By Troy Hayes
MaxPreps.com
Its individual state champion gone, Effingham St. Anthony just moved on, winning a second straight Class A girls golf title last week.
With last year’s individual Class A champ, Jaclyn Jansen, graduated, the balanced Bulldogs shed 40 strokes from their Friday total to help make up a 17-shot deficit on first-round leader Rockford Lutheran at Hickory Ridge Golf Course in Carbondale.
"I will admit frustration and doubt started to creep into our minds," St. Anthony coach Kevin Behl told the Effingham Daily News. "A 17-stroke deficit is not what the girls had in mind."
Emily Calhoon, a senior, ended her fourth trip to state in a three-way tie for sixth place, shooting 87-76 to lead her club's efforts.
But the biggest turnaround for the Bulldogs came from sophomore Kelly McHugh. McHugh shot an opening-round 100 but bounced back with an 83 on Saturday.
"After Friday's struggles, we had a heart-to-heart," said Behl of McHugh.
St. Anthony’s boys ended third in Class A behind Champaign St. Thomas More and Benton.
Behind a third-place finish from senior Ryan Murphy, St. Thomas More’s total of 609 was 18 shots better than Benton’s.
Saturday's win was the final step in a four-year journey for Murphy and senior teammates Clark Schmidt and Ian Tate. Advancing to state in its three previous high school seasons, they never could get over the hump, finishing last as freshmen, sixth as sophomores and third last year.
Addison Driscoll’s GiGi DeGrazia was first individually in the Class A girls competition with St. Thomas More’s Katie Jean second and Okawville’s Shaina Rennegarbe third. Brimfield‘s Travis Kreiter won the Class A boys title and Dustin Korte of Massac County was second.
Marion High won the girls Class 2A title behind Cassie Rushing’s seventh-place 151 total. Individually, Kris Yoo of Conant, Jamie Lavin of Deerfield and Ember Schuldt of Sterling were first, second and third, respectively.
Marion rallied from a two-shot deficit on Friday. Rushing’s twin sister, Ashleigh, helped lead the charge with a 154 total, Campbell Hunt shot 164 and Lauren Bond 167.
Kyle English led Normal University to its sixth straight Class 2A boys title with a third-place total of 144, two shots off the pace set by Wheaton Academy’s David Flynn. Bloomington’s Alex Burge was second at 143.
Normal U-High (600) held off Centralia (609) and Wheaton Academy (613) for its record-tying win. U-High and Centralia were tied after 27 holes.
Must See Football
With bubble teams fighting for their playoff lives, any school that is 4-4 is worth watching this week, regardless of the competition.
Class 1A teams fighting for their seasons: Deer Creek-Mackinaw (at 3-5 Tremont); Orangeville (at 2-6 Ashton-Franklin Center); Central A&M (at 6-2 Macon Meridian); East Dubuque (at 8-0 Milledgeville); Milford (at 0-8 Hoopeston Area).
Class 2A: Elmhurst Immaculate Conception (at 0-8 Aurora Central Catholic); Elmwood-Brimfield (vs. 6-2 Alexis United); Chester (at 2-6 Dupo); Athens (vs. 0-8 Mendon Unity); Petersburg PORTA (at 8-0 Carthage Illini West); Fulton (at 6-2 Morrison); Toledo Cumberland (at 2-6 Oblong); Havana (vs. 6-2 Bushnell-Prairie City); McLeansboro Hamilton County (at 4-4 Fairfield).
Class 3A: Paris (vs. 6-2 Trenton Wesclin); Newton (at 8-0 Breese (Mater Dei); Pana (vs. 2-6 East Alton-Wood River); St. Joseph-Ogden (vs. 1-7 Paxton-Buckley-Loda); Lisle (vs. 6-2 Sandwich); Sesser-Valier (vs. 6-2 Johnston City); New Berlin (vs. 6-2 Pawnee); Peru St. Bede (at 0-8 Varna Midland); Fairfield (vs. 4-4 McLeansboro Hamilton County): Camp Point Central (at 2-6 Beardstown); Benton (vs. 7-1 Anna-Jonesboro); Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton (vs. 0-8 Elkville Elverado); Sherrard (at 2-6 Knoxville); Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran (vs. 0-4 Colorado Springs, CO)
Here are a few more;
Class 2A
No. 3 Auburn (8-0) at Virden (6-2): Nothing would be finer for Virden than to spoil a perfect run.
No. 7 Clifton Central (7-1) at No. 5 Momence (7-1): Big battle of ranked teams in the
No. 8 GCMS (7-1) at Fisher (7-1): The Bunnies are hot after an appearance on national TV.
Class 3A
No. 8 Oregon (8-0) at Class 4A No. 6 Stillman Valley (8-0): Biggest game of the small classes hands down.
No. No. 4 Greenville (8-0) vs. Piasa Southwestern (5-3): One more time on the road for field-less Greenville before playoffs.
No. 6 Aledo-Westmer (7-1) at Stark County (6-2): For a share of the West Prairie Trail (Northwest) Conference title.
