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SouthWest Suburban Conference
Bolingbrook
Coach: Chris Malinoski (14th season)
Last season’s record: 1-11
Top returners: Sara Spreeman, sr.; Lauren Hrdlicka, sr.
Key newcomers: Courtney Swenson, jr.; Genna Jones, jr.; Eliana Szwajkowski, jr.
Worth noting: Spreeman has qualified for the sectional in consecutive seasons. She’s looking to be the first three-time sectional qualifier for Bolingbrook. Spreeman and returner Lauren Hrdlicka will lead the way. Malinoski expects to get contributions from Swenson, Jones and Szwajkowski.
Lincoln-Way Central
Coach: Brian Shannon (15th season)
Last season’s record: 11-11, 5-4 SWSC
Top returners: Claire Dubois, sr.; Sarah Arsich, so.; Emma Vander Wall, sr.; Sophie Bruozas, sr.
Worth noting: Lincoln-Way Central returns four golfers from a team that won regional and conference championships. Dubois, Arsich, Vander Wall and Bruozas provide an excellent core for the Knights.
Lincoln-Way East
Coach: Mary McGivern
Last season’s record: 8-2
Top returners: Savannah Berner, sr.; Christina Martino, jr.; Natalie Papa, sr.; Kailey White, sr.; Lorelei Zinsky, sr.
Key newcomers: Olivia Martin, jr.; Samantha Fratto, jr.
Worth noting: Papa and White are the senior leaders of Lincoln-Way East, which won a regional championship last season. Along with Papa and White, Berner, Martino and Zinsky provide the Griffins with depth. Newcomers Martin and Fratto will be key to a run. “With the success and experience of Natalie Papa and Kailey White along with newcomer Olivia Martin, we are excited about the 2021 season,” McGivern said. “The depth in our lineup is such that several of our golfers can score for the team.”
Lincoln-Way West
Coach: Tim Daly (12th season)
Last season’s record: 8-8
Top returner: Kaylee Dwyer, so.
Worth noting: Dwyer is one of the area’s premier players, having been named all-conference as well as qualifying for the state tournament. During the summer, she was named the Illinois Junior Golf Association’s player of the year. Dwyer will be a big part of any postseason run the Warriors can make.
Lockport
Coach: Matt Major
Last season’s record: 10-2
Top returners: Lizzie Anderson, sr.; Gianna White, so.; Bella Bozen, jr.
Top newcomers: Sasha Jarosik, so.; Claire Crosby, so., Ella Cline, so.; Hannah Speechly, so.; Jacqueline Smith, so.; Jorie Bielik, sr.
Worth noting: Major is happy with his three returners (Anderson, White, Bozen). Those three alone will keep them in a lot of matches. The key to a deep postseason run will be a couple of the newcomers stepping up as scoring options.
Southwest Prairie Conference
Joliet Township
Coach: Jim Grzetich (seventh season)
Last season’s record: 15-0
Top returners: Jamie Daniels, jr.; McKenna Anderson, jr.; Lilly Luansomkham, sr.; Mia Hromek, sr.; Autumn Allen, jr.; Emily Smith, so.
Key newcomers: Nina Mayfield, fr.
Worth noting: Joliet Township has many returners back from a team that went 15-0 last year. It is the third year in a row it has won the SPC championship. If the team can stay healthy, it will have a chance at another outstanding year and postseason run. Grzetich is looking for Mayfield to be a significant contributor.
Minooka
Coach: Frank Yudzentis
Top returners: Lauren Mcwen, sr.; Sarah Tomalla, sr.; Julie Conroy, sr.; Kaitlyn Buccerelli, jr.; Taylor Chiapetta, jr.; Gillian Harringon, jr.; Lauren McPhilips-Newcomb, so.
Worth noting: McPhilips-Newcomb qualified for sectionals last year and looks to have another outstanding season. The Indians will have solid depth with seven returning players and should be able to compete for a conference championship.
Plainfield Central
Coach: Josh Bloodgood (first season)
Top returners: Jenny Brooks, sr.; Jolie Martinez, sr.; Ali Gonzalez, sr.
Key newcomers: Alexis Listermann, fr.; Natalie Adelmann, fr.
