By Tim Cronin
Correspondent
The IHSA state golf championships were not kind to most area boys players, but the Mount Carmel boys team finished third in Class 2A.
The 2A tournament was held Oct. 6-7 at Weibring Golf Club in Normal.
Mount Carmel seniors Ryan Walsh and Michael O’Keefe tied for ninth place in the individual standings. Other Caravan golfers were senior Tim Christie, juniors Michael Schwartz and Marty Wilmes, and sophomore Santino Pilotto
Beyond the Caravan taking home some hardware, the best finish among local golfers was by Evergreen Park senior Colin Kelly, who shot a 3-over 74 in the final round and placed 21st in Class 2A. Kelly is a four-year varsity starter and was the Mustangs’ team MVP this season.
Sandburg senior Caleb Negley finished 24th in the boys Class 3A championship at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington. Negley scored consecutive rounds of 5-over 77 for 10-over 154 on the Arnold Palmer-designed course. He had two birdies on the first day and four on the second.
Finley Tyrrell, a Lyons sophomore, tied for 33rd in Class 3A, improving to 2-over 74 on Saturday after an opening 84 to total 14-over 158.
Roadrunner girls in Top 10
Nazareth’s girls team finished seventh in the Class 1A championship at Red Tail Run in Decatur, with Kacey Hughes’ matching 12-over 84s for a 24-over 168, landing the senior in a tie for 26th.
The Roadrunners scored a 140-over 716, 83 strokes behind the champions from downstate Mount Carmel. Gigi Montoro scored 84-89–173, tying for 31st.
Other Nazareth golfers were Maryssa Zielinski 91-88–179 (T40), Anna Bukovac 94-102–196 (T67), Caitlin Sullivan 102-102–204 (T71) and Claire Krema 119-111–230 (78th).
Lyons missed the team cut in the 2A championship at Hickory Point in Forsyth, but four players advanced to the second round individually, with senior Addison Watanabe tying for 61st at 25-over 169. She improved to a 9-over 81 on Saturday after an 88 on Friday in high winds on the largely open course. Watanabe was 1-over at the turn on Friday, but an inward 51 on Hickory Point’s front nine scuttled her chance for a high finish.
Other Lions were Amelia Van Vuren 85-91–176 (72nd), Isabella Evans 83-97–180 (75th), Keire Kessler 88-93–181 (T76), with Kayla Sinars (91) and Victoria Halon (93) missing the cut.
Individual state qualifiers in girls 2A included Andrew senior Grace Boyd 87-91–178 (74th) and three who missed the cut: Sandburg’s Brooke Adams (81), Stagg’s Kaeli Forde (91) and Andrew’s Brooke Visser (98).
