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Fox Valley Conference
Crystal Lake Central co-op
(with Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South)
Coach: Kyle McCaughn (third season)
Top returners: Molly Lyne (C-G), so.; Rylie Schurter (CLC), sr.; Kat Bevill (CLC), jr.; Arden Podpora (CLC), jr.; Emily Mueller (CG) jr.; Bernadette King (CLC) so.; Caitlyn Ullrick (CLC), so.
Key newcomers: Renata Petersen (CLC), fr.; Abby Rubsam (CLS), fr.; Janelle Lynn (CG) fr.; Madison Mueller (CLS) jr.; Hannah Fisher (CLS) jr.; Nevin Runge (CLC), fr.
Worth noting: Last season, Lyne placed first at regionals with a 70, second at sectionals with a 73 and runner-up at the FVC Tournament. She finished third at the Class 2A state tournament, shooting 71-73-144. ... Schurter was a Northwest Herald All-Area second-team pick, earning medalist honors at the McHenry County Tournament and finishing third at conference. ... Bevill placed eighth at the FVC meet and 10th at county. ... The Tigers have won four straight FVC meets and seven straight county championships.
"These young ladies have worked hard in the offseason to achieve their goals," McCaughn said. "I'm looking forward to coaching each and everyone throughout the season."
Dundee-Crown
Coach: Lauren Herb (11th season)
Top returners: Alyssa Trebat, jr.; Hannah Gestrich, jr.; Mia Smiley, sr.
Worth noting: Trebat earned all-conference honors for the Chargers and was 13th at the FVC Tournament. ... D-C finished seventh at the conference meet and sixth in the final conference standings. ... The Chargers took eighth at regionals. Trebat and Gestrich led the team in scoring.
"We had five (dual) wins last season, and are looking to build on that," Herb said. "We are excited to see what our returning players will do this season."
Hampshire
Coach: Sue Ellett (seventh season)
Top returners: Sydney Marcuccilli, sr.; Jade Swanson, jr.; Alyssa Tirado, jr.; Gianna Farinella, so.; Delaney Marcuccilli, so.
Key newcomers: Kiele Moraska, sr.; Grace Fuller, jr.; Alexis Konajeski, so.
Worth noting: The Whip-Purs previously were a co-op because of low program numbers but have seen an explosion of interest the past two years. They are up to 18 players this season. ... Hampshire took sixth at the FVC meet last year but was not eligible for postseason events.
"We have a wonderful turnout of 18 players, which will allow us to run a full varsity and junior varsity season," Ellett said. "The girls are working hard at practice and improving in all facets of the game. Gianna, Delaney and Alyssa competed in tournaments or took lessons this summer."
Huntley
Coach: Ann Christiansen (ninth season)
Top returners: Katie Weidner, sr.; Maggie Matustik, sr.; Katie Matustik, so.; Sarah Glass, sr.; Sophie Dowell, sr.
Key newcomers: Nina Shaffer, fr.; Molly Baker, fr.
Worth noting: The Red Raiders finished second in the FVC, with their only loss against Jacobs. ... McKenzie Krich (ACL surgery) and Faith Bartter (hip surgery) suffered injuries that will keep them off the course for their senior years. ... Huntley hosted regionals, taking third and making sectionals as a team. Weidner, who earned All-FVC and Northwest Herald All-Area honors, was seventh with an 83. ... Katie Matustik was named to the all-conference team. ... Huntley graduated a pair of all-conference golfers in Caroline Giorgi and Nicole Gordus.
"We will be competitive this season," Christiansen said. "Nina Shaffer and Molly Baker have been participating in MCJGA and IJGA tournaments this summer and will no doubt help in the rigors of competition."
Jacobs
Coach: Megan Placko (fourth season)
Top returners: Roslyn Leitner, so.; Lauren Kempf, so.
Key newcomer: Jordan Miller, fr.
Worth noting: The Golden Eagles will look a lot different this season after losing five seniors to graduation, including Class 3A state qualifier Stephanie Fiorentino. She was fourth at the FVC meet and 12th at county. ... Jacobs tied for fourth at regionals and had two sectional qualifiers. ... Leitner and Kempf will be counted on to lead the team after strong freshman campaigns.
"We are a very young team and are looking forward to a lot of growth and improvement," Placko said. "I am confident our youth will be to our benefit."
McHenry
Coach: Sean Sterner (fifth season)
Top returners: Joely Pugliese, sr.; Sarah Fergus, so.; Kayla Carpenter sr.
Key newcomers: Kelsey Morrison so.; Chloe Guzman, so.; Meredith Hunt so.; Rahemah Ahmed, jr.; Maypril Krukowski-Minior, jr.
Worth noting: The Warriors lost their top two golfers, twins Maddie Ogden and Hannah Ogden, to graduation. ... Fergus earned Player of the Year over the summer in the girls junior division of the McHenry County Junior Golf Association. ... Pugliese took 10th at the FVC meet, earning all-conference honors. ... McHenry finished fourth at conference and fifth at county.
"We have many new golfers that are excited to develop throughout the season," Sterner said. "I'm looking for the three remaining members of last year's sectional qualifier to lead the way."
