St. Charles East rebounds
BLOOMINGTON John Stock had his worst fears realized in opening-round action at the Class 3A boys golf state tournament on Friday.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot, the veteran St. Charles East coach said. “I would have never envisioned that.
But Jordan Wetsch and Co. rebounded under pleasant conditions Saturday at The Den at Fox Creek.
Wetsch, the Saints' Wisconsin-bound standout, had the low round of the tournament.
The senior, beginning on the back nine, torched his opening-nine with a 3-under 33, ultimately reaching 5-under when he added another pair of birdies early on his inward nine.
A poor chip shot and subsequent 3-putt ended his chances at what would become a playoff between Waubonsie Valley senior Thomas O'Bryan and Crystal Lake South junior Nick Robles.
“I tried to hit a 60 degree wedge and should have probably hit a pitching wedge, Wetsch said of his pitch shot that landed not only short by also directly above the hole. “I just wanted to keep attacking. There were other rounds this year where I was going low and thought I became too conservative. (The round) should have been a 67, but I'll take that 69. It was a good way to end my career.
The senior then had 3 pars to end his round, the lowest of the competition by any in the 112-player field.
Ironically, it also meant that not a single player in 12 chances for St. Charles East shot in the 70s during the two-day tournament.
Stephen Osland, Nate Esler and Jon Woods were sequentially 2 shots apart at 81 through 85 as the Saints managed to improve their standing dramatically with the 318 total.
When all the team shots were tallied, the Saints had finished seventh for the second straight year.
“Look at our (Naperville Central) sectional? Stock said. “We had the third-place team (Naperville North), the fifth-place team (Hinsdale Central) and the seventh-place team. Seventh in the state two years in a row. There's not too many schools who can say that.
Lake Forest won its first state title since 2004, and O'Bryan, who has also verbally committed to Wisconsin, denied Robles in a two-hole playoff for the individual championship.
Girls tournament: At the girls Class AA tournament near Decatur, Kaneland senior Hayley Guyton had her decorated career come to a close with an eighth-place finish.
The runner-up last year had a 77 to finish with two-day total of 152.
“It was one of my favorite rounds I've played, Guyton said. “I knew I was probably too far out of contention. I just wanted to finish in the top 10.
St. Francis' Kayla Stueland and St. Charles East senior Nicole Rae, when combined with Guyton, closed out their careers with 10 state appearances between them.