St. Viator Lions roar back to state tournament
The dream of a threepeat is alive.
St. Viator, winners of the last two Class 3A golf titles, qualified for its fourth consecutive state tournament by winning the Glenbrook North sectional at Sportsman's Golf Course in Northbrook.
The Lions shared the title with New Trier as both teams recorded team scores of 297, while Viator senior Danny Stringfellow won medalist honors.
Both Stringfellow and Fremd senior Sean Jones shot 71, but Stringfellow wowed the crowd by eagling the first playoff hole, a par 5, to take the crown.
"He hit the green in two," said Viator coach Jack Halpin, "and in a pressure situation with about 150 people watching, he stroked the eagle putt. He was thrilled."
"I felt like I was in control of my game today," said Jones, "but I bogeyed the 17th hole, and that hurt - and led to the playoff. Still, you can't feel about about losing to an eagle. I was happy for Danny."
With only two teams moving on to state, both the Lions and Trevians had to sweat out a formidable challenge from Mid-Suburban League champion Prospect.
The Knights' final score of 301 fell just short in the team race but three Prospect golfers - Matt Maloney (74), Jimi Poulos (75) and Derek Leeney (75) - will advance as individuals.
"This was a close call," said Halpin. "I give Prospect all the credit in the world. We saw that score of 301, then we had to sweat it out until Danny came in with that 71. If he had shot 76, we'd be on the outside looking in."
Joe Carlson, last year's individual state champ, contributed to the Viator cause with a 74 while Brad Klune (75) and Ken Wienckowski (77) counted scores for the Lions.
"I feel that we're in a great position right now," said Halpin. "The big thing is to get out of sectionals - it's only a one-day event, and if you have a hiccup, it could be disastrous. The guys would have been heartbroken if they didn't get a shot at the threepeat."
Wheeling freshman Jack Ferguson fired a 75 to move on to state.
"This was a big accomplishment for Jack," said Wheeling coach Mark Menich, "especially when you consider the field he was going up against. This was almost like a state tournament field."
Fremd's team score of 308 was good for a fourth-place finish, but only Jones will carry the Vikings colors to The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington this weekend, attempting to improve on his eighth-place individual finish the last two years.
Jones' 1-over 71 at the 6,278 yard, par 70 Sportsman's course was even more impressive considering that just weeks ago, the senior thought his season might be over after sustaining a broken elbow.
"After the injury, I just wanted to come back and compete and get some momentum heading to the state tournament," said Jones, who returned to win not only the Mid-Suburban League individual championship but also the Palatine regional.
"It did kind of suprise me that I was able to play so well. When I was injured, I felt bad because I felt like I was letting the team down. Now this (streak) has given me some confidence, and my goal is to go downstate, play in control, and give myself a chance on the second day."