Crowns for Walsh, Prospect

Earlier this week, senior Allison Walsh was named Prospect High School's homecoming queen.

Late Saturday afternoon, she was the Queen of the Class AA girls golf state tournament at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur.

Not only did the Bradley-bound senior win the individual crown by 1 stroke (149 to 150 for 36 holes) over Hampshire senior Connie Ellett, but Walsh helped lead the Knights to the first girls state championship in school history.

Walsh's score combined with teammates Christine Garmoe (163), Kiley Walsh (165) and Emma Menich (170) gave Prospect a total of 643 to top defending state champ New Trier by 7 strokes.

Buffalo Grove junior Grace Kil (152) tied for fourth individually while Fremd (712) took 10th place, bettering its 2002 state-qualifying team which scored a 734.

“Never did I imagine this, never,” said Walsh, who set the school record for 9 holes (33 on her front nine) and 18 holes (72) with her round on Saturday. “Oh my gosh, I knew it was going to be a busy week but I didn't know it would work out this well.”

The Knights were scheduled for a police escort from Northwest Highway and Route 53 to the high school late Saturday night.

Walsh planned to take the trophy into the homecoming dance.

“Allison deserves this,” said Knights coach Jim Hamann, who has developed the program into one of the finest in the state in his seven seasons. “She broke all our school records and won the individual championship. I don't know how she could have had a better week than that. And it couldn't happen to a better person. Allison is top notch.”

Hamann had another special person in mind while celebrating the school's fifth sports title (three in football and one in boys golf in 1976).

“I'm just like our players,” he said. “I just wanted to make my parents proud and I think they are of the Knights today. My mom (Jalaine) was here and I wanted to win a state title for my dad (John, his high school coach and mentor who died 13 months ago). Hopefully, he is watching.”

Walsh's dramatic round included 3 birdies and her team's only eagle in the tourney.

Walsh was 4-under par after her first seven holes, including her eagle 3 on the par 5 No. 11. She hit the green with a 4-hybrid from 220 yards out on her second shot and sank a 7-footer.

“Allison hit the ball extremely solid,” Hamann said. “She hit bullets all weekend. And when you do that in 30-mph winds, it doesn't affect your ball as much as it can other players.”

Walsh almost decided to play tennis her freshman year.

Give an assist to Garmoe for steering Walsh's prep career to golf.

“Before freshman year, we did a lot of one-day golf trips, and Christine and I met as two incoming freshmen,” Walsh said. “She helped talk me into golf and we became best friends.”

Garmoe sank a 12-foot putt for a birdie and carded a 78 on Saturday, making a nice improvement from her 85 on Friday.

“I knew Christine would play well on Saturday,” Hamann said. “She has too much experience and talent.”

Garmoe capped the most successful four-year varsity career in Prospect girls golf history. She never lost a Mid-Suburban League meet.

“Wow, I can't even believe this,” she said. “I think what really helps us as a team is that we all get along so well.

“We just have so much fun and that's helped us the last two days. We just tried to stay focused and not let pressure get to us.”

Sophomore Kiley Walsh, sister of Allison, shot rounds of 83 and 82. She birdied the par 5 No. 11 hole with a 10-foot putt.

Fellow sophomore Emma Menich counted her two scores each day with an 84 and 86. Sophomore Noreen Caporusso (172) and senior Sarah Scaccia (178) rounded out the deep Knights lineup.

“Emma played very steady,” Hamann said. “One of her goals was for nothing more than bogeys and she did it. She kind of knew that was her role this weekend — to be a safety net, our backstop and she did it perfectly.

“I couldn't be happier for her. She's just a great athlete (basketball and softball) and that's what athletes have the ability to do — step up big-time.”

Junior Angie Kim tied for 23rd and her score of 163 is the best by a Fremd girl in the state tourney. The previous was Steph Calhoun's 177 on the school's 2002 team.

“I am so proud of our girls for making it downstate,” said Vikes coach Christine Vlaming. “Angie's performance was great. She represented the team well with two great days of golf. And she feels she can play better, which is great because she is only a junior.”

Vlaming said the Vikings were “incredibly happy” for the Prospect team.

“They are just a great group of girls and their coaching staff is phenomenal,” she said. “It's quite clear they wanted this since finishing fourth last year. They've worked real hard all year long and it showed this weekend.”

St. Viator sophomore Dana Gattone and Barrington sophomore Heather Ciskowski were part of a three-way tie for 15th with scores of 159 while Barrington freshman and Mid-Suburban League champ Julia Calbi was in a eight-way tie for 15th with a 162.

Kil's third straight appearance in the state finals was her best yet. She was 35th as a freshman, seventh as a sophomore and tied for fourth this weekend.

Kil shot an even-par 72, including 3 birdies, on Saturday.

“And I think she played even better than a 72,” said BG coach Matt Myers. “That score doesn't reflect how well she played. She even missed a few birdies which could have lowered her score but that's golf.”

As for Prospect's title, Myers couldn't be happier.

“How fantastic is that?” he said. “Grace is good friends with those girls. She's ecstatic for them. All these kids really are so supportive of each other and it's really cool to see.”

Five of the top six individuals played in the Buffalo Grove sectional as did four of the five top teams.

“That shows how tough our sectional was,” Myers added. “It shows how tough golf is in the northwest and north suburbs.”

And no one was tougher than Prospect this weekend.

“We are super excited to bring the first-place trophy back to our school,” Walsh said. “I was a little worried about distractions with it being homecoming week and that we wouldn't have our full focus. But it ended up perfect because it really kept us all excited and wrapped up in the school spirit all week.”

A week in which Prospect won the MSL boys soccer championship, a girls cross country league championship, its football homecoming game and a state girls golf title that will be remembered forever.