Menich, Walsh pace Prospect victory
Senior Emma Menich said the Prospect girls golf team approaches every meet with same attitude, regardless of the opponent.
“We take every match seriously,” she said. “We want go out, have fun and do the best we can.”
Menich produced one of her best rounds of the season on Monday.
It helped the Knights win one of their biggest meets of the season.
In a battle of undefeated Mid-Suburban League teams, Menich and teammate Kiley Walsh fired 38s to lead the Knights to a 155-164 victory over Fremd on the Vikings’ home course.
Vikings senior Dorothy Feng shot a 1-over-par 37 on the front nine of Palatine Hills to earn medalist honors.
Menich, who shot a 38 for the third time this season, finished with a 12-foot putt for birdie on No. 8 and then parred No. 9.
“Emma’s score was huge — she finished strong,” said Knights coach Jim Hamann, whose team improved to 9-0 while Fremd now stands at 8-1. “She played really well.
“She recovered very well from her miss-hits. She is playing very well and practicing well so we are real excited about Emma’s next few weeks of golf.”
Walsh’s round of golf on Monday also included a birdie on the par-4 No. 8 with a tap-in putt.
The Illinois State recruit hit 8 fairways.
“I was driving well,” Walsh said. “I just kept it simple. I just wanted to put myself in position for a low score. The putts didn’t drop but they will.”
Seniors Ally Saccia and Noreen Caporusso, who finished one-two in the Rockford Invite two days earlier, shot a 39 and 40 respectively. Kacie O’Donnell also came in with a 40 for the Knights, who have not lost an MSL dual meet since 2007.
“Whenever you play golf, you know every stroke counts,” Walsh said. “Especially when you play Fremd. A tap-in putt or 250-yard drive means the same thing. You must treat every single shot and putt the same.
“It’s always fun to play Fremd. We must really step up our game all week.”
The Knights finish MSL dual meet play with Buffalo Grove on Wednesday and Barrington on Thursday.
“I’m really excited that we put ourselves in great position to win the conference dual meet standings,” said Hamann, whose club is 94-3 in MSL meets since he took over the program in 2005.
Completing the Fremd scorecard were Jennifer Kim (40), Jae Hee Hurr (42) and Kelly O’Sullivan (45) and Haezi Jung (45).
“I thought our girls came out with a good effort,” said Fremd coach Christine Vlaming. “We made some mistakes that we’ll learn from. We have played better here.”
Feng’s round of 37 was one of her best. She hit every green in regulation on Monday.
She has shot a 34 as part of an 18-hole score of 68 at Green Garden Country Club in Frankfort.
“It was nice to see Dorothy get medalist honors,” Vlaming said. “She’s just so consistent. If she 3-putts, she’ll recover. She has the right mind-set so that is huge.”
St. Viator senior Dana Gattone also had a huge round at Palatine Hills on Saturday.
While Fremd and Prospect competed on the front nine, Gattone and her Lions won a dual meet against Palatine on the back nine 181-229.
Gattone, an Illinois recruit, fired a par 36, just missing a 35 when her 8-foot par putt rimmed out on the ninth hole.
Gattone use a nice draw to punch out her second shot from the trees on the dogleg left. The shot landed just off the green.
“I was so close,” Gattone said of going under par. She finished the round with 7 birdies, one birdie and the bogey.
Earlier in the season, in a meet against Fremd, Gattone shot a par 35 on the front nine at Palatine Hills.
Seniors Chrissy Wimberly and Courtney Christophe each shot 47 for the Lions while sophomore Paige Patano’s 51 completed their score card.
Palatine was led by Carolyn Angillo and Hannah Colbrook who each shots 55s.