Prospect takes title; Kaim wins playoff
On a nearly perfect day for golf with moderate winds, Prospect breezed to its third straight Mid-Suburban League girls championship on Tuesday.
The Knights placed three girls in the top four en route to scoring a 329 to defeat MSL West foe Barrington (349).
Next came Hersey (370), Fremd (371) and Palatine (382) in the event hosted by Wheeling High School on the Wildcats' own Chevy Chase Golf Course in Wheeling.
The individual crown wasn't settled until Elk Grove senior Mia Kaim birdied hole No. 1 in an extra-hole playoff against Prospect junior Allison Walsh.
Kaim and Walsh both fired 79s to lead the pack on the par-72 layout followed by Prospect senior Emily Mick (80), Fremd sophomore Angie Kim (82), Prospect senior Rachel Lawless (82), Barrington junior Sammy Carman (84), Palatine senior Alexis Bauer (84), Buffalo Grove sophomore Grace Kil (86), Barrington senior Kelly Muskat (87), Barrington senior Casey Hahn (87), Hersey junior Nikki Giermen (87), Prospect junior Christine Garmoe (88) and Prospect freshman Noreen Caporusso (88).
Kaim's victory was the first in a MSL playoff since Prospect's Michelle Caporusso won in an extra hole in 2007.
"I was excited to be in the playoff but I would have loved to have won without a playoff," said Kaim, who shot 38-41. "I just knew I had to keep my head down and keeping playing hard in the playoff."
The four-year varsity golfer and two-year varsity badminton performer sure did, playing the 343-yard playoff hole to near perfection.
She drove to the middle of the fairway for a 115-yard, 7-iron approach shot which she lofted to within 10 feet for the birdie putt.
"My freshman year I thought about doing this (winning the MSL title)," said Kaim, who has also been a golf caddy for five years at the River Forest Golf Course in Elmhurst.
"But I didn't think it would happen. I just thought about putting out my best score every time and hoping it would be good enough.
"My driving helped a lot today and putting of course. Putting was probably my strength. The greens were fast and I like fast greens."
Walsh was fast to point out that it was her coach Jim Hamann who gave her the confidence to perform as well as she did Tuesday, striking for one of her best high school rounds (41-38).
"About a week ago, I doubted if I could do this," she said. "But my coach really helped me with my confidence. I worked really hard for this."
For the first time in her career, Walsh dismissed her driver for good after the fifth hole.
"It wasn't just working and I said 'I'm not feeling it,' " she said. "So I went with the five wood the rest of the way."
Walsh had 3 birdies and 3 pars on the back nine.
"I would describe Allison's game as very dangerous because she has the ability and skills to go very low with her scores," Hamann said.
"Emily Mick has been 'Miss Consistent' for us all season," the Knights coach added. "She had a couple of hiccups in her round today but she has been very solid all season.
"And if you are looking for a definition of practice with a purpose, next to that would be the name Rachel Lawless (39-43). She is so focused at every practice. That's why she is doing so well this season."
Kim's round of 82 highlighted Fremd's fourth-place finish. The sophomore shot a 39-43.
"I even surprised myself," said Kim, who also missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 17 which would have given her an 81.
Sophomore Grace Kil, who placed third last year, shot a 44-42 to lead Buffalo Grove.
"The fairways were pretty straight forward but the greens were fast and hard to read," she said. "I was very upset. I don't think I've played this bad since sixth grade. I don't know what happened."
Also helping Hersey's third-place finish was senior Megan Rogowski (46-43-89), who had a few extra people in her gallery.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay women's basketball coach and his assistant were on hand as they are recruiting the all-state basketball player.
The state tourney starts next week and Prospect, which has averaged a 325 this season, hopes to keep playing well.
"We are very honored and proud to be champions of this league and to have a special trophy to take back to Prospect," Hamann said.
"A couple of girls got off to rought starts for the first 11 holes. But I'm very proud of the way they held things together and our depth pays off in these big tournaments."