Stringfellow helps St. Viator to Class AA crown
BLOOMINGTON -- Danny Stringfellow was the low man for St. Viator at the Class 3A boys state championship, and his score was not even needed by the Lions on the second day.
The Roselle resident secured top-10 individual status for the second straight year in boys golf, but it was his teammates who matched their 300 from opening-round play to win the first non-Class A state title in school history Saturday in Bloomington.
"We played great the whole season," said Stringfellow, who had a 77 in the final group to finish with a 151 total. "I had a couple of bad holes that hurt my round today."
Fellow sophomore Brad Klune, who hails from Itasca, had an inward-nine 36 to flavor his 75, and St. Viator turned back Quincy by 5 strokes behind the complementary play of Mike Ferrari, Matt Vitale and Joe Carlson.
"We were perfect as a team," said Klune, noting the Lions won all 10 tournaments they played in this season. "We worked so hard all year to accomplish this goal."
The underclass talent in Bloomington was consistently on display, and Benet sophomore John Callahan was solo fifth with 148 after another 74 to duplicate his opening-day score.
"I just did not make many mistakes," said Callahan, who registered 14 consecutive pars at one point. "You need to be accurate here (at The Den at Fox Creek)."
Neuqua Valley sophomore Stephan Powers ended his year with a 74.
At the Class 2A state finals in Normal at the Weibring Golf Center, Wheaton Academy sophomore David Flynn rebounded with a 1-over-par 72 to earn all-state status, finishing in a four-way tie for seventh.
The Warriors eked past Salem for fifth place by a stroke, moving up two places as Blake Biddle and Bobby Gryfinski also broke 80 for Wheaton Academy.
Hinsdale Central was third after bettering its first-round collective score by 7 shots courtesy of a pair of 75s from Theo Lederhausen and Jordan Gold and matching 77s from Brett Tomfohrde and Sean Marquardt.
Tomfohrde shared sixth place individually with Moline senior Robert Tunberg, but three-time state qualifier Russell Katz outperformed his league rival.
The Downers Grove North senior made 3 birdies in a five-hole, back-nine stretch to negate 3 bogeys, only to see his quest for runner-up fall short with a 3-putt bogey on 17.
Katz fashioned a second straight 73 for third overall, playing in the final group with Stringfellow and Quincy senior Luke Guthrie, who broke Jay Haas' state record with a scintillating 67 and 139 two-day total.
"I just wanted to hit fairways today," Katz said. "That was the key."