Marmion advances with Waubonsie Valley, Metea Valley

Marmion had just enough cushion from its front-nine scores to capture its first largest-class boys golf regional in 32 years.

Waubonsie Valley was a paradigm of consistency.

But Metea Valley earned the third team slot out of the Class 3A Oswego regional almost on the basis of one swing when defending champion David Lipan recorded the rarest score in the sport, an albatross, or double eagle as it is more commonly known.

Two shots separated the three programs at Blackberry Oaks Golf Course in Bristol on Tuesday afternoon, and Marmion had four players break 80 to record a 310.

Waubonsie Valley junior Jack Troy was one of three players to finish runner-up to Lipan, whose 2-under-par 70 anchored the Mustangs to third place, a shot behind their sister school at 312.

Batavia, the defending champion, made a late run behind Nick Robinson and Andrew Nelson as the seniors fired respective rounds of 74 and 75.

But the Bulldogs and West Aurora had to settle for six combined at-large qualifiers to the St. Charles East sectional in placing fourth and fifth at 317 and 320.

"If we have (won a Class 3A regional), I haven't seen the plaque," Marmion coach Doug Roberts said. "Obviously, we're real excited about shooting 310 and winning the regional. We've got some preparation to do at St. Andrews and see if we can get below 300. Three-ten could finish dead last (on Monday)."

Nick Huggins is the lone non-senior in the Cadets' starting lineup, but the junior returning state qualifier made the turn at level-par 36 in also firing a tied-for-runner-up 74.

"For me it's real special because the other five guys are all seniors," Huggins said. "It's their last hurrah. I knew I had to find a way to make par (coming home). I knew if I could come in strong we would be OK."

Johnny Callahan, Jackson Clark and Luke Hoss were all in the high 70s to solidify the Cadets' first largest-division title since a Class AA championship in 1983.

"It came down to a few shots," Roberts said of the three team qualifiers.

Robinson and Nelson are returning to the sectional for Batavia with their rounds of 2- and 3-over par.

"I turned in even (par) and I was pretty confident I was at least going to make the individual cut," Robinson said. "I was thinking about the team (score). I just wanted to play my best."

For fellow senior Nelson, however, a return engagement was seriously jeopardized by a front-nine score of plus-5.

"The same thing happened to me at the (Hinsdale Central) sectional last year," Nelson said of his inward-nine 34. "I made the turn at 41 and turned it around. I always finish strong, but (the postseason) is about starting strong."

The individual cut was 81, and West Aurora will have an unofficial team at the sectional after Sam Lawless, Ryan Vanderway, Dean Lavery and Kerry Taylor punched St. Andrews' berths.

"To be truthful, I was hoping for the team to get out," West Aurora coach Jay Bauer said. "The next best thing is to get a lot of (individuals) out. Four is better than none."

Waubonsie Valley exorcised four consecutive bad state preliminary memories with its second-place team result.

The Warriors had finished fourth four years in a row before Troy, Jake Wright, Ryan Pawlowski and Nathan Martahan powered their runner-up 311 score.

"Today I was really striking the ball well," said Troy, the Warriors' top-ranked player who played his first 15 holes in level par. "I gave myself chances for pars. My lag putting was great. It's more of a team (concept) than individual now."

Three of the Warriors' fourth-place regional finishes came at the hands of Naperville Central.

"I'm a Naperville Central grad, but that was pretty tough to watch that," second-year Waubonsie Valley coach Eric Flodberg said. "The talent around this area is unreal. We won the tournament the other day at LaSalle-Peru. That was 22 teams, so I think that kind of carried the momentum into today."

Blackberry Oaks' 11th hole is a relatively short par-5.

Lipan was 1-over for the day when he purposely hit his drive down an adjacent fairway, No. 16.

"I know if I hit a good drive it should at least be a birdie hole," Lipan said. "I was about 175 yards out. I hit a 9-iron, hit it kind of thin, but it was right on line."

The Mustangs' senior did not have the luxury of watching the ball disappear.

"It bounced, but after that I lost it in the trees," Lipan said. "I was looking all over the green trying to find it. Then I checked the hole and saw it. I was in disbelief. I just wanted to see how well we could finish (as a team)."

Lipan ultimately played his inward-nine in 4-under to defend his regional title.

Mark Prakash added a solid 76 for Metea Valley, which as one of the early team starters had anxious moments as the last four teams finished.

"Counting an 85 is not what we planned on doing, but it all kind of balanced itself out at the end," Metea Valley coach Pat Brusveen said. "When you can throw a 70 in there, that makes up for a couple of higher scores."