Prospect swings into action with victory

Host Conant calls it the "Early Bird Invite" but Prospect's girls golf team already appeared to be in midseason form on Monday at Fox Run Golf Club.

Led by senior Rachel Lawless's first-place score of 78, the Knights dominated the 14-team event with a 318, believed to be the best team score since the tourney began in the early 2000s.

Second-place finisher St. Charles North came in at 359.

"We even threw out a score of 84 (freshman Kiley Walsh)," said pleased Prospect coach Jim Hamann, whose team is the two-time defending Mid-Suburban League champ.

"We've been telling our girls all summer that we want to try and get into the 320s, and then after that the teens."

The Knights jumped ahead of schedule as senior Emily Mick (79), junior Allison Walsh (80) and junior Christine Garmoe (81) provided the other three scores to hit 318, just 4 strokes shy of the school record 314 set in 2007.

"Prospect just has so much depth," said first-year Conant coach and tourney director Megan Teschner Hebert. "I have so much respect for them. On any given day, I feel like any one of their players can shoot in the 70s."

After Lawless' career-best score, there was a four-way tie for second between Buffalo Grove sophomore Grace Kil, Hersey senior Megan Rogowski, Mick and St. Charles North's Ariana Farrie. They all shot 79s.

Also cracking the top 10 were Garmoe, Walsh and Buffalo Grove senior KC Dunne (88).

Prospect freshman Noreen Caporusso and senior Kelly Lawless and Fremd's Christiana Kim each shot 89s.

Rachel Lawless's big round included an eagle on the par 4 344-yard 12th hole.

She used a 7-iron from 135 yards out to hole her second shot. Lawless also had 9 pars on her scorecard.

"It's amazing that we shot like this for our first meet," Lawless said. "I thought my short chips were better than they have been before."

Hamann thought all his players stepped up.

"It's like having nine sponges on the varsity," he said. "They all soak up the information and work hard at it. I'm very very pleased with what they accomplished this summer. These kids are excited about golf.

"And it's really exciting to have Megan (Hebert) in the conference. She did a great job running a top notch tourney."