Golf: Herald-News qualifiers ready to make their mark at state

Kaylee Dwyer had a big performance at the Class 2A girls golf state finals last season, finishing sixth.

The Lincoln-Way West senior feels primed to make another run this weekend, hoping to place even higher this time around.

“I’ve played a lot of golf, I feel like I’ve been playing well, and I’m ready,” Dwyer said. “I just want to go out and play the best I can and see where that gets me.”

Dwyer will be joined by her teammates, as the Warriors qualified for state as a team for the first time in program history.

“It’s so much more fun when my teammates are there golfing with me, and I think it helps me relax and have fun,” Dwyer said.

Reilly Carlson and Peyton White also have had big postseason performances for Lincoln-Way West, which was the runner-up at the Normal West Sectional.

Dwyer and the Warriors are among many area teams and individuals who will be looking for state success in both girls and boys golf Friday and Saturday.

“It’s always been an idea that we could go, and now it’s a reality.”

—  Ella Cline, Lockport girls golf

Joining Lincoln-Way West at the girls 2A finals at Hickory Point in Decatur will be the Lockport Porters and Lincoln-Way Central Knights.

While the Knights, who won a tiebreaker with Edwardsville for the third and final advancing spot out of the Normal West Sectional, have been a fixture at state in recent years, the Porters are making a long-awaited return.

Finishing second at the Hinsdale South Sectional, Lockport qualified for state as a team for the first time since 1987. Senior Gianna White led the Porters at the sectional, shooting a 77 to place eighth.

“I think it feels amazing,” Lockport senior Ella Cline said. “It’s always been an idea that we could go, and now it’s a reality.”

The Porters are a senior-heavy team with White, Cline, Claire Crosby and Sasha Jarosik leading the way.

Lincoln-Way Central also relies on seniors in Sarah Arsich and Sophia Thorne, while freshman Taylor Bush stepped up with a big performance in regional play.

Plainfield East junior Lauren Reinertson will compete individually.

In the Class 1A girls tournament at Red Tail Run in Decatur, Seneca freshman Piper Stenzel and Coal City junior Kylee Kennell will compete individually.

The girls team won’t be the only group from Lockport looking to do big things this weekend.

The Porters’ boys squad and Minooka are looking to contend at the Class 3A finals at the Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.

Lockport is on a hot streak, having won regional and sectional titles as well as the SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue crown.

“I’m really excited,” Lockport coach Matt Eber said. “This hasn’t been done for us with conference, regional and sectional titles since 2000, so we’re peaking at the right time. We’ve got a good mind right now, our heads are in the right spot.

“We played a tough course at Lick Creek [at the Pekin Sectional]. I think people are going to look at our number, 313, and ask if we belong, but I know we do, and the boys know they do.”

The senior trio of Nathan Kwiatkowski, Joey Sluzas and Braeden DeBlecourt have led the Porters all season.

“It’s an individual sport, so everybody’s just got to go out and do their job,” Sluzas said. “It’ll definitely be fun. We’ve played the Den many times, so we know the course well.”

Minooka finished right behind the Porters as the runner-up at the Pekin Sectional. TJ Quinn tied for second individually, with Brett Widlowski, Luke Purcell and Carter Stephenson also contributing.

Lincoln-Way East’s Tanner Leonard is hoping to contend individually after winning medalist honors at the Pekin Sectional, shooting a 72.

Lincoln-Way Central’s Benjamin Howey, Plainfield North’s Casey Sanborn and Plainfield South’s Aiden O’Sullivan also will compete individually.

At the boys Class 2A state finals at Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Lemont is on a mission to bring home a trophy – preferably the top one – after finishing fourth each of the past two seasons.

Lemont won regional and sectional championships, each by one shot, edging Providence Catholic at the Lemont Regional and St. Francis at the Lemont Sectional.

Brothers Eddie and Joey Scott lead Lemont, while Robert Politza has stepped up in the postseason.

The Lemont golfers are wearing wristbands with several slogans on them, including “W.I.N.”

“We have that as an acronym for ‘what’s important now?’ ” Lemont coach Mark Hollatz said. “We try to have a short memory in golf. Kids are tough, because they always like to dwell on what happened, especially bad stuff. I have this 10-step rule where, if they hit a bad shot, they have 10 steps to think about it, and then we move on to the next one.

“That’s what it’s all about. If we’re going to win, we have to worry about what’s important now, what we’re doing right now.”

Providence senior Joe Brasky, Joliet Catholic junior Quinn Swienton and Morris junior Liam Eber will compete individually.