:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/RPPHESXELU3MXCABJ234HC2IHI.jpg)
SouthWest Suburban Conference
Lincoln-Way Central
Coach: Bob Curran (first season)
Top returner: Sarah Arsich, jr.
Key newcomers: Sophia Thorne, jr.; Gabriella Bush, so.
Worth noting: “We are very excited for the 2022 girls golf season,” Curran said. “Lincoln-Way Central has been very successful in the past and we look to continue that success with a very young team who will have to learn quickly as they gain valuable varsity experience.”
—
Lincoln-Way East
Coach: Brian Shannon (first season, 18th overall)
Last season’s record: 7-1
Top returners: Olivia Martin, sr.; Christina Martino, sr.
Key newcomers: Sam Fratto, sr.; Caroline Carr, jr.; Sydney Fatland, jr.
Worth noting: Shannon has moved from Lincoln-Way Central to take over the position for the Griffins, which graduated state qualifiers Kailey White and Natalie Papa from last fall. Martin and Martino will be looked on to lead the team, while Fratto, Carr and Fatland all have amazing potential according to their coach. “I’m excited to be a part of this program,” Shannon said. “There is a storied history with LWE girls golf. We are a young team that has a lot of potential.”
—
Lincoln-Way West
Coach: Tim Daly (14th season, 30th overall)
Last season’s record: 9-4
Top returners: Kaylee Dwyer, jr.; Peyton White, so.
Key newcomers: Maggie Schwerha, sr.; Olivia Kavaliunas, jr.
Worth noting: Dwyer is one of the area’s premier players, having been a two-time state qualifier for the Warriors while also earning an individual conference championship and being named SWSC Player of the Year last fall. White was an all-conference honoree as a freshman. “We would like to repeat as conference champions and go as far as we can in the state final series,” Daly said.
—
Lockport
Coach: Matt Major (seventh season)
Top returners: Gianna White jr.; Claire Crosby jr.; Sasha Jarosik jr.; Ella Cline jr.; Hannah Speechley jr.; Jacqueline Smith jr.
Top newcomers: Maeve Heeney jr.; Giada Pellicane so.; Isabella Tor sr.; Alyssa Nenoff fr.; Rheagan Boucher fr.; Addy Hill fr.
Worth noting: “Our theme this year is ‘Potential’ for our team,” Major said. ”We have many players that have put time into their game and the hope is that our scores will improve and drop. We have many goals, but the question is will we reach our potential?”
—
Southwest Prairie Conference
Joliet Township
Coach: Jim Grzetich (eighth season)
Last season’s record: 9-0
Top returners: Jamie Daniels, sr.; McKenna Anderson, sr,; Jersy Hauert, so.; Autumn Allen, sr.; Emily Smith, jr.; Nina Mayfield, so.; Grayce Featherston, so.
Key newcomer: Nina Mayfield, fr.
Worth noting: Daniels, Anderson and Hauert return after qualifying for sectionals last fall and all earned all-conference honors in helping the Steelmen to a fourth straight league title. “The team has worked extremely hard in the winter months and over the summer,” Grzetich said. “The girls maximized our contact days indoors and outdoors and many entered offseason tournaments or received private lessons as well to improve their games. Returning our top three from last year’s SPC Champion Team is very exciting. The team’s goal for this year is to win the SPC, win a regional and advance as a team to a sectional.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/PQBEZMEDXBFY3ETY32JBDLZQKI.jpg)
—
Minooka
Coach: Frank Yudzentis (third season)
Top returners: Katelyn Buccarelli, sr.; Anna Maurice, sr.; Taylor Chiappetta, sr,; Gillian Harrington, sr.; Lauren McPhipps-Newcomb, jr.; Leona Trevino, so.
Key newcomer: Grace Mangun, fr.
Worth noting: The Indians have had a good start to the season, finishing third at Plainfield North Tournament and fifth at the Midlothian Country Club Tournament of Champions which featured three of the top four state teams from last season. “We have an experienced group of golfers who have worked really hard this summer,” Yudzentis said. “While we may not have a true No. 1 golfer, we have a really solid core of six to eight girls who, when playing to their abilities, can make some noise in the conference and hopefully in the state series.”
—
Plainfield Central
Coach: Josh Bloodgood (second season)
Last season’s record: 2-16
Top returners: Adrian Povialtis, sr.; Faye Werner, sr.; Piper Colantone, jr.; Natalie Adelmann, so.; Yami Gonzales, so.; Alexis Listermann, so.
