Near Perfect Day on Links for Minooka, Plainfield South

CHANNAHON – Ideal conditions made for an ideal situation in the Class AA Minooka girls golf regional Wednesday at Heritage Bluffs.

With temperatures in the mid-70s and very little wind, Minooka and Plainfield South took advantage by advancing to the Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional. The two Southwest Suburban Conference rivals finished one-two in the tournament. The sectional is Monday at Coyote Run Golf Course in Flossmoor.

Minooka is making its first sectional appearance since 2003. Plainfield South had never reached the sectional level as a team.

"We're getting hot at the right time," Minooka coach Joe Host said. "I'm hoping we put up our best score (at the sectional) and see where that takes us. It's going to be tough at the sectional. There are a lot of good teams feeding into that, including the defending state champion, Homewood-Flossmoor."

The Indians shot a 385 to win the regional plaque. Plainfield South carded a 403, while Lockport took the third team qualifying spot with a 408. Plainfield Central finished fourth with a 422.

"This is the first time qualifying as a team," Plainfield South coach Nicole Larson said. "Every year, we've had one or two girls. I'm not disappointed with how we shot. I wanted us to be under 400. But we were right there."

Right there were Minooka's Sam Gewalt (95), Caroline Brown (95), Rachel Herzberger (97), Allie O'Matto (98) and Sammi Thompson (99), who each shot in the 90s.

Gewalt, a senior, and Brown, a freshman, earned medals for tying for fifth place.

"We were excited coming into today, being on our home course," Gewalt said. "Having a good team this year, we wanted to win that regional title. It hasn't been done in a while. We just wanted to do our best."

"My coaches told me to relax and play golf," Brown said. "I took that and went with it."

Plainfield South also featured a senior-freshman duo at the top. The Cougars were led by senior Sam Cichy (96) and freshman Alex Catalano (98).

"Everybody was right about what they usually shoot for the year," Larson said. "I was pretty happy with that."

"I'm excited," Cichy said. "Last year was a really good time. I enjoyed it. It will be even better this year because we're going as a team. We're going to do really well."

"I really don't know what to expect," Catalano said. "I'm only worried about going out there and shooting a good score. I know what I can shoot. I'm going to try and shoot my best score."

Krista Poppe shot a 104, while Trinity Hill and Kelly Jennings each carded 105s for the Cougars.

Individually, Plainfield Central's Cailey Baker and Rachel Egly advanced to the sectional.

Baker, who shot a 100, is making her second trip to the sectional. Egly will make her sectional debut after firing a 104. The cut was 107.

"It's nice to see Cailey get all-conference and advance to the sectional," Plainfield Central coach Scott Bantz said. "And Rachel was all-conference last year and a sectional qualifier this year. Cailey made it to the sectional last year. It's a good accomplishment for both of them. It's good for those girls who work at it and it's good for the program."

At the Neuqua Valley regional at Naperbrook Golf Course in Plainfield, Jessica Rinehart of Plainfield North advanced to the sectional by shooting a 90.