A special moment for BC golf
In the history of Burlington Central High School, a boys sports team making a trip to a state tournament has been an infrequent occurrence.
And in golf, no team had ever qualified for the state finals.
Until Monday that is.
That's when the Central boys golf team qualified for Friday's Class 2A state finals at Illinois State University's Weibring Golf Club in Normal by finishing third at the Freeport sectional.
The first finals appearance had added significance for longtime coach Deb Twenhafel, who started the Central boys golf program 22 years ago and has always had the goal of getting a Rockets team to the finals before she retires (she says she will retire in 5 years).
“I still don't believe it, says Twenhafel, who along with boys track coach Mike Schmidt are the deans of Central varsity sports coaches. “I can't put into words how proud I am of them. I'm so happy for them. They deserve to get credit for the hard work they've put in. It paid off for them. It really paid off for them.
Twenhafel, in her 20th year coaching golf at Central (she did not coach for a 2-year span in the 1990s; Central trivia note: Mike Frost was the head coach during those two years), has seen plenty of talented golfers go through the school. But she's never had a team that brought it all together on the big stage until this year.
“When the season started I thought this team could really do it, says Twenhafel, who has doubled as Central's boys and girls coach for many years. “We won a couple of tournaments at the beginning of the year and were shooting 307 and 304.
But the Rockets stalled a bit during the middle of the season. Central ended up finishing second in the Big Northern Conference to Rockford Lutheran, a team it had beaten during the dual portion of the league schedule. Central shot better at the sectional (313) than Rockford Lutheran did in winning the Class 1A Westminster Christian sectional title in Algonquin (320). Central shaved 26 strokes from its regional round.
“We were up and down, Twenhafel says. “We didn't shoot well in the conference tournament and at the regional we shot awful. I was thinking, ‘Oh boy.'
Central also got its coach's heart racing during the team's first nine holes at the sectional.
“We played the back nine (at Park Hills West in Freeport) and we made the turn and we had scores like 43 and 42, Twenhafel notes. “I'm thinking, ‘My gosh. We can't have scores like that and advance.'
But the front nine was a completely different story.
“The scores came in on the front and they were like 37, 38 and 39, Twenhafel says. “It was nerve-racking. We had a chance. I was pacing back and forth. The boys figured it out before I did. I told them to count it again. We made it. I can't say enough about the boys. These guys worked their fannies off over the summer to improve.
The Rockets have been paced this year by freshman Matt Weber, who shot a 1-under 71 at the sectional and finished second after a playoff for the individual title.
“We struggled at the conference tournament and in the regional, Weber says. “But I knew we had a pretty good team at the beginning of the year and we showed that by playing pretty well at the sectional.
“We're all good friends, adds senior Luke Fleming, who shot 80 at the sectional. “We all rely on each other. We all know we can shoot well. When we do have a bad round, someone else is there to pick us up. We all work well together.
Senior Matt Allison, like Fleming, has been a varsity golfer for his entire tenure at Central. Allison also shot 80 at the sectional.
“This really means a lot…an awful lot, Allison says. “I've been working my butt off for this for the last five years for a moment just like this. What we did is amazing. I can't believe we did it. We never give up. We thought this was very possible with the potential this team has. We thought we would be better this year. For us, it came down to the last day at sectionals to come together at the right time.
Junior Alex Power's 82 counted as Central's last score at Park Hills West. Senior Brent Wilkening and junior Lukas Smith also competed in the sectional. Not counting Weber, Central's 2-6 golfers at the sectional were separated by only 6 strokes.
“Matt Weber is a good freshman, Allison states. “But we needed to have three other scores at sectionals and we got them.
As far as Friday's state tournament goes, the Rockets want to do more than just say they played in a state tournament.
“We want to do as well as possible and show everybody we are a successful team and belong there, Weber says.
“The fact we are going Downstate is a big deal in itself, Fleming says. “If we go down there and shoot like we are capable of, we should be fine.
Burlington Central isn't the only area team headed to state. St. Edward will compete as a team in the Class 1A tournament at Prairie Vista in Bloomington. Green Wave junior Michael Holevas won the Westminster Christian sectional individual title.
Jacobs senior Scott Cahill and Crystal Lake South junior Nick Robles will compete in the Class 3A tournament at the Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.
On the girls side, Hampshire sisters Taylor and Connie Ellett are part of the Class AA state finals field at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth. Taylor Ellett tied for 43rd in Class AA last year. She was 46th in Class AA as a sophomore and tied for 21st in Class A as a freshman.