbert, but also received key play at the sectional from sophomore Matt Efflandt and juniors Tyler Bulterman and Ryan Kwech.
"We've got a good chemistry together," said Bulterman. "Brian, Ryan and I have known each other for awhile. We all play well together. And to play well, you have to bond well."
Bartlett coach Tom Boyle said his squad had been up and down until the postseason started. Since then, the Hawks have shot 311 (conference), 310 (regional) and 311 (sectional) with Quagliano (75), Trace Pomplun (76) and sophomore Anthony Burdi (78) leading the way at the sectional.
"Our main thing is we've had all 4 guys playing solid and that really helps a team out when all 4 of us put together a decent round," said Pomplun.
Pomplun is also excited about making some history.
"There have been some great teams at Bartlett," said Pomplun. "We're proud to be part of the first team at Bartlett to go Downstate."
Larkin senior Michael Sainz will also compete at The Den, as will Prairie Ridge senior Tyler Benson. Sainz shot a 2-over 74 at the tough Class 3A Naperville Central sectional to advance. Sainz is Larkin's first state finals qualifier since his brother, Carlos, qualified as a senior in 2003. Carlos Sainz is now playing for Mississippi State University.
On the girls side, Hampshire freshman Taylor Ellett will be the lone area representative at either girls state tournament. Ellett, the Big Northern Conference individual champion, will play in the Class A state finals at Stone Creek Golf Course in Downstate Makanda.
"Since conference, I've improved in both events I've played in," said Ellett, who shot 91 at conference, 88 at the regional and 86 at the sectional. "It was definitely one of my goals to get Downstate. I can't believe that it's already here. I can't believe how fast the season has gone."
Even though the stage is at its biggest, Ellett says she isn't going to change her strategy.
"I'll have the same strategy I always have and that's to go in and play my game and play the golf course and not worry about anything else," said Ellett, one of 10 freshmen in the Class A tournament (she had the second-lowest sectional score of the 10). "If you worry about what other people are shooting, you aren't worrying enough about your game."
Ellett joins her mother, Sue, as one of the rare mother-daughter Illinois state qualifying combos. Sue (Sisler) Ellett, Hampshire's girls golf and girls basketball coach, played in the 1983 girls state tournament for Dundee-Crown and finished ninth.