Worth noting: Bloodgood has inherited a solid team in his first season. Brooks, Martinez and Gonzalez make up a good core. Piper Colantone, Adrian Povilaitis and Faye Werner add good depth. Listermann and Adelmann headline a class of six freshmen who will battle for playing time at the varsity level.
Plainfield East
Coach: Erin McGinnis (sixth season)
Last season’s record: 3-6
Top returners: Hailey Pokorski, jr.; Madi Fauth, jr.; Gianna D’Amico, jr.
Key newcomers: Lauren Reinertson, fr.
Worth noting: McGinnis has solid numbers and talent at Plainfield East. Pokorski, Fauth, and D’Amico are returning all-conference players. McGinnis expects Pokorski’s scores to keep dropping after a summer out on the courses. McGinnis has a young roster, with five juniors and four sophomores, but it could be a dangerous team if golfers make leaps this season.
Plainfield South
Coach: Caroline Butler (14th season)
Last season’s record: 5-5
Top returner: Courtney Poston, sr.
Worth noting: Plainfield South went .500 last year and will rely on Poston to be excellent in her senior year. “Courtney has been a top player on the team since her freshman year,” Butler said. “This year we are looking to see her place all-conference and make an impact on our program overall.”
Romeoville
Coach: Matt Joerger
Last season’s record: 0-8
Top returner: Ava Nance, sr.
Key newcomers: Jaydon Swearingen, jr.; Maddie Koperski, jr.; Jaque Miller, jr.; Angela Castellanos, jr.
Worth noting: Joerger is excited about the numbers the program is getting this season. There are several newcomers to get excited about. Swearingen, Koperski, Miller and Castellanos will look to round out a roster with Ava Nance being the team’s top returner. “We are excited to introduce the sport of golf to more girls this year and are excited to have the opportunity to grow the program over the next several years,” Joerger said.
East Suburban Catholic Conference
Joliet Catholic
Coach: Mark Alstott
Top returners: Audrey Redell, Anne-Claire Austrums
Worth noting: All of Alstott’s top six players return, as the Angels seem poised for an excellent regular season and a deep postseason run.
South Suburban Conference
Lemont
Coach: Bill Mondrella (20th season)
Last season’s record: 5-0
Top returners: Reagan Russell, Corrin Smith
Worth noting: Lemont didn’t lose a regular-season dual meet and took fourth place at its regional last season. Russell and Smith figure to lead a squad hopeful of having a solid season. “We are looking for some younger, less experienced girls to step up so that we can compete each and every match,” Mondrella said.
Illinois Central Eight Conference
Coal City
Coach: Harlan Kennell
Last year’s record: None
Top returner: Ava Houston, So.
Key newcomers: Claire Ellena, Jr., Jocie Widlowski, Jr., Reagan Sandeno, Jr., Kylee Kennell, Fr., Dakota Clubb, Fr.
Worth noting: This is the first year of a full roster for Coal City. Kennell is excited to get the program off to a good start. “I am just very excited to have the school’s first-ever girls golf team, and I cannot wait to see what the season brings,” Kennell said.
Tri-County Conference
Seneca
Coach: Bryan Erickson
Last season’s record: 2-13
Top returners: Laura Yegge, sr.; Rylee Stenzel, sr.; Brandi Johnson, sr.; Addison Stiegler, so.; Julia Hogan, so.
Key newcomers: Shelby Welsh, fr.
Worth noting: Stenzel is a three-time sectional qualifier and nearly qualified for state. She figures to lead the team with Yegge following right in her tracks. Johnson, Stiegler and Hogan also are expected to make an impact. Erickson is looking toward Walsh to add team depth. “[Stenzel] has the kind of golf game that will definitely put her in a position to be very competitive in the state series and hopefully become only the second girl in the school’s history to qualify for state,” Erickson said.
Sangamon Valley Conference
Dwight
Coach: Julie Jensen (seventh season)
Last season’s record: 9-0
Top returners: Kendal Weller, sr.; Darien Guyer, sr.; Sophia Anderson, jr.
Worth noting: Jensen has her group firing on all cylinders coming off a 9-0 season. Weller, Guyer and Anderson all return and should lead the way to another strong season for Dwight, which finished second in last year’s conference tournament. Weller and Anderson were all-conference last season.