Bureau Valley, Princeton golfers advance to sectional: BCR roundup for Oct. 2

Boys golf

The Bureau Valley and Princeton golf teams came up short advancing as a team in Wednesday’s 1A and 2A regionals, but will be well represented at next week’s sectionals.

At Sterling: The Tigers placed fifth in the Class 2A Sterling Regional at Emerald Hills Golf Course, but will send four golfers to Monday’s Maple Park Kaneland Sectional.

Jackson Mason led Princeton with a round of 82 to place eighth. He’ll be joined Monday by teammates Jayden Fulkerson, who placed 16th at 89, Luke Smith, who was 17th at 90, and Kaiden Coomer, who claimed the final qualifying berth by winning a three-way playoff in one hole against Sterling’s Maurice Delacruz and Rochelle’s Johnny Chadwick after all three shot a 94.

PHS coach Brandon Crawford said the TIgers did a good job navigating a tough course on a windy day.

“The greens were fast, and the wind was a factor on every swing. We talked about managing the course and playing in control, and they did that,” he said. “The philosophy of Tiger Golf is playing one swing at a time, and as a result, we got 4 guys out as individuals.”

Andrew Boughton (97) and Nolan Kloepping (106) rounded out the Tigers’ scorecard.

Dixon (336) edged Byron (338) for the team title followed by Geneseo (343), in the third-qualifying berth, Sterling (351) and Princeton (355).

At Lanark: Bureau Valley finished fourth in the Class 1A Eastland Regional at Lake Carroll Golf Course, missing the third qualifying berth by 10 strokes, but will send three golfers to the Class 1A Rockford Sectional on Monday.

BV junior Wyatt Novotny was the first individual qualifier, placing 10th overall at 82. He’ll be joined at sectional by classmate Atticus Middleton (88) and senior Collin Stabler (89), who were the fifth and ninth individual qualifiers, respectively.

“It’s very exciting for the boys who advanced,” BV coach Jack Gustafson said. “We fell a little short of our goal as a team, but the boys battled all day.”

Volleyball

Kewanee 2, Bureau Valley 0: The Storm fell to the Boilermakers, 25-14, 25-20 at the Storm Cellar on Wednesday.

Madi Smith had five kills and three blocks to lead the Storm at the net. Kinley Canady and Taylor Neuhalfen added four kills each, Libby Endress had nine digs and Landry Hitzler had 11 points.

Kendyl DeBliek had five kills, Aailyah Duarte had four kills and Taylor VanWinkle had 13 points for the Boilermakers (9-10-1. 4-2).

BV fell to 12-10-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

Hall 2, Flanagan-Cornell 0: Natalie Zamora had nine kills as the Red Devils (13-11-2) rolled to a 25-13, 25-18 nonconference win in Spring Valley. Morgan Hoschied dished out 12 assists.