Key newcomers: Lily Romberg, sr.; Sadie Ford, jr.; Carmen Huber, jr.; Ely Moyette, jr.; Mallory Ukleja, so.; Caray Casey, fr.; Riley Freischlag, fr,; Sara Szostak, fr.
Worth noting: “All the girls have put in time during the off-season prepping for this year,” Bloodgood said. “Be on the lookout for lower scores as Adelmann recently placed second in a summer tournament and Casey is challenging Gonzales as our longest driver. We are targeting consistent team scores below 200 this season.”
—
Plainfield North
Coach: Joel Wallin (second season)
Last season’s record: 5-5, 4-3
Top returners: Jessica Knight, jr.; Grace Gilbert, so.
Key newcomers: Molly Dalton, sr.; Grace Hunter, jr.; Rodessa Jones, jr.; Sue Ellen Damato, so.; Maggie Spencer, so.; Michelle Knight, fr.
Worth noting: Jessica Knight returns after earning all-conference honors last season, while Gilbert placed in the top 25 at the league meet.
—
Plainfield South
Coach: Caroline Butler (17th season)
Last season’s record: 2-11
Top returners: Sophia Geron, sr.; Katie Nichols, jr.
Key newcomers: Darcey O’Sullivan, fr.; Hayden Justis, fr.
Worth noting: “We are looking forward to another season of building skills on the course and life lessons off the course,” Butler said. “We have a very young team, only one senior and one junior and the other 11 broken up with underclassmen. We hope to keep the girls focused on the short game this year as a way to reduce our overall strokes per round. In addition to that, we’d like to finish somewhere in the middle of the conference by the end of the season ... that would be quite an accomplishment for this growing team.”
—
Romeoville
Coach: Matt Joerger (third season)
Last season’s record: 0-9
Top returner: Jaydon Swearingen, sr.; Angela Castellanos, sr.; Jacque Miller, sr.; Chelsea Ajagu, sr.
Key newcomers: Kaylnn Rivera, sr.; Gracie Brucki, sr.; Tacha Rangel, jr.; Dannielle Reese Rayos Del Sol, fr.; Whittney Sanchez, fr.; Analiz Torres, fr.; Nadya Saucedo, so.
Worth noting: The Spartans return Swearingen, who was the first female golfer in school history to qualify for sectionals last year. “The program numbers continue to increase each year, so we are excited to continue to introduce the sport of golf to more girls,” Joerger said. “While the team does not have a lot of golf experience, they continue to improve and work hard every day and are enjoying learning the game.”
—
Girls Catholic Athletic Conference
Providence Catholic
Coach: Jim Barker (sixth season, 11th overall)
Top returners: Kayleigh Schwarz, jr.; Christina Hurtado, jr.; Lucy Westbrook, sr.
Key newcomers: Olivia Babich, jr.; Marisol Kasper, so.; Grace Burkey, so.
Worth noting: The Celtics captured a regional title last fall but graduated four of the top six players from that team. “The team is a young team this year,’ Barker said. “But I look forward to the team growing and improving each week and peak for GCAC Conference and IHSA Regionals. I think this will be a breakout year for Kayleigh and Christina and a solid year for Lucy after battling injuries last year. Marisol has worked hard going into her second season, too. It will be a fun year.”
—
South Suburban Conference
Lemont
Coach: Bill Mondrella (20th season)
Last season’s record: 9-2, 5-0
Top returners: Reagan Russell, sr.; Agne Malcius, sr.
Worth noting: “We plan to be successful in nine-hole matches as in previous years,” Mondrella said. “We will need our returning players and new players to step up in order to compete for top spots in our tournaments. I’m looking forward to a fun and successful season.”
—
Tri-County Conference
Seneca
Coach: Bryan Erickson
Last season’s record: 13-10
Top returnees: Addison Stiegler, jr.; Julia Hogan, jr.; Shelby Welsh, so.
Key newcomers: Jessica Bertrang, sr.; Jolena Odum, jr.
Worth noting: The Irish finished runner-up at regionals last fall to become the second team in school history to qualify for sectionals. “A few key individuals were lost because of graduation, but we hope Stiegler and Hogan will continue to build on their two years of experience and lead the team this year,” Erickson said. “We are expecting Welsh will be a major contributor as well.”