Warriors 4th at invite
Ashley Armstrong, Alex Lederhausen and Brooke Bettis were a tough act to follow Saturday at the Naperville North Invitational.
The three female golfers from Homewood-Flossmoor, Hinsdale Central and St. Charles North, respectively, birdied the first hole at Naperbrook Golf Course in Plainfield.
It was only the beginning.
By the time the talented trio was finished, 9 more birdies followed in their collective wake, as it was Armstrong, a freshman, who outlasted state veterans Lederhausen and Bettis.
Armstrong, who began her day with back-to-back tap-ins for birdies, made the turn at 2-under-par 34 and added her fifth and final birdie on the inward nine to take top individual honors of the prestigious tournament with a 71.
Lederhausen, the Red Devils' reigning Class AA individual champion, was second with a 73, and Bettis, who nearly eagled the par-4 fifth hole, settled for a third-place 75.
St. Charles East finished a strong third.
The Saints' Rachael Edwards had a career-low round with a 77 to place fourth overall, and sophomores Jenny Niemiec and Rebecca Norris further enunciated the theme of personal lows to flavor a 332 finish.
The two underclassmen posted an 80 and 82, respectively, and the Saints were comfortably ahead of Upstate Eight Conference rival Waubonsie Valley for third.
The Warriors were fourth at 350, one better than Naperville North; Neuqua Valley was sixth with a 356, and Wheaton North squeezed past Wheaton Warrenville South by 3 for seventh.
St. Charles North and Naperville Central rounded out the local entrants in the 16-team field.
Returning state qualifier Tory Blumenshine led Waubonsie Valley with a seventh-place 79, and fellow senior Caitlyn Miklasz added an 86 for the Warriors.
"I played pretty solid," said Blumenshine, who opened with an outward-nine 38. "On the back (nine) I had too many bogeys and the double (on No. 10) that threw my whole round off."
Neuqua Valley two-time state qualifier Hannah Buck was in the marquee lead foursome, but faulty approach shots left her with a disappointing 78.
The junior did redeem herself with several notable par saves with her short game.
"That's been my biggest improvement," Buck said of her pitching and chipping.
Two other state returnees -- Naperville North senior Amanda Bruski and WW South junior Molly O'Connor -- led their respective squads with an 80 and 79.
Wheaton North junior Nicole Bronson led the Falcons with an 89.