Stevenson soph Miller sparkles at NSC tournament

By Sunday, homecoming weekend was catching up with Stevenson sophomore Stephanie Miller and dragging her down.

Her nose was stuffed up, her voice was all but shot, and then she woke up with a bad headache.

"I was like, 'I hope I'm OK for conference,' " Miller said.

Yes, she was OK to play in Tuesday's North Suburban Conference girls golf tournament at Deerpath Golf Course in Lake Forest. And her golf game was in good shape, too.

Heck, the Patriots' 5-foot-1 dynamo birdied her first two holes.

Sick.

"I got a lot of sleep (Monday) night," Miller said. "I went to bed at like 8:30 (p.m.)."

Spurred by Miller's 2-over-par 74 that gave her a runaway victory, Stevenson shot a 333 to capture its fourth straight NSC championship on a perfect fall morning.

Libertyville (367) was a distant second with Lake Forest (372) edging Warren (379) for third among the seven teams.

Miller was the only golfer to break 80 on a course that Warren junior Erin Walker described as fair with fast greens.

"I'm pretty proud of myself," Miller said. "I'm like, 'OK, I can come out here and be sick and tired and nasty, and still shoot well.' "

Stevenson freshman Nikki Marquardt finished second, shooting an 84, which was 10 shots behind her teammate Miller.

Marquardt had fired an 81 Saturday at Sunset Valley Golf Course, where Miller's 77 led Stevenson to the Highland Park title.

"This is probably the best I've played ever," Marquardt said. "I've played golf for probably 6-7 years, but this is my first serious year of playing tournaments."

Warren's Walker finished third with an 86. She sank 3 birdie putts, including a 25-footer on No. 3. Her career best is an 85.

"I thought I played pretty well," said Walker, who shot a school-record 37 at Bittersweet earlier this season. "There were a couple of holes where I could have done better, but that's what happens."

Besides the rounds of Miller and Marquardt, Stevenson counted Nicole Crosby's 87 and Claire Lavezzorio's 88. All four golfers earned medals.

Miller carded 5 birdies. And talk about a hot start.

"I almost put it in for eagle on the second hole," Miller said of a 9-iron she skipped within a couple of inches of the cup, after blocking a 3-wood off the tee into the rough.

Miller sank a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 11, and that could have been better.

"I almost threw it in again," she said.

Miller was even par heading to the 18th tee box, but she hit her approach shot into the pond on the left and double-bogeyed the hole.

"I had the most beautiful drive," Miller said. "I was like, 'All I have to do is get it on the green and two-putt to shoot par. This is great.' I wasn't nervous. I just made a bad swing. Into the water. Oh, no."

Runner-up Libertyville saw its top four all medal. Kaitlin Woodward led the Wildcats with an 87. Darinka Sutic and Victoria Mendenhall each shot a 93, while Emilie Teitz had a 94.

Lake Forest's Paige Skinner settled for an 87, despite shooting a 39 on the front nine.

Others who earned medals for finishing in the top 19 included Lakes' Emma Schultz (90), Mundelein's Emily Whitemarsh (90), Vernon Hills' Lauren Groody (92) and Sam Neary (94) and Warren's Gabby Cordova (95).