Upstate Eight girls golfers make their mark
FORSYTH, Ill. —The Upstate Eight Conference is one of the leading stories after the first day of the girls individual Class AA state golf tournament.
Waubonsie Valley freshman Bing Singhsumalee took the first-round lead on Friday with a 75 at Hickory Point as unmerciful winds enabled only 12 players to break 80.
Geneva sophomore Abby Luchtenburg, making her second appearance in as many years to the par-72 layout at Hickory Point north of Decatur, had the low score among the four area Upstate Eight members with an 82.
“I read the greens a lot better,” Luchtenburg said after a near-disastrous 43-putt outing at the Marist sectional on Tuesday. “My distance control was very good.”
Unlike so many other contestants, Luchtenburg was able to stay away from high numbers with the exception of a double-bogey at No. 12.
“It was a stupid double,” Luchtenburg said.
St. Charles East junior Paige Jordan fought back after a 9-over-par outward-nine hole score to lower her second side by 7 shots in posting an 83.
“I don’t really care (where I finish),” Jordan said. “I just want to play well. I had a good eye toward (the front nine after starting on the back) after my practice round. I knew I could shoot around par.”
St. Charles North junior Ariana Furrie matched the Jordan total, albeit while struggling with four high numbers.
“I was hoping to be in the top five,” Furrie said. “I was missing greens (in regulation). The little putts that I normally make I was missing today.”
Batavia senior Tara Cullerton returned to the state stage after failing to reproduce her sophomore showing last year.
The Bulldogs’ four-year leader displayed a different mental approach in firing an 85.
“I know I’m not going to win state,” Cullerton said. “It’s all about going out there and doing the best I can. I don’t think I’ve ever played in this much wind before.”
Luchtenburg enters second-day play tied for 16th; Jordan and Furrie are in a group knotted at 26th, and Cullerton is in another top-40 group.
Singhsumalee leads Barrington sophomore Heather Cioskowski and Hampshire senior Connie Ellett by 2 shots for individual titlist, while Prospect (325) holds a 4-shot lead over defending state champion New Trier for the team title.
Boys state: Marmion finds itself in fifth place after the first day of the Class 2A after shooting 41 over par.
The Cadets are 19 strokes off the pace of Belleville Althoff.
Senior Matthew Fazio led the way with a 77, 38 on the front and 39 on the back.
Junior Liam Creamer followed with an 80, then came Zach Woytych at 83.
Marshall Kanute (85), Joe Fritz (87) and Brett Koskinen (89) completed Marmion’s lineup.
Burlington Central’s Matt Weber fired a 75, good for eighth place.
In Class 3A, Geneva’s Bill Gregory is tied for 86th place after shooting 86.