Knoll's on a roll, and Naperville North's headed downstate
There was no escaping what lay ahead for Raymond Knoll after his masterpiece last week.
“I was freaking about it all week,” Knoll said. “I don't know how I can back myself up after a 64.”
Knoll had seven fewer birdies than he did one week after rewriting the Naperville North boys golf books, but his steady play was emblematic of a dominant team performance Monday at the Class 3A Bartlett sectional.
Leading five teammates with scores in the 70s, Knoll fired a 1-over par 72 for solo third place as Naperville North trounced the field at Bartlett Hills with a 296 team total. West Suburban Silver Conference rivals Hinsdale Central (308) and Lyons Township (310) also earned berths to the state tournament this weekend in Bloomington with their four-man totals.
Wheaton Warrenville South was 4 shots off Lyons' finish to place fourth. Geneva was fifth at 319; senior Bill Gregory made the state field with a 76.
Conant, Addison Trail, Hinsdale South, St. Charles North and St. Charles East all failed to produce any at-large qualifiers in rounding out the middle of the field, while Lake Park and Naperville Central had one player each make the individual cut line, which fell at 5-over 76.
“The kids are loose, and we're playing well,” Naperville North coach Ryan Hantak said. “The kids are happy, but we want a bigger trophy.”
The moment of truth for Knoll came at the devilishly difficult par-4 15th hole. The junior, fifth in state last fall, snaked home a 15-footer to convert his fifth consecutive 1-putt par.
“That was a great feeling,” Knoll said. “I didn't have that many good looks for birdies today. But I was making all of my par putts.”
Eric Izzo and Jake Dunham carded 74s for Naperville North, and Michael Doherty concluded the 12-shot team win with a 76. Sean McDonnell and Braden Klaisle hard their respective rounds of 77 and 79 discarded.
“Our No. 1 goal was to get down (as a team),” Dunham said. “It didn't matter how we did it. I don't think anyone thought we would win by this much.”
Alec Meyer ended his final state preliminary in the same manner he opened the regular season: the Waubonsie Valley senior fired a sterling 2-under 69 to win medalist honors. The Warriors were 3-for-3 in state qualifiers on the afternoon as Alex Koulos and Eric Copeland each fired 76s to earn at-large bids as well.
“I kept my driver in the fairway,” Meyer said. “As long as I keep my driver in the fairway, I know I am going to play well. Three of us (from Waubonsie Valley) came in, and three of us are going out.”
Adam Kreiner and Matt Marsh also made history: the duo from Metea Valley became the first multiple state qualifiers in any sport in school history. Kreiner fired a 2-over 73 to finish fourth overall, and freshman Marsh was inside the cut line at 75.
“I wasn't confident until after the round ended,” Kreiner said. “I thought the cut line was going to be a lot lower.”
WW South senior Tee-K Kelly became a three-time state qualifier with his 76. Lake Park senior Troy Butler had a level-par 71 for runner-up, and Naperville Central junior standout Peter Mandich snared the final local individual berth with a 75.
Gregory was the last man standing for the Tri Cities. The majority of local entrants fell victim to wide disparity in scores between their nine-hole rounds. Gregory was the lone state qualifier with his round of 76. “The (later tee time) scores started coming in, and I knew I would be in a playoff at worst,” Gregory said. “I didn't want to be in a playoff. Who would want to be in a playoff?”
Colin Lillibridge was one of five players to miss out on potential playoff by 1 shot.
“I think the wet greens helped out a lot of players,” Geneva coach Bill Koehn said of the moisture from the sun coming out in the morning. “But (the course played much) differently once it dried out.”
“I don't have an explanation,” St. Charles North coach Rob Prentiss said of several of his players having a double-digit difference between sides. “I'll have to plead the Fifth. We dug ourselves an early hole.”
Beginning on the back nine, the North Stars collectively struggled. Raghav Cherala was the lone player to break 80 for St. Charles North. Sean Lencher and Max Kelly had matching 79s to lead St. Charles East.
“The back nine is always going to play harder than the front,” Lencher said. “There were a couple of holes (on the back) that played much tougher (than any of the front-nine par-4s).”
“It was a learning experience for us,” St. Charles East coach John Stock said.
Nathan Podraza led three Batavia at-large contenders with a 79. Xavier Owens, the Upstate Eight Valley individual champion, had his stellar South Elgin career come to a close. The Storm senior was also in the group of five players who shot a 77 to miss a potential state berth by a shot. None of the other local individual qualifiers — Jack McCracken (Larkin), Ryan Wolf (Bartlett), Ryan Starks (Bartlett) or Ryan Ford (South Elgin) — made the individual cut as well. Josh Yoo was the only Conant player to break 80.