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The 2012 IHSA Boys & Girls Golf State Final Tournaments will unfold in the Bloomington-Normal and Decatur areas on Friday and Saturday, October 12-13.
GIRLS GOLF STATE FINALS PREVIEW
Red Tail Run Golf Course will serve as the host of the Class A State Finals, while the Class AA tourney will unfold at Hickory Pont Golf Club. The 2012 season marks the 38th annual IHSA Girls Golf State Finals and the sixth year of the two-class system, while Red Tail Run and Hickory Point are each in their second year of hosting.
CLASS A
With defending Class A champion Normal University playing in Class AA in 2012, the door is open for several top teams from a year ago to take home the state championship this season. That list begins with 2011 runner-up Nashville, who finished a single shot off the pace last year and returns their two top finishers in juniors Shawn Rennegarbe (placed 4th with a 157 in 2011) and Natalie Johnson (T26th, 170). Massac County, the 2009 state champ, placed third a year ago and is led by junior Ali Eikholz (T34th, 175) and senior Kristen Faulkner (82 at Sectionals). Four other Top 10 team finishers from a year ago return in 2012, including Mahomet-Seymour (6th), Rochester (7th), Quincy Notre Dame (8th) and Morton (10th). The latter three teams all return at least four players with state tourney experience, while Quincy Notre Dame senior Jamie Ehrhart (T8th, 161) and Rochester senior Jocelyn Matson (T20th, 167) are back to lead their teams after Top 20 individual finishes in 2011.
Ridgewood junior Sabrina Bonanno placed second individually in the state last season with a 154, six shots behind the state champion, and will be one to watch on the leaderboard after qualifying again in 2012. A tough field awaits Bonanno, as six other players who finished in the Top 10 individually in 2011 return, including Pinckneyville senior Heather McDaniel (5th, 158), Rockford Lutheran senior Bailey Peck (7th, 160), Bishop McNamara senior Gina Vallone (T8th, 161), Monmouth United junior Justine Peel (T10th, 162), Knoxville senior Taylor Thompson (T10th, 162) and Eldorado Coop sophomore Taylor Goodley (T10th, 162).
CLASS AA
The Class AA field will have the unique distinction of containing two defending team state champions in 2012, as Prospect returns to defend its Class AA crown and 2011 Class A champion Normal University moves up to Class AA in 2012. Prospect has four juniors who played in the state tournament a year ago back, including Noreen Caporusso, who fired a 74 earlier this week to win Sectional medalist honors. Despite the graduation loss of last year’s Class A individual state champ (Katherine Hepler) and the bump up in class, the Pioneers and senior Sheinnera Gerongay (84 at Sectionals) will still expect to be in the hunt to win their fifth state championship since 2005. Perennial powers New Trier and Hinsdale Central are also back in the field in 2012 after Top 5 finishes a year ago. New Trier senior Callie Nelson finished just outside the Top 10 individually at last year’s state meet (T11th, 187), while Hinsdale Central carded a state-best Sectional team score of 316 earlier this week behind sub-80 efforts from seniors Rosanna Lederhausen (75) and Colleen Ahern (76).
The individual leaderboard could feature many of the same names from a year ago, as half of the Top 10 finishers from a year return, including Crystal Lake Central Coop junior Alexandra Harkins (3rd, 179), Buffalo Grove senior Grace Kil (T4th, 180), Waubonsie Valley sophomore Bing Singhsumalee (T4th, 180), Stevenson senior Stephanie Miller (6th, 183) and Lederhausen (T7th, 186). Meanwhile, Lincoln-Way East sophomore Kelly Sterling (74), Neuqua Valley freshman Jessica Yuen (74) and Belleville East senior Miranda Lidisky (82) all enter the state tournament riding the momentum of winning individual medalist honors at their respective Sectional meets.
BOYS GOLF STATE FINALS PREVIEW
 The Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington will serve as the Class 1A host, while Illinois State University’s Weibring Golf Club in Normal and Bloomington’s The Den At Fox Creek Golf Course welcome the Class 2A and Class 3A fields, respectively. Prairie Vista is serving as an IHSA state final host for the 20th time, The Den for the 15th year and Weibring for the sixth time. The 2012 season marks the 96th annual IHSA Boys Golf State Finals and the fifth year of the three-class system.
CLASS 1A
Defending state champ North Shore Country Day returns with most of its 2011 title team intact, as four of its five top shooters at last year’s state tournament return, including senior Nick McCall (placed 5th with a 154 in 2011) and junior Andrew Blechman (T15th, 160). Bismarck-Henning finished three strokes behind Country Day a year ago and is led by junior Andy Bott and senior Austin Toler once again. Bott was tied atop the leaderboard after 36 holes last year with a score of 150, but individual honors went to since graduated Tri-Valley standout Austin Sproles after a one-hole playoff, while Toler finished in a tie for ninth individually after carding a 157 in 2011. St. Anthony, Aquin, Cornerstone Christian and Nashville are all back in the team field again after placing in the Top 10 last year, and each returns with a veteran roster that has at least four returnees with state final experience.