Prairie Ridge
Coach: Pattie Hie (16th season)
Top returners: Sophia Pascente, jr.; Morgan Taylor, jr.; Grace VanHyfte, jr.; Karsen Gilmore, sr.; Katie Frey, sr.
Key newcomer: Kaylin Justes, fr.
Worth noting: Hie will be stepping down as coach after this season. ... Pascente earned all-conference honors in addition to qualifying for sectionals as a sophomore. ... Taylor won multiple MCJGA tournaments over the summer and also is a returning sectional qualifier. ... The Wolves finished fifth at conference, sixth at county and sixth at regionals.
"The girls have put in a lot of time this summer to improve even more," Hie said. "I believe that our team will be very competitive in the Fox Valley Conference and outside of conference play."
Kishwaukee River Conference
Harvard
Coach: Doug Sijersen (ninth season)
Top returners: Jennah Brookner, so.; Gabriela Hernandez, so.
Key newcomers: Emma Ackland, fr.; Pieper Fiegel, fr.; Alexis Lehmann, fr.; Joelle McMillan, fr.; Reagan Witt, fr.; Milagros Sanchez-Pichardo, so.
Worth noting: Brookner was the Hornets' top golfer as a freshman and just missed qualifying for sectionals by one shot. ... Harvard will be young with five freshmen and one sophomore coming out for the team. ... The Hornets did not have enough golfers last year to compete as a team in the conference or postseason tournaments.
"We will be very young, but everyone is very athletic and high energy," Sijersen said. "It's going to be fun to see how fast and far they can progress."
Johnsburg
Coach: Chris O'Niel (ninth season)
Top returners: Lauren Winter, sr.; Julia Warden, sr.; Ceara Mulvey, jr.
Worth noting: The Skyhawks advanced to the Class 1A state tournament, finishing third in both regionals and sectionals, edging Richmond-Burton by four shots for the last spot. At state, Johnsburg was 12th as a team. ... Winter tied for 47th ... The Skyhawks placed ninth at the county tournament. ... Five freshmen and three sophomores are new to the team.
"Our goal last year was to go to state, and we accomplished that goal for the first time in school history," O'Niel said. "That has helped garner more interest. ... Hopefully, our young girls will be patient as they learn the game and be ready to make a postseason run."
Marengo
Coach: Nate Wright (10th season)
Top returners: Carlie Seeman, so.; Caitlin Alejandre, sr.; Madelyn Witwicke, sr.; Mackenzie Smith, so.
Key newcomers: Theckla Sweat, fr.; Kiley Christopher, fr.
Worth noting: The Indians graduated their top four golfers from last year, including all-conference members Alyssa Pfaff, Nina Reed and Paige Schulze. ... Marengo placed third at the KRC meet, behind Richmond-Burton and Burlington Central. ... The Indians finished fifth at regionals but did not qualify any golfers for sectionals.
"We're looking to make improvements and play our best golf at the end of the season," Wright said.
Richmond-Burton
Coach: Brandon Creason (ninth season)
Top returners: Lauryn Davis, jr.; Megan Klode, sr.; Darci Retherford, so.
Key newcomers: Michaela Splitt, so.; Alaina Robinson, fr.; Jennifer Horner, fr.
Worth noting: Two-time defending Northwest Herald Girls Golfer of the Year Mackenzie Hahn, now a freshman at Wisconsin, finished runner-up at the Class 1A state meet. ... Davis finished runner-up to Hahn at the KRC meet, 10th at the county meet, fifth at regionals and advanced to state, where she placed 58th. ... R-B won the inaugural KRC meet by 12 strokes against Burlington Central.
Woodstock co-op
(with Woodstock North)
Coach: Brent Filetti (second season)
Top returners: Lynsie Pietrzak (Woodstock), sr.; Kenna Miles (Woodstock), jr.
Worth noting: Pietrzak and Miles were both all-conference golfers and sectional qualifiers. Miles was fourth at the KRC meet, and Pietrzak took fifth. ... Pietrzak also made it to state and tied for 49th. ... Woodstock North graduate Daniela Miranda also advanced to state and set a school record by placing eighth. ... The girls will compete with the boys co-op team throughout the regular season.
"The girls have been practicing hard all summer and are looking forward to the 2017 season," Filetti said. "The main goal is to keep improving and enjoy the journey."
East Suburban Catholic Conference
Marian Central
Coach: Erin Carver (third season)
Top returners: Maria Mercurio, sr.; Ally McNulty, sr.; Lucca Kenyon, sr.; Kelly Anderson, jr.
Key newcomers: Danielle Lattanzio, jr.; Lauren McNulty, fr.
Worth noting: Marian Central had a remarkable finish to their season, winning both regional and sectional tournaments to make it to the Class A state tournament. The Hurricanes finished sixth as team, only five shots behind the fourth-place finisher. ... Sophia Archos was the team's No. 1 golfer, but has graduated. She placed fourth at the county meet and 43rd at state. ... Mercurio was all-county (where she took seventh), all-conference, and tied for 58th at state.