Girls golf: Winds of fate favor Barrington
For the second straight year, Mother Nature wasn't all that kind to Mid-Suburban League girls golfers.
Also for the second straight year, Barrington golfers were hardly fazed - even those who weren't in high school 12 months ago.
Fillies freshman Caroline Smith bucked the nearly 30-mph winds and fired a 2-under 66 to help lead Barrington to a team score of 301, easily outdistancing runner-up Prospect (323).
"This was probably the windiest conditions I've ever played in," said Smith whose previous best rounds were a 69 for high school try outs in August and a 70 in an Illinois Junior Golf Association tournament. "It was hard because you had to know how much to club up and club down. You had to go with your gut feeling. It was staying calm and keeping a clear mind that led me to this round."
The Fillies also had the second-best round with sophomore Nicole Ciskowski shooting a 74. Rounding out their score card was two-time defending champ Reena Sulkar (80) and Shivani Majmudar (81).
"We all were swinging well," said Smith, who had 4 birdies, 2 bogeys and 12 pars. "Clear minds and confidence helped us. I felt pretty good going into the meet. I had a great lesson on Sunday and it gave me confidence that I could do it."
Sulkar, a senior who won the individual title in off-and-on rain and windy conditions last year at Fox Run, hardly went unnoticed in her final conference meet.
She registered a hole-in-one on No. 14.
Her 7-iron shot from 126 yards landed about 10 feet from the cup and rolled in for her second career hole-in-one, first in high school.
Barrington's 301 easily topped its score from a year ago (320).
Mid-Suburban East champion Buffalo Grove, which went 10-1 in dual meet play, placed third.
The Bison shot a 343, followed by Hersey (351), Conant (356), Fremd (364), Schaumburg (381), Wheeling (385), Palatine (405), Elk Grove (415), Rolling Meadows (425) and Hoffman Estates.
The Fillies went also 11-0 in dual meet play for the second straight year.
"This team has so much heart and determination," said Hall of Fame coach Jodi Schoeck. "They were able to roll with the obstacles and focus to overcome them."
Ciskowski's 74 included 11 pars and a birdie on hole No. 15 where she drove the green.
"I tried not to think about the weather," said Ciskowski, who owns a career-best round of 71. "Let the wind be the wind. You've just got to say "OK, I'll choose this club and what happens, happens.' "
There happened to be a tie for third as Prospect senior Sabrina Accardi and BG junior Haeri Lee each shot 78s.
Lee went 39-39 on her two rounds, including a birdie on hole No. 11.
"Oh my God, it was the worst wind ever," she said. "I've never played in worse wind for a high school meet.
"There were definitely a lot of strokes I didn't take advantage because of the weather. That was my only regret. Other than that I thought it went OK."
Completing the score card for the East champs were Jasmine Yi (80), Grace Gran (82) and Katie Fontanetta (93).
Accardi's best high school round of 78 (42-36) helped lead the Knights' charge to second place along with classmate Mary Schafer (80), sophomore Emily Fleming (82) and Katie Ponzi, also a senior.
"We counted the scores of all three of our seniors," said Prospect coach Jim Hamann. "And that's the kind of leaders they are.
"We are very proud of having five all-conference golfers (Margherite Pettenzzo was 18th with a 86)."
Schafer was playing at the No. 6 spot and produced her personal-best round.
"For Mary to shoot an 80 playing on the back end is huge," Hamann said. "Mary showed she is a tough kid."
"It was very difficult conditions. I'm very proud of the way the girls prepared for this and the direction they are headed. We keep gaining confidence every meet and all 10 varsity girls have a tremendous work ethic. We are looking forward to having a lot of fun these last three weeks."
Also cracking the top 20 and earning all-conference honors on Monday were Buffalo Grove's Yi (80), Wheeling's Samantha Rohwedder (82), Prospect's Fleming (82), Palatine's Jenny Myslinski (82), Wheeling's Adrienne Rohwedder (83), Prospect's Ponzi (83), Schaumburg's Jennifer Cappello (83), Barrington's Ishani Majmudar (84), Hersey's Megan Kopeny (84), Hersey's Claire Rogowski (84), Prospect's Pettenuzzo (86), Conant's Nimra Syed (87) and Conant's Lina Jang (87).
Rogowski's 84 tied her sister's Megan's personal best round in high school about six years ago.
"To shoot a 66 (Smith of Barrington) is amazing," said Hersey coach and Tuesday's host director Dan Vesper. "But to do it on a day with the wind like it was is ridiculous. That's the only way I can describe it."