Deja Yoo - Another playoff, another state title for Conant senior
Give Kris Yoo a playoff hole and she'll give you a state championship every time.
It sure seems that way.
The poised and confident Conant senior repeated her 2008 Class 2A girls golf championship, winning for the second straight year on an extra hole.
Yoo, who shot even par 72 at Hickory Ridge Golf Course on Saturday in Carbondale, wound up tied with Kaneland junior Hayley Guyton, who fired a 70.
The two tied ended up at 145 for their two-day totals, requiring a sudden death playoff.
On the first playoff hole (No. 1 hole on the course), Yoo's 8-iron landed short of the green. She chipped to within 15 feet and then sank the left-to-right downhill putt for what turned out to be the difference.
After Guyton missed her par putt, Yoo became the seventh player in the 35-year history of the girls state tournament to win back-to-back titles and the ninth player to win two crowns.
"Unbelievable putt," said Cougars coach Diana Johannesen, who said her senior will be honored at an assembly at Conant during the week. "She did wonderful."
On hand for Yoo's Saturday's round were her father Jae, mother Jenny, brother Joshua, a sophomore who also plays golf for Conant, and her future University of Wisconsin coach Todd Oehrlein.
"I didn't want a playoff hole this year," she said. "But I guess it happened that way. Yes, it reminded me of last year when we tied. I just wanted to do the same thing I did last year in the playoff ."
Last year, Yoo's final score was a 146 and she recorded a par 5 on the first playoff hole to defeat Deerfield senior Jamie Lavin.
"This feels better this year because the girl I was competing against was in front of me," Yoo said. "She wasn't in my same group like last year. It was still hard with all the pressure. God helped me through the whole day."
Lakes senior Abbie Horan (tied for fourth with a 149) and Stevenson freshman Stephanie Miller (tied for eighth with a 152) also became all-staters by placing among the top 10.
Horan fired a 38 and 36 for a round of 2-over 74 Saturday while Miller went 40 and 37 for a 77 to follow up her 75 on Friday.
"Abbie played real well," said Lakes coach Rebecca Schilz. "She kept her cool the whole time and did what she needed to."
Horan will pay for Iowa State next year.
"She will be missed on a personal level and from a coaching standpoint," Schilz added. "She's a great kid, always very upbeat and positive. She's a good person all-around. She deserves to do well and I'm sure she will with her next endeavor in college."
Miller is a long ways off from college.
She was the first Stevenson freshman going for a state title since Kerrin Seymour won the state diving title in 2006.
"Stephanie was actually hitting the ball better than Friday, which is remarkable," said Patriots coach Andy Conneen. "She was solid off the tee all weekend. She had only one penalty shot for the entire 36 holes and there's plenty of trouble on this course."
Conneen said Miller's score of 77 Saturday did not reflect how well she played.
"She can really come back from a bad hole," he added. "Where the typical kid would give up, Stephanie comes through with remarkable shot after remarkable shot. It's going to be fun to see how she develops her game. She is tough as nails."
Other area golfers and their finishes were Barrington senior Taylor Quinn (28th with a 163), Buffalo Grove freshman Grace Kil (35th with a 165), Fremd senior Kelly Voigt (tied for 36th with a 166), Prospect senior Ellie Tixier (43rd with a 169), St. Viator senior Hallie Dunn (tie for 59th with a 175) and St. Viator senior Abby Dickey (tie for 59th with a 175).
The Knights' Tixier carded one of the better front nine scores of the day with 38.
Quinn, playing her final round before moving on to play for the University of Minnesota, shot a 40 and a 41.
"I can't believe Taylor's four years of playing golf at Barrington have come to and end," said Fillies veteran coach Jodi Schoeck. "She has had a fantastic career.
"Taylor will be impossible to replace. She has been such a great person and has made this such a wonderful family experience for all of us. We've had a terrific time with her. It's been a great stepping stone for her to move on to her career at Minnesota."