Girls golf: Benet returns to top of ESCC mountain
After closing out the last decade with four straight East Suburban Catholic Conference championships, Benet's girls golf team is back on top for the first time this decade.
After taking third last year and second in 2020, coach Mike Bremner's girls from Lisle edged defending champion St. Viator 326-330 to win the crown at Highland Woods in Hoffman Estates on Tuesday. Carmel took third place with a 353.
Speaking of the new decade, St. Viator's Maggie Carlson is perfect in ESCC action as the sophomore earned her second title, this time firing an impressive 1-under 71.
Former St. Viator standouts Dana Gattone and Katie Reisinger were three-time individual conference champs.
Next closest to Carlson was Benet's Audrey Wake (76) and Jenna Shilts (77) while Carmel's Kate Roberts (78) and St. Viator's Lili Zicarelli (80) rounded out the top five medalists.
Carlson birdied No. 4 (par 3), No. 9 (par 4) and the par-5 No. 11 where she had an 11-foot putt for eagle.
"This is our home course so I know it very well," she said about her dominant performance, one year after she shot a 72 to win the ESCC crown at Inwood Golf Course in Joliet. "I hit my driver well, my irons were pretty good and my putting was anything crazy but it got the job done. It's fun and exciting to do this with my team which had played well for the second straight year."
"Maggie is one of the best players in the state," said Lions coach Mick Drewes. "She is just a very good player and I didn't think anyone could come close to her. She is playing so well. She is very long off the tee and she had great fundamentals in her short game. She just knows how to play the game."
Carmel's score included an 87 from Macaire Everett, 91 from Scarlett Lindgren and 97 from Meredith Hubbartt.
"I was very pleased," said first-year coach Greg Osgood. "The girls grinded it out today. All of them really put forth tremendous efforts. It was tough on the front nine but they all really grinded it out on the back nine to bring it home. Everyone stepped up."
Rounding out the field were Nazareth Academy (383), Marist (423) and Joliet Catholic (461).