For a program that had never won a regional, Andrew’s girls golf team came into this year’s postseason with some confidence.
It all started a month before, when the IHSA released its regional assignments for Andrew’s own Class 2A tournament at Silver Lake in Orland Park.
Coach Tim O’Shea said the players saw the writing on the wall.
“We knew the competition going in and we had beaten most of those schools during the year,” he said. “When the assignments came out, we had some excitement and said, ‘Hey, this could be it.’
“They embraced that mentality and during the month before regionals, they committed every single day to bust their butts and remain focused every practice and every match leading up to it.”
And they did it.
Despite some early miseries on the front nine, the Thunderbolts rallied and fired a 376, eight shots ahead of Marist, for the historic triumph on Sept. 29.
Senior Lily Konczyk led the Thunderbolts with an 88, junior Alison Herrmann added a 90, senior Amanda August fired a 96 and junior Cara Kenny had a 102.
Konczyk, a senior who is also a co-student body president, started playing golf in eighth grade after leaving hockey. She couldn’t believe what the team accomplished this year.
“It’s hard to wrap my head around,” she said. “When I was a freshman and if you told me then that we would all come up and accomplish this, I wouldn’t have believed you. Super shocked but also super happy.”
Konczyk hopes to go to Auburn, Clemson, Kentucky or Illinois to study medicine with her eyes on being an optometrist or dentist.
“She is known by every staff member in this school and is just a ball of energy,” O’Shea said. “She is an amazing young lady.”
In other postseason action, Lyons won the Class 2A Reavis Regional with a 342, 15 shots ahead of Mother McAuley at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club. Lions senior Mekayla Genovesi was the medalist with a 77.
In boys golf, Mount Carmel won the Class 3A Jones Regional on Sept 30 at George Dunne National with a 316 — three shots better than Payton. Sophomore Bear Johnson led the Caravan with a 77.
Sandburg won its own regional on a tiebreaker with St. Rita as both scored 317 on Oct. 2 at Glenwoodie. Sandburg freshman Zach Madsen shot a 77 and won a playoff over St. Rita’s Braden Miles for medalist honors.
St. Laurence won its own Class 2A regional Oct. 2 at Green Garden with a 322. Junior Joey Sinisi was medalist with a 78. It was the Vikings’ first regional title since 1991.
Sectionals were scheduled for Oct. 5, and state meets are scheduled for Oct. 9-10 at various sites in central Illinois.