Preparing for the homestretch
With the Upstate Eight and DuPage Valley conferences preparing for their tournaments, the leagues' best and brightest girls golf programs did plenty of jockeying Saturday afternoon in Plainfield.
The Naperville North Rosie Invitational at Naperbrook Golf Course typically draws elite squads and individuals, and the latest rendition showcased St. Charles East and Wheaton Warrenville South as the respective favorites Monday and Tuesday.
Homewood-Flossmoor (310) had four top-10 individual performers to cruise to its fifth tournament title this fall, and Hinsdale Central junior Samantha Postillion was nearly flawless in leading the Red Devils (330) to second with a medalist-winning 2-under-par 70.
But St. Charles East (333) demonstrated legitimate downstate aspirations behind Rachael Edwards and Jenny Niemiec, while the Tigers' Indiana-bound Molly O'Connor was front and center for the prestigious top-individual honors.
St. Charles East and WW South (344) are both undefeated in league dual-meet action, and the teams were third and fourth in the 15-team field.
"It's going to take a really good round to beat (St. Charles East Tuesday at St. Andrews)," St. Charles North coach Chris Patrick said. "I would expect them to be in the driver's seat."
To add further flavor to the twin conference tournaments, Naperville Central (351), Neuqua Valley (353), Naperville North (359) and Waubonsie Valley (368) all performed admirably in placing between fifth and ninth.
The lead foursome at the tournament - Postillion, O'Connor, Neuqua Valley three-time state qualifier Hannah Buck and Homewood phenom Ashley Armstrong - collectively personified the evolution in the sport over the past decade.
"I wasn't paying attention to anyone else, I was just thinking about (my game)," Buck said.
The possibilities were endless for the Wildcats' four-year top-rated player.
Buck had one stretch of 12 consecutive pars, reaching every green in regulation, only to see several of her birdie putts singe the cup in every conceivable fashion.
"I was trying to be positive, thinking that one of them would drop eventually," Buck said.
The senior settled for second place with a 74.
O'Connor began her round with eight straight pars and nearly drove the ninth green on the par-4 outward-nine closing hole for a 35 on the front side.
But Postillion was right with O'Connor, nearly holing her second shot for eagle on the second in framing her bogey-free 35 front side.
O'Connor had back-to-back miscues to began the back, and Postillion took command as a chili-dipped pitch was her lone blemish in fashioning a matching inward-35 to win by four.
"I had a lot of (birdie) putts that didn't go in," said O'Connor, who settled for third with a 75. "For some reason on the back nine I felt uncomfortable with my swing."
"This is definitely the best I've played in a high school event," Postillion said. "Usually I'm nervous when I'm playing that well at the end."
Carolyn Wong had a career-low 76 to lead Naperville Central.
"I was just trying to keep the ball in play, keep it straight," the sophomore said.
Marissa Miko (81) and Elisa Palluau starred for Naperville North, and southpaw Alissa Fahrenz had a breakthrough round for Waubonsie Valley.
The senior had seven 1-putt greens on her inward nine to fire a career-best 81.
"I was really confident with myself on every shot," Fahrenz said. "I was making putts - they were just falling in."
Nicole Bronson continued her solid play for Wheaton North (382) with an 82.
The Saints' quest for inclusion with perennial titans such as H-F and Hinsdale Central had a rough start.
Edwards' play on the front side left the senior shaking her head during the brief intermission between nines.
"The front was just brutal," she said.
But the senior rebounded in typical form, reducing the two back-nine par-5s to long par-4s with clutch birdies.
Edwards fired a level-par 36 coming home to finish ninth overall with an 80.
"I wasn't going to be happy with anything higher than an 80," Edwards said. "I just figured I need to shoot low on the back nine. I wanted to shoot in the 70s."
Niemiec, the Saints' returning state qualifier, took a more conventional approach to augment Edwards' anchor score with an 81.
The junior had composite nines of 40 and 41; Nicole Rae and Rebecca Norris completed the Saints' counting scores with 86s.
"(The girls) played pretty well today, a couple of bumps here and there," St. Charles East coach Rod Osborne said.
St. Charles North was 10th overall with a 370 total.
Marin Beagley had the North Stars' low nine-hole score with an outward 39 in settling for an 84.
KK Barr posted an 88, and the trio of Miranda Fencl, Marissa Fencl and Juliaclare Peizbert rounded out the North Stars' total.