Crystal Lake Central co-op’s Rylee Rud, surrounded by teammates and coaches, was overcome with emotion at the end of Monday’s Class 2A Waubonsie Valley Sectional.

Rud, a senior at Crystal Lake South, couldn’t hold back the tears. She only wiped them away to briefly pose for a photo.

It was a moment worth capturing.

Rud, with a tap-in par putt on the first playoff hole at Naperville’s Springbrook Golf Course, qualified for state for the first time.

“It’s insane,” said Rud, who will compete at this weekend’s Class 2A state tournament at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur. “This has always been my dream. I’m so excited. Good way to end the season and my four years.”

It was a whirlwind last hour for Rud.

On her last hole of regulation, Rud knocked in a birdie putt from at least 20 feet on the difficult par-4, 307-yard 18th hole that claimed a bogey and double in her foursome.

Rud couldn’t have known it at the time, but her 81 score put her in a five-golfer playoff for four spots.

“Oh my gosh, as soon as I hit that putt I knew it was going in,” Rud said. “I didn’t look at the leaderboard the whole round so I had no clue. I just wanted to finish strong.”

This wasn’t Rud’s first pressure-filled playoff. Freshman year, she was in a playoff at regionals to be the 10th spot to go to sectionals.

“Similar, but this is a lot more exciting,” Rud said.

Crystal Lake co-op took sixth (361) as a team and Prairie Ridge was 11th (385).

Jacobs’ Natalie Zimmerman shot an 84, Central co-op’s Giuliana Dickson had an 86, Prairie Ridge’s Grace Mertel tallied a 87, Jacobs’ Kate Maurus had an 88 and Huntley’s Kinsey Hayes shot an 89.

Central co-op’s Rylie Mazzacano and Huntley’s Miranda Hoeft both had 90s, and Burlington Central’s Olivia Cavallari carded a 95. Prairie Ridge’s Lily Myers and Hampshire’s Maddie Franz had 96s, Prairie Ridge’s Carly Koeppen and McHenry’s Madelyn Blake had 98s and McHenry’s Abby Powers had a 99.

Class 1A Rockford Lutheran Sectional: At Forest Hills in Rockford, Marian Central sophomore Jordan Cheng qualified for the state tournament for the second year in a row, taking seventh with an 89.

Cheng qualified last fall as a freshman but did not compete as she played with the Hurricanes’ girls tennis team at sectionals, which took place on the same weekend.

The Class 1A state tournament begins Friday at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur.

Johnsburg’s Lauren McQuiston shot a 96 to pace Johnsburg, while Marengo was led by Maggie Hanson and Katie Hanson with 107s. London Baidinger of Johnsburg also had a 107.

Marengo finished 11th as a team with a 444, and Johnsburg (450) was 12th.

Boys golf

Class 1A Timothy Christian Sectional: At Oak Brook Golf Club in Oak Brook, Marian Cental junior Luca Kittel placed eighth with a 78 to advance to state, which will take place Friday and Saturday at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington.

The Hurricanes finished fifth as a team with a 334, 12 shots behind the third-place finisher.

Harvest Christian-Westminster’s Liam Lodding, a Huntley native, also will compete at state after shooting a 79 and advancing with his entire team.

Marian’s Marc Cheng tallied an 81 but did not move on. Also competing for the Hurricanes were Kian Ducey (87), Colin Kowalsky (88), Harrison Graf (92) and Jacob Timpe (94).

Johnsburg’s Jacob Smith carded an 88.