Girls golf: Wallace stays white hot for Barrington as Fillies, Stevenson, Fremd advance to state

Reese Wallace grew up playing Randall Oaks Golf Club with her grandfather.

She returned Monday and practically grew wings.

The Barrington senior and Texas Christian University commit fired a remarkable 12-under-par 59 — featuring 12 birdies and no bogeys — to earn medalist honors and lead the Fillies to the Class 2A Jacobs sectional championship on a sunny, mild afternoon.

Wallace was 7-under through 10 holes. She got hotter.

“I was thinking more about my team than my round today,” Wallace said.

Barrington shot 285, one over par for its four counting scores, to capture its first sectional championship since 2018. Stevenson finished second at 299 and Fremd grabbed the third and final team berth to this weekend’s state meet with a 327.

The state tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur.

Wallace first struck a golf ball at Randall Oaks when she was seven. Monday, while producing what Barrington coach Tim Martin called the greatest round he had ever witnessed, she found herself looking backward as well as forward.

“As the sun was setting on hole eight, I had vivid memories of playing here,” Wallace said.

Martin had a front-row seat for the show.

“That was the greatest round of golf I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I’m honored to have watched it. She made long putts, didn’t miss a drive. Reese birdied her first hole and was off and running. She’s elite in all facets of the game.”

Runner-up Madeline Gutierrez of Conant had a memorable round, too, carding a 7-under 64.

Wallace, fifth at state last fall after finishing eighth and fourth in her first two appearances, had plenty of help. Barrington’s Teagen Carden shot a 1-under 70 to finish third, freshman Addison Yoon carded a 74 for sixth, and Olivia Yoon added an 82.

Victoria Shao paced Stevenson with a 74, followed by Emma Fiocchi (75), Ava Alimissis (75), Lily Wang (75), Campbell Ray (77) and Nanette Song (77).

Fremd, meanwhile, is headed to state for the first time since 2011.

The Vikings went out in the first wave Monday, and coach Jeremy Malinowski wanted them to post a number that would make the regional champions playing later feel some heat.

Senior Alia Brazeau led Fremd with a 72, responding to a double bogey at No. 15 by going birdie-par-par. Junior Kathy Lee shot 80, senior Cara Spahic 84, and junior Kaitlyn Cheong — Fremd’s No. 6 golfer this fall — supplied a crucial 91.

“Resilient,” Malinowski said.

Fremd and Libertyville were tied for third through 14 holes before the Vikings pulled away.

“We’ve had to battle against a congestion of talent — Stevenson, Barrington, New Trier, Glenbrook North,” Malinowski said. “I need these girls to get recognition.”

Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen — who received a fifth-place 73 from first-time state qualifier Kenzie Christie — knew Randall Oaks, with its abundance of water and sand, would reward accuracy and the ability to forget mistakes.