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Girls golf is coming up and we’ve got plenty to keep an eye on around the area. Here’s what to expect.
Southwest Prairie Conference
Joliet Township
Coach: Jim Grzetich (11th year)
Last season’s record: 8-1
Top returners: Jersy Hauert, sr.; Sophia Podmolik, jr.; Nina Mayfield, sr.; Grayce Featherston, sr.; Sami Ankeney, sr.
Key newcomers: Leah Duensing, fr.
Worth noting: After finishing second in the conference last year, Joliet Township is in good position to compete for the title again this year. Joliet finished fifth as a team at regionals and sent two girls to sectionals as individuals. Five of last year’s six varsity spots return, led by Mayfield and Hauert. Grzetich expressed excitement about Duensing, saying she’s set new personal records seemingly every week in the summer. JTP girls have never won a regional championship, but Grzetich says this group, led by six seniors, wants to change that this season.
Minooka
Coach: Nick Barello
Last season’s record: 6-4
Top returners: Leona Trevino, sr.
Worth noting: After going 10-0 two years ago, Minooka came back to earth a bit in 2023. Still, Trevino was all-conference last year and finished fourth in the conference tournament before advancing to sectionals as an individual. She’ll be counted on to lead this group.
Plainfield Central
Coach: Josh Bloodgood (4th season)
Top returners: Natalie Adelmann, sr.; Yami Gonzalez, sr.; Alexis Listermann, sr.; Mallory Ukeja sr., Caray Curtis, jr.; Taylor Carroll, jr.; Sarah Szostak, jr.
Key newcomers: Kaylee Adelmann, fr.; McKenzie Listermann, fr.; Lexi Conner, fr.; Ana Alexopulos, fr.; Addison Anderson, fr.
Worth noting: Plainfield Central won a pair of dual meets last year and finished second at the Oregon Invite to highlight the season. Bloodgood said the four seniors are capable of scoring in the low 40s, although the whole squad will need to improve its consistency. Of the freshmen, he pointed out Adelmann and Listermann, as both have experience watching their sisters play. Bloodgood added that enthusiasm for the program is at a high with this year’s freshman crop the largest ever.
Plainfield East
Coach: Erin Janozik
Last season’s record: 7-3, 6-3 SPC
Top returners: Lauren Reinertson, sr.; Hope Trosclair, so.; Alyssa Siegfried, sr.
Key newcomers: Taylor Miller, fr.; Kendall Battle, so.; Hailey Cudal, so.
Worth noting: It should be a good year for the Bengals with the lineup they’re set to roll out. Reinertson qualified for state as an individual last year, while Trosclair qualified for sectionals. Janozik was very high on Miller after she won the Illinois Junior Golf Association Player of the Year tournament for girls 14 and 15 years old. Janozik believes she has the potential to break all the school records. Janozik added that Siegfried can shoot 45-50 while Battle and Cudal can shoot bogey golf. Janozik said, “With Taylor’s addition to the team, I really think we are a team to watch out for this season, at least in our conference. We are the most competitive we have ever been and plan to have an even bigger winning record for the 2024 season.”
Plainfield South
Coach: Caroline Butler (10th year)
Last season’s record: 2-10
Top returners: Hayden Justis, jr.; Darcey O’Sullivan jr.
Key newcomers: Kasia Sallins, fr.
Worth noting: Butler expressed optimism that Plainfield South will be better this year than last with Justis and O’Sullivan coming back. She added that she’s confident in the freshman class, led by Sallins. Justis advanced to sectionals last season and will look to do so once again this year.
Plainfield North
Coach: Matthew Meindl
Last season’s record: 6-5, 5-4
Top returners: Grace Gilbert, sr.; Maggie Spencer, sr.; Kiley Sanborn, so.; Annie Halverson, so.; Brooklyn Griffith, jr.; Michelle Knight, jr.; Sue Ellen Damato, sr.
Worth noting: Plainfield North recently finished fourth out of 20 teams at their home invite. Gilbert finished second with a school-record 72. The team shot 327, another school record. All of that bodes well for this season. Meindl said the goal is to make a run at winning the conference while improving on last year’s record.
Romeoville
Coach: Matt Joerger (5th year)
Last year’s record: 0-9
Top returners: Anna Klimek, jr.; Bridget Mazurkiewicz, sr.; Madai Valdez, sr.; Tacha Rangel, sr.
Worth noting: Last year was the second consecutive 0-9 campaign, but it was also the first year the Spartans fielded both a varsity and a JV team. That shows the growth is there and should allow for an opportunity to develop the younger players for the future, which will help down the line.
SouthWest Suburban Conference
Lincoln-Way Central
Coach: Bob Curran (3rd season)
Top returners: Taylor Bush, so.; Kristin Kroll, jr.; Allison Garofalo, sr.
Key newcomers: Sophia Egan, sr.; Madison Bradbury, sr.; Grace Chandler, fr.
