The IHSA boys and girls golf state tournaments tee off Friday morning, with a handful of McHenry County area golfers competing at courses in Bloomington, Normal and Decatur.
The state tournament will consist of two 18-hole rounds, with the top four scores each day counting in team scoring. After the first day of competition, the field will be reduced to the top eight teams (and ties) and top 40 individuals (and ties) not on the top eight teams for Saturday’s final round.
Here are the local golfers competing this weekend. Starting tee times and more information can be found at IHSA.org.
Boys golfClass 3Aat The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course, Bloomington
Individuals: Tyler Samaan, Burlington Central, sr.; Nolan Adamczyk, Hampshire, sr.; Logan Henning, Jacobs, so.
Worth noting: Samaan and Burlington Central came up a few shots short of qualifying for their third straight state meet, but an unlucky 18th hole at Buffalo Grove Golf Course left the Rockets on the outside looking in. Central posted a team score of 308 at the Buffalo Grove Sectional, trailing only Stevenson (304), Hersey (305) and Barrington (306). The Rockets were moved up to 3A this fall after their back-to-back state trips in 2A. Samaan tied for third at sectionals with a 1-under-par 71 on the nearly 6,700-yard course in Buffalo Grove. He shot a blistering 6-under-par 66 at Pinecrest in Huntley to lead his team to a regional title. He also was the Fox Valley Conference Tournament champion with a 70, his second straight conference title. The team also secured back-to-back FVC championships. At the 2A state meet last year, Samaan took 11th. … After just missing qualifying for state as a sophomore and junior, Adamczyk broke through at the Buffalo Grove Sectional with a 1-over-par 73, tying for sixth, to advance. He sank a pair of long par-saving putts and birdies on Nos. 2 and 16 to secure his place. Adamczyk, the 2024 FVC Tournament individual runner-up, finished sixth at this year’s conference tournament with a 77. Adamczyk shot a 79 at regionals as the Whips moved on as a team, placing third behind only Burlington Central and Huntley. … Henning qualified for state with a 73, matching Adamczyk at sectionals. His state-clinching round included four birdies. Henning shot a 77 at the Huntley Regional, where the Golden Eagles just missed qualifying for sectionals as a team with the fourth-lowest score. Henning led Jacobs to back-to-back, second-place finishes at the FVC Meet, placing third with a 73.
Class 2Aat Weibring Golf Club, Normal
Teams: Prairie Ridge (Mason Zimmerman, so.; Andrew Daman, jr., Jack Dahlem, sr., Anthony Pettrone, jr., Zach Techen, jr., Colton Zaleski, sr.)
Individuals: Tommy Laird, Crystal Lake Central, jr.; Asher Johnson, Crystal Lake Central, jr.
Worth noting: Prairie Ridge heads to state as a team after they secured the third and final spot at the Class 2A Rockford Boylan Sectional at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club in Rockford on Monday. The Wolves took third with a 307, just ahead of fourth-place Boylan (308). Zimmerman, who transferred from Crystal Lake South, and Daman led the way with 76s, while Dahlem had a 77 and Pettrone added a 78. Prairie Ridge, which last went to state as a team in 2018, was the only McHenry County area team to qualify for state (boys or girls). Prairie Ridge took runner-up to Crystal Lake Central at the Crystal Lake South Regional with a 313, six shots behind the Tigers’ 307. Four Wolves shot in the 70s at regionals, as well, led by Dahlem (77), Daman (78), Zimmerman (79) and Pettrone (79). Prairie Ridge finished fourth at the FVC Tournament, with Pettrone shooting a 76 to take fifth. … Johnson will make his second straight state trip after placing 40th a year ago. He took second at the Crystal Lake South Regional with a 3-over-par 75 as the Tigers won their second consecutive regional title. At sectionals, both Johnson and Laird carded 76s to place ninth and advance to state. Laird made one birdie and parred six of his last nine holes to clinch his state spot. He was one of four Tigers to shoot in the 70s at the Crystal Lake South Regional, carding a 76 to take third. Laird was Central’s leading scorer at the FVC Meet with an 80.
Class 1Aat Prairie Vista Golf Course, Bloomington
Individuals: Luca Kittel, Marian Central, jr.; Liam Lodding, Harvest-Westminster co-op, sr.
Worth noting: Kittel placed eighth with a 78 at the Class 1A Timothy Christian Sectional at Oak Brook Golf Club to qualify for the state tournament for the first time. The Hurricanes took fifth as a team, 12 shots behind the third-place finisher. At the Johnsburg Regional, he tied for fifth with a 76 as Marian was second and advanced to sectionals as a team. Kittel shot a 77 at the Chicagoland Christian Conference Tournament for the fifth-place Hurricanes. … Lodding, who is from Huntley, will go back to state after firing a 79 at the Timothy Christian Sectiional and advancing with his team. Lodding was the Class 1A state runner-up as a sophomore in 2023, only two shots behind the winner, and 11th as a freshman. At this year’s Johnsburg Regional, Lodding earned medalist honors with a 72, leading his team to the regional championship.
GirlsClass 2Aat Hickory Point Golf Course, Decatur
Individuals: Rylee Rud, Crystal Lake Central co-op, sr.
Worth noting: Rud, who goes to Crystal Lake South, is the lone local qualifier for the Class 2A state girls meet and as a first-time qualifier. She made a tap-in par putt on the first playoff hole at Naperville’s Springbrook Golf Course at the Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Monday to earn her place in her final season. On her final hole of regulation, Rud, who shot an 81, had a birdie putt from at least 20 feet on the par-4, 307-yard 18th hole to put her in a five-golfer playoff for four spots. Rud shot an 85 and placed sixth to lead Central co-op to its third straight regional title at the Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club in Rockford with a 360, six shots ahead of runner-up Prairie Ridge. She was the FVC medalist at Crystal Woods in Woodstock with an 81, overtaking best friend Natalie Zimmerman of Jacobs on the 18th hole.
Class 1Aat Red Tail Run Golf Course, Decatur
Individuals: Jordan Cheng, Marian Central, so.
Worth noting: Cheng, still an underclassman, qualified for state for the second year in a row, giving the Hurricanes competitors at both girls and boys state tournaments, along with Luca Kittel for the boys. She did not compete at last year’s meet, however, instead playing with Marian’s highly successful girls tennis team at sectionals, which took place on the same weekend as the state golf meet. Cheng earned her state spot with a seventh-place finish at the Class 1A Rockford Lutheran Sectional at Forest Hills, where she shot an 89. She tied for third at the Marengo Regional with a 90, as the Hurricanes took fourth and missed qualifying for sectionals as a team by only two shots. Cheng led Marian to a first-place finish at the Chicagoland Christian Conference Meet, earning medalist honors with an 85 at Kankakee Elks Country Club in St. Anne. She took runner-up at the CCC tourney as a freshman.
