Girls Golf: ‘My brain can’t comprehend it’ Yorkville’s Mia Natividad finishes second at state tournament

Mia Natividad’s first state golf tournament experience was put on hold for a while Friday, but she didn’t mind.

When fog delayed the first round of the Class 2A state tournament by nearly 90 minutes at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth, Natividad passed the time doing some extra putting drills.

“Never a bad thing,” said the Yorkville junior. “Obviously I wanted the fog to clear up but it wasn’t too bad.”

It was worth the wait, and the start to a surreal weekend.

Natividad, the leader after the first round, shot a two-day 1-over par score of 145 to finish in a tie with Barrington’s Sophia Sulkar for second place in the state. The two girls finished four shots back of Mara Janess from team champion Barrington.

Natividad, hours removed from her last putt Saturday, still couldn’t wrap her mind around what she had accomplished over 48 hours. Natividad became the first golfer in Yorkville school history to place at the state meet.

“Literally, not. My brain can’t comprehend it,” Natividad said. “I’m super excited. I didn’t really expect it but I’m really super proud of myself to play like that and play so well against the best golfers in the state.”

Natividad, who shot 78 at both regionals and sectionals after winning her third straight Southwest Prairie Conference title, sizzled out of the gate Friday at state. She was at even-par through her first nine holes and then took on the back.

She had back-to-back birdies on No. 10 and 11, and ended her round with five birdies for a 2-under par 70 and a one-shot lead after the first day. At one point, Natividad birdied four of six holes, her round of 70 besting her previous 18-hole low of even-par.

“After I made the third birdie I was like what is happening. I was in shock because it was so automatic, such a cool feeling,” Natividad said. The first nine I was just keeping my composure and playing my game and the back nine I was striking the ball well and putting everything close to the hole.

“It was actually pretty crazy to be leading, I didn’t expect it. I don’t know how to describe it but but it was super cool leading one of the biggest high school events in the state.”

Natividad had been fighting a cold, sick the last week – but fought through it. She played a practice 18-hole round Thursday and stayed after to keep working.

“She came out and played her own game and she found her groove on that second nine,” Yorkville coach Eva Schoenfielder said. “That’s what you work for all year is to be peaking at the end of the year. She found that stride. I could feel my phone buzzing all Friday and I said to Mia ‘don’t look at it, don’t look at the other scores, just focus on you.’”

Natividad was still within a shot of the lead Saturday until Janess birdied four of five holes between No. 9 and No. 13 to separate from the pack.

Still, Natividad was content with her 3-over par 75. Her runner-up finish topped Yorkville’s previous best finish at state golf, the 15th-place finish of older sister Kait Natividad.

“I knew it was probably going to be hard to shoot what I did Friday or lower,” she said. “I knew if I’m hitting well and putting good I would have a good round unless I mentally got in my own way. I was just focused on trying to make par and just play my game and whatever happened, happened.”

“She struggled on a couples holes Saturday but she held it together, persevered and did a super great job,” Schoenfielder said. “She played a lot over the summer, different collegiate events and I think it taught her a lot about maturity, dealing with the stress that comes with playing golf. She’s grown into a beautiful young lady.”

And, in the process, Natividad and her sister have put Yorkville golf on the map.

“To have two girls come and show what we can do, it shows what our program can be, it means a lot,” Schoenfielder said.