Benet, Napervilles send 8 to sectional

Many players and coaches gathered for Wednesday’s girls golf Class AA Hinsdale Central regional at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge spoke of the difficulty of the 5,262-yard course.

So the objective of the golfers was simple — play well enough to advance and don’t worry about how it looks.

Eight golfers from Benet, Naperville Central and Naperville North move on to Monday’s Marist sectional at Old Oak Country Club in Homer Glen for a shot at the state meet that begins the following Friday.

For Naperville North it was a day of both joy and disappointment.

The disappointment came from finishing 1 stroke behind Downers Grove South (367) for the third and final sectional team berth.

Taylor Arenson and Lauren Bruski paced things for the Huskies.

“I think we played really well as a team,” Arenson said. “But you begin to think if there was one putt you could have made or one shot I could have done differently.”

Seven Bridges forces a golfer to deal with water on every hole on the back nine, either on the side or as an obstacle. Bruski said the mental game was extremely important Wednesday.

“You had to keep your head together if you had a bad hole. And I think you see the different in scores with the players that did that,” she said.

The Huskies ended the afternoon on a good point as sophomore Caroline Pierson finished with a bogey to win a one-hole playoff on the 11th hole to earn the 10th and final individual qualifying spot.

“At the start of the day, I was confident. My mom was real supportive and so were my teammates. First, I was nervous. Then I was excited. I didn’t go to sectionals last year so this will be a new experience,” she said.

Benet finished on the heels of Naperville North in fifth place at 372. Emily Callahan, Ali Mahoney and Christy Callahan are all sectional-bound.

“I’m disappointed as a team. We didn’t shoot today as well as we have,” coach Tony LaScala said. “But I’m happy with the three girls moving on.”

“Obviously, it was tough out there. I didn’t play that well. But the key is to get out and move on,” Christy Callahan said.

Naperville Central seniors Sarah DeGeeter and Hannah Zeeb each shot an 87 to confirm their spots Monday at Old Oak. The Redhawks were seventh as a team (381).

DeGeeter, like most seniors, wanting to make the most of her final high school season and do whatever it takes to reach sectionals.

“I just wanted to hit the ball straight and overcome the (water) obstacles. That’s what I was thinking,” DeGeeter said.

Naperville Central coach Jane Thompson was happy with DeGeeter and Zeeb advancing and also how some of her younger golfers handled Seven Brdiges.

“With the freshmen and sophomores, this is their first regional. I was pleased with how they did on the backside,” she said.

Hinsdale Central won the meet with a 319 followed by Lyons Township at 345.