SCN's Bettis enters state tournament with momentum

Brooke Bettis has been paired against some of the finest female golfers in the state, and more times than not has been there battling to the very end.

"My thoughts have always been the same," said the St. Charles North senior. "I always go to win. I'm not going to be shy about that."

It has been a whirlwind the last three weeks for the North Stars' leader, who will be making her third consecutive trip to the state finals in southern Illinois this weekend.

The mettle testing run began at the Naperville North Invitational three weeks ago, where Bettis was pitted against Homewood-Flossmoor freshman phenom Ashley Armstrong and reigning Class AA state champion Alex Lederhausen from Hinsdale Central.

The trio combined for 12 birdies, and Bettis' third-place 75 was only a prelude to the Upstate Eight Conference tournament three days later at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club.

Bettis blistered the front nine in 2-under-par 33, only to survive a dramatic challenge by Neuqua Valley junior Hannah Buck, who will also be making her third appearance in Carbondale today.

Duplicating the results from last fall, Bettis turned back Buck by a stroke to not only defend her league title but also secure player-of-the-year status.

"That would be pretty high up (in terms of career achievements) to win back-to-back conference championships," said Bettis. "The conference titles mean a lot. Both years I didn't buckle. (Buck) is such a great player, and both times we've been really close."

Bettis' accomplishments certainly caught the eye of opposing coaches in the Upstate Eight.

"I've seen (Bettis) play a lot of golf," said Neuqua Valley coach John Keller. "We (the coaches) all know how good Brooke Bettis is. I'm really impressed with her swing. Just a beautiful swing. With all her length, she still hits it so straight."

"(Bettis) has a lot of character to her," added Waubonsie Valley coach Laura Jones. "She has a lot of gumption. She pretty much holds herself together and knows how to persevere. She has come a long way."

This year's St. Charles East regional, held once again at St. Andrews, was next on Bettis' docket after her second league title.

It was a special day for the North Stars' three-year standout.

Learning earlier in the she had been selected to a national academic and athletic honor of two dozen golfers -- "There were 12 boys and 12 girls" -- Bettis blew away the field, tying her career-low round of 70 to claim her first postseason individual medalist honor.

The St. Ignatius sectional at Cog Hill was all that stood between Bettis and another trip to state.

Bettis weathered a series of poor iron shots and ultimately tamed the No. 1 course at the famed Lemont complex to finish in a four-way tie for third with a 78, largely courtesy of 5 birdies.

"I hit the ball so poorly and still managed to shoot a 78," said Bettis.

Introduced relatively late to the game, Bettis did not envision a career in high school golf after graduating from middle school.

But the fall of her freshman year was inconceivable without athletic participation.

"I wanted to do something in the fall -- that meant either golf, cross country or volleyball," recounted Bettis. "I was a soccer player. If I was going to play golf, I wanted to make varsity my freshman year. The whole summer after eighth grade I worked on my game."

The triple-digit totals dropped precipitously after a year of seasoning with the frosh-soph team, and Bettis worked herself into the North Stars' talented lineup her second year.

"We had Danielle (Detelich) and Kelsey (Proud) and Kate (Babcock)," said Bettis. "That was a really influential year for me. Everyone pushed each other that year and yet still competed for the team. (The experiences) made me want to play in college."

Coming two years after its runner-up finish in the state finals, Bettis had the low two-day score for the North Stars' eighth-place result in 2005 with an 83 and 79.

"I remember her making a putt on 18," said St. Charles North coach Chris Patrick. "It was the first time she ever broke 80. It really gave her a lot of confidence, and it carried over the next year when she qualified as an individual."

Bettis was the only local athlete to make the field in the first-ever Class AA state tournament last fall, and her top-20 finish did not sit well with her.

"I expected a lot of myself at state (last year)," said Bettis. "Partially it could have been that I put more pressure on myself. Last year, those two days (at state), they were off-days."

With her inclusion in this year's state field, Bettis, who was runner-up for summer MVP in the Illinois Junior Golf Association individual standings, is resolute as her high school career concludes at Hickory Ridge in Carbondale.

"I think for me to compete with the best in the state, I'm going to have to be on my game," said Bettis. "I have worked hard to get where I am. I don't see why I couldn't do some damage down there."