WOOD RIVER - The Marquette Catholic girls golf team did it again - the Explorers captured their five straight IHSA Class 1A Regional Girls Golf Tourney title on Thursday at Belk Park Golf Course. Other area teams and individuals also had strong performances throughout the 18-hole day.
The Explorers won with a team score of 355, with Highland second at 364 and McGivney third, claiming the last team spot to advance to Monday's sectional, with a 372. Fourth place went to Litchfield at 396, Jersey finished fifth at 401, Civic Memorial was sixth at 438, Raymond Lincolnwood came in seventh with a 472, and Staunton was eighth with a 507. The host Shells, Carlinville, Ramsey, Greenville, Mt. Olive, Hillsboro, and Metro-East Lutheran also had golfers competing, but didn't record a team score.
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Hyten won the individual medal with her 71, while Lilly Montague of the Explorers was second with an 81, a three-way tie for third saw Brooke Hunsche of Highland, Ava Bartosiak of Marquette, and Marlee Whitler of Carlinville all shoot an 84 each, with Hunsche coming in third, Bartosiak fourth and Whitler fifth on a scorecard playoff, Jersey's Bria Tuttle was sixth with an 85, Laura Boston of the Purple Panthers was seventh at 86, Jerra LaPlant of the Panthers came in eighth with an 87, Sydney Coziar of the Bulldogs was ninth with an 89 and Roxana's Reagan Lynn rounded out the top ten with a 91.
Whitler, Tuttle, LaPlant, and Lynn all advanced to Monday's sectional as individuals, as did Carrollton's Ryan Kallal, who had a 97, CM's Jayna Hailey with a 100, and Roxana's Ava Strohmeier, who shot a 94.
In addition to Montague and Bartosiak, Jenna Dean shot a 93 for the Explorers, with Reese Livingstone firing a 97, Karly Reiter had a 98 and Ava Heinz shot a 104. To go along with Hunsche and Coziar, Highland saw Maci Miles shoot a 94, Lauren Janini had a 97, Kalei Gould came up with a 99, and Camryn Burns carded a 108.
Marquette Catholic head girls golf coach Deb Walsh said she was “ecstatic” for her team to claim the regional crown for the fifth straight time.
“We have had our ups and downs and I asked our girls to give me more today and every single one did a great job,” she said. “I think winning the fifth straight is a huge feat after we lost Gracie Piar and Aubrey Cain to graduation last year. The girls really came together and played well all day long.”
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