Biddle chasing Class 2A title; Saints girls in 4th after 1st day
BLOOMINGTON - Blake Biddle was not happy after his opening-day round at Weibring Golf Club Friday afternoon.
"I haven't played that bad all year," the St. Charles resident and Wheaton Academy junior said. "Kind of bad timing. I still have (today) and hopefullly I can shoot around 67."
Wheaton Academy is seeking to dethrone Normal U-High, which has won four state titles in three different classes the last four years, at the Class 2A boys state golf tournament in Normal. The Warriors are solidly in third, six shots behind pace-setting U-High (301) as David Flynn took the first-day lead for individual top honors for Wheaton Academy with a 1-under-par 70. Aurora Central Catholic senior Jeff Hund (83), who also lives in St. Charles, was the only other local performer in the middle-tiered field.
The scores were considerably lower at the Class 3A tournament at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.
"The golf course played as easy as it ever has in the 11 years played here," St. Charles East coach John Stock said.
Wes Apple used a hot blade to carry the day as one of two St. Charles East qualifiers.
"Probably my putting was most helpful today," Apple said after carding a 2-over-par 74, which left the Saints' junior in a large group at 21st. "I made a lot of putts that mattered."
For Brett Weiss, however, putting difficulties sabotaged his first state appearance.
"I putted horrible and made a lot of mental mistakes," Weiss said after 41-40 composite nines left him 9-over. "I had a lot of 10-, 15-feet birdie putts, but I couldn't make anything."
Defending champion St. Viator set a scalding pace with its 291 team score - good for a 5-shot lead over Edwardsville.
The action is equally intense and close at the girls Class AA state tournament in Makanda. Four shots separate New Trier, Homewood-Flossmoor and Marion as St. Charles East was fourth after first-round action at Stone Creek with a 333.
Jenny Niemiec and Nicole Rae negotiated the treacherous greens with matching 81s, and Rachael Edwards came home with an 82. Senior Gina Grecco had an 89 to round out the Saints' fourth-place total.
"Some of (the greens) you couldn't tell if they were going to be fast or slow," Niemiec said.
"The greens were very difficult today," Rae added. "I feel pretty good with how I played today. All of my drives were straight, and it kept me out of trouble."
St. Francis' Kayla Stueland, who lives in Geneva, was in medal contention after posting a 77. "The front nine was pretty rough," the sophomore said. "I didn't hit a fairway until the ninth hole. On the back nine I was hitting a lot of knock-down shots, and that let me hit it straighter."
Stueland had back-to-back birdies to frame her inward-nine 37. Kaneland sophomore Hayley Guyton had an 80 for top-30 status, and St. Charles North junior Marin Beagley was in a large group at 83. Geneva sophomore Kim Connor had a 92.