Worth noting: 2023 was a successful year for the Knights, who qualified for state. Although they lose a pair of seniors from that group, they return three members. Curran added that he’s excited to work with this group and emphasized their motivation.
Lockport
Coach: Matt Major
Last season’s record: 9-1
Key Newcomers: Natalie Mickelson, fr.; Addy Hill, jr.; Alyssa Nenoff, jr.; Angelica Kwak, jr.; Kamryn Overman, jr.; Rheagan Boucher, jr.; Allison Shaefer, sr.; Giada Pellicane, sr.
Worth noting: It’s a new year and a new team for the Porters. Literally. Lockport made it to state as a team last season but graduated seven seniors and now enters the rebuild phase. Only two seniors on the squad means 2025 should be a big year no matter what happens in 2024.
Lincoln-Way West
Coach: Tim Daly (16th year at Lincoln-Way West, 24th overall)
Last season’s record: 11-2
Top returners: Peyton White, sr., Reilly Carlson, so.; Sydney Pohlmann, jr.; Kiera Grimmett, sr.; Alexa Plunk, sr.
Worth noting: Talk about a banner year. The Warriors finished second in regionals and sectionals before qualifying for state for the first time in program history. Kaylee Dwyer put the cherry on top by winning the individual state championship. The biggest question is what will the Warriors do for a follow-up? Dwyer is now golfing at Western Kentucky, leaving White and company to try to make it back to state. It’ll be an interesting journey to follow, that’s for sure.
Lincoln-Way East
Coach: Brian Shannon
Last season’s record: 6-2
Top returners: Maggie Fagan, so.; Sophia Klapper, jr.; Sarina Nayden, sr.; Lizzy Sambo, jr.
Key newcomers: Hannah Brown; fr.; Bella Versetto, fr.; Grace Zhang, fr.
Worth noting: Coming off a strong campaign, this year’s Griffins will be young compared with years past with only one senior. However, Shannon said for all their youth, this team also has a lot of talent. There’s also experience in the top four, and he said everyone is working hard to get better every day.
South Suburban Conference
Lemont
Coach: Bill Mondrella (23rd season)
Last season’s record: 10-0
Top returners: Hannah Dzaferoski, sr.; Anisha Oberai, sr.
Worth noting: It was a standout season for Lemont last year as it won the conference and finished fifth at regionals. Two individuals advanced to sectionals in Oberai and Dzaferoski, who will be leading a young group this year. Mondrella said young girls will be asked to step up big this season to fill the remaining spots.
Illinois Central Eight Conference
Coal City
Coach: Harlan Kennell (2nd season)
Last season’s record: 4-2
Top returners: Kylee Kennell, sr.; Dakota Clubb, sr.; Maddie Peterson, sr.
Key newcomers: Peyton Gibson, sr.; Liv Sulzberger; so.
Worth noting: This will be the third year of girls golf at Coal City, and the Coalers are looking to build on a successful sophomore outing. They won the conference tournament and finished third at regionals to advance to the first sectional in team history. Kennell made history as an individual, advancing to state, the first Coalers girl to do so. This year’s team will have six seasoned veterans on hand with two additional all-conference players in Clubb and Peterson. With those three leading the way, expect big things this season.
Wilmington
Coach: Mike Wilson (21st season)
Top returners: Meghan Fisher, jr.; Abigail Harding, jr.; Grace Jones, jr.; Sally Clifford, so.; Morgan Farrell, so.; Gracie Wilkins, so.
Worth noting: It’ll be a young team this year with no seniors on the squad. Wilmington graduated its top performers from last season. Wilson enters his 21st year at the helm while continuing to pull double-duty with the boys.
Girls Catholic Athletic Conference
Providence
Coach: Jim Barker
Top returners: Marisol Kasper, sr.; Karly Krutchen, jr.
Worth noting: Kasper will be counted on to captain the team. The Celtics graduated four golfers and lost another to transfer. Barker believes Kasper should be in contention for sectionals and possibly state. Barker said. “Marisol has been working on her game since last season ended. She has improved in all areas of her game. It will be fun to watch her perform, achieve, and lead a young team. She is well prepared to do both as this is her fourth year on varsity.”
Tri-County Conference
Seneca
Coach: Bryan Erickson (15th season)
Last’s season record: 15-0, 6-0
Top returners: Shelby Welsh, sr; Camryn Stecken, jr.; Brooklyn Szfranski, jr.; Piper Stenzel, so.; Vivienne Cronkrite, so.
Key newcomers: Haiden Lavarier, so.
Worth noting: It’s going to be hard to improve on what the Irish did last year. Conference champions, regional champions for the first time in program history, and a third consecutive year at sectionals? That’s outstanding. If there were an area newcomer of the year, Stenzel would have been it after she burst onto the scene as a regional champion, making the all-conference team and qualifying for state, where she finished tied for 33rd. Welsh was an all-conference selection, as well. Three key players from last year’s team are gone, but another conference title and fourth consecutive sectional appearance are achievable goals.