El Paso Gridley sophomore Michael Mounce shot the state’s best Sectional score (69) score in Class 1A this year to lead the Titan team to the state tournament, while Rockridge senior Dylan Dixon placed third in the state last year (152) competing individually, but has guided his team to a berth in 2012. Country Day senior Andrew Bedford could challenge his teammates on the individual leaderboard this season, as he has been the team’s top shooter in the Regional and Sectional rounds this postseason. St. Anthony senior Joe Powell earned individual titles at Regionals and Sectionals this season, while Hamilton County senior Marc Cox (T6th, 156) and Eureka sophomore Trevor Gold (T9th, 157) have qualified as individuals again after Top 10 finishes last year.
CLASS 2A
The Class 2A field does not have many familiar faces in 2012, as only two of the 12 qualifying teams competed in the field a year ago. Defending state champ Althoff Catholic happens to be one of those two teams and has a trio of returnees from last year’s title team back, including seniors Andrew Blackburn (placed 15th with a 155 in 2011) and Michael Johnson, who shot a team-best 72 during Sectionals this week. Washington is the other retuning team, as the Panthers look poised to improve on last year’s ninth-place finish behind the return of four of their top five players from last year’s state tourney squad, including senior Talon Supak. Among the many newcomers, Waterloo could be the team to watch after the Bulldogs posted a Class 2A state-best team score of 297 during the Sectional round. Waterloo was led by senior John Wirth’s 68 at Sectionals, also a state-best score in Class 2A.
Mt. Carmel senior Christian Seaton is the top individual returnee from a year ago, when he tied for seventh with a 36-hole total of 152. Seaton competed as an individual qualifier a year ago, but has helped the Golden Ace team qualify in 2012. Latin’s Knox Montgomery placed 14th with a score of 153 in 2011 and will look to move up the leaderboard in 2012 as a sophomore. Pontiac junior Eric Raube and St. Laurence sophomore Jordan Velez both carded 73’s to win medalist honors at their respective Sectionals this year, while Ottawa senior Lane Barbier (77) also won an individual Sectional crown and will compete with his team this weekend.
CLASS 3A
The Top 5 teams from the 2011 state final tournament and seven of the top eight from a year ago return to the Class 3A tournament in 2012, including two-time defending state champ Lake Forest. The Scouts threepeat bid will be led by senior Ian Mankoff (placed T6th with a 153 in 2011) and junior Drew Barrett, who both shot 78 at Sectionals earlier this week. Lyons, who finished nine strokes behind Lake Forest to place second a year ago, will be a top contender again with the return of four regulars, including seniors Charlie Netzel (2nd, 149) and Ryan Hudson (T16th, 157). Loyola Academy, Hinsdale Central and New Trier all placed in the Top 5 last year and return this season behind the senior leadership of Michael Hultquist (73 at Sectionals), David Whinery (75) and Austin Rendell (77), respectively.
Among individual qualifiers in the 2012 field, Stevenson senior Reed Aren is the top returnee from a year ago, when he finished tied for 16th in the state with a score of 157. Huntley senior Ryan Craig (70) and Yorkville junior Evan Dill (73) were both Sectional champions this season and are among the individual qualifiers who could vie for the top spot. Meanwhile, Naperville North senior Raymond Knoll (68) and New Trier sophomore Jack Junge (73) rounded out the individual Sectional champions and will both be playing with their respective teams this weekend.
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SITES
Girls Golf
Class A-Red Tail Run Golf Course (Decatur)
Class AA-Hickory Point Golf Club (Decatur)
Boys Golf
Class 1A-Prairie Vista Golf Club (Bloomington)
Class 2A-Illinois State University's Weibring Golf Club (Normal)
Class 3A-The Den At Fox Creek Golf Course (Bloomington)
SCHEDULE
Tee times begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday & Saturday for all courses and classes.
Girls Tee Times
Boys Tee Times
LIVE LEADERBOARD
Boys & Girls Leaderboard
TICKETS
There is no charge for admission at this event
BROADCAST
A highlight package from each course will be posted on www.IHSA.tv in the days that follow the tournaments.
INTERACT
Use #IHSA on Twitter
Boys Chat
Girls Chat
Photos
Video Highlights
HISTORY & RECORDS
Girls 2012 State Series
Girls Record Book & Past Champions
Boys 2012 State Series
Boys Record Book & Past Champions
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