At the Illinois High School Association boys and girls golf state finals Friday, the first round set the stage for Saturday’s critical second day at courses across Bloomington-Normal and Decatur. Teams and individuals battled for a spot among the top eight squads and 40 leading solo golfers in their classes, aiming to secure a place in the final rounds.
At Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington, the Class 1A boys teams opened with tight scoring. Red Bud led with a 308, edging out Niles Northridge Prep (309) and Pittsfield (310). Illini West posted a 312, buoyed by junior Nolan Murphy’s 71, the second-best round of the day. Other advancing teams included Teutopolis at 314 and Byron at 324. Delavan made the cut at 328 thanks to Grady Burrell’s 76. Erie just squeezed into the top eight with 331. Brimfield, with Will Snyder shooting an 80, finished 350 and did not advance.
Owen Van Zuiden of Fulton topped the Class 1A boys leaderboard with a 69, followed by Illini West’s Nolan Murphy at 71 and Virden North Mac freshman Colin Thoroman at 72. Brody Tomhave from Pittsfield and senior Noah Plym of Hall tied at 73. Peoria-area golfers such as Carter Senko (Fieldcrest, 76) and Elijah Ackerman (Peoria Christian, 82) also advanced individually despite their teams not qualifying.
At Weibring Golf Club in Normal, the Class 2A boys leaderboard featured West Chicago Wheaton Academy dominating with a team score of 286. Quincy Notre Dame followed at 292, then Arlington Heights St. Viator at 299. Lake Forest came in at 300, Effingham St. Anthony at 305, and Breese Mater Dei at 306. Normal U-High and Lake Villa Lakes tied at 307, completing the top eight.
Ben Patel and Owen Coniaris of West Chicago Wheaton Academy both shot 68 to share the top individual spot in Class 2A boys. Peoria Notre Dame’s Jack Coulter carded a 69, while Normal U-High’s Jack Quinn shot 70. Quincy Notre Dame’s Harper Hough and Dawson Freeman posted 71s, with Peoria area golfers Isaiah Farraher of Metamora at 74 and Alex O’Leary of Peoria Notre Dame at 76 also advancing.
The Class 3A boys round at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course saw Evanston lead with 287, followed by Edwardsville at 293 and Naperville North, Arlington Heights Hersey, and Lisle Benet Academy all close behind. Dunlap and Hinsdale Central tied at 308 to complete the advancing teams. Lester Low, a junior from Evanston, shot the day’s lowest score, a 66. Hinsdale Central’s Michael Jorski was next at 67, with several players in the low 70s rounding out the top 10.
Pekin’s Will Brown, a sophomore, was the lone advancing golfer from the Peoria area in Class 3A boys with a 76.
The girls finals played out at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur for Class 1A and Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth for Class 2A. Quincy Notre Dame led the Class 1A girls’ teams with a 324, followed by Breese Mater Dei and Alton Marquette. Metamora secured fourth place at 349, propelled by Addie Mitchell’s 82. Bloomington Central Catholic and Byron also advanced. Illini West finished 362 and did not advance. Brooklyn Phillips of Effingham St. Anthony shot the lowest score of 72 in Class 1A girls.
Class 2A girls saw Lincolnshire Stevenson open with a 295 at Hickory Point, leading the field. Frankfort Lincoln-Way East and Hinsdale Central tied at 303 and 307, respectively, with Barrington matching Hinsdale Central’s 307. Dunlap, Edwardsville, and Roselle Lake Park tied at 322 to round out the advancing teams. Taylor Miller of Plainfield East shot a 66, the day’s best in Class 2A girls.
Peoria-area golfers Elizabeth Nieukirk of Morton and Ella Herchenroder of Galesburg advanced with scores of 80 and 84, respectively.
The top teams and individuals will return Saturday for the second round. After that, the top three teams in each class will earn state trophies, while the top 10 individual golfers in each event will receive state medals. The Peoria area’s significant presence—with 27 individuals and seven teams—remains in contention as the finals continue.
According to Yahoo Sports.
