The Lyons Township girls golf team pulled out a fifth-score tiebreaker at regionals to earn the last team berth to Monday’s Class 2A Hinsdale South Sectional.
Thanks to another fifth-score tiebreaker, the Lions are headed to state for the first time since 2013.
The Lions’ 340 at Carriage Greens edged Fenwick for the sectional’s last team berth to state Friday and Saturday at Hickory Point in Decatur.
“That’s pretty unbelievable, two in a row,” LTHS coach Jeff Johnson said.
Senior Addison Watanabe was sixth (76), followed by senior Kayla Sinars (86), sophomore Amelia Van Vuren (87), senior Victoria Halon and junior Isabella Evans (91s) and senior Keira Kessler (92). Halon and Evans were 12 strokes ahead of Fenwick’s fifth score.
“I think they were all relieved to have a second chance [from regionals],” Johnson said.
“The same thing happened [Monday], almost the same situation. We thought we were out of it and more scores kept coming. The next thing you know, we’re tied again and it went to the fifth score.”
Watanabe is the Lions’ lone golfer with state experience. She qualified individually in 2022 and tied for 89th (86), one stroke from the cut for the second round. Sinars, Halon and Kessler also were part of last year’s sectional lineup that was sixth.
At the Glenbard East Regional Thursday, the Lions (337) pulled out third on a fifth-score tiebreaker with York.
Watanabe had one of her best rounds with a 1-over-par 70 and finished second in a playoff with Hinsdale Central sophomore Lilly Riegger.
Van Vuren (85), Evans (89) and Sinars (92) also scored for the Lions. No. 5 score Kessler (98) and Halon (99) both beat York’s No. 5 score of 103.
Sinars and Halon improved their scores at sectionals.
“(Overall) they were happy with the way they played,” Johnson said. “It was kind of similar to (regionals) where we didn’t give up, just playing every hole and making some putts and seeing where the scores sorted out.”
LTHS boys golf
Sophomore Finley Tyrrell was disappointed with his 80 at Prairie Bluff during the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet Sept. 19.
He was eager for another chance on the Crest Hill course Monday for the Class 3A LT Sectional, especially after shooting 1-over-par 73s there in early-season practice rounds.
“I just wanted to prove that I could shoot a good score and prove it to myself,” Tyrrell said.
Now he’s going to his first state meet.
Tyrrell’s par-72 tied for eighth overall to earn an individual state berth to the state meet Friday and Saturday at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.
“It means a lot. I was just trying to put out a good number and kind of stay in the mix of things,” Tyrrell said.
“I wasn’t really thinking much, just kind of focusing on the shot on hand.”
Tyrrell finished with a hot hand. Over his last five holes, he went 3-under with three birdies.
“I finished really good, it kind of saved me,” Tyrrell said.
As a team, the Lions were a solid 303 but three strokes from the hotly contested third and last team berth. LTHS tied for sixth.
Senior James Frehner’s 76 was one stroke from joining four golfers who had a playoff for the 10th and last individual berth for players not from the advancing teams.
Other scorers were junior Anderson Palm (77) and senior Charlie Novak (78), followed by senior Kevin Larmon (80) and junior Tommy Niemiec (82).
On Sept. 29, the Lions advanced by finishing second at the Rolling Meadows Regional at Arlington Lakes (302) for a top-three team sectional berth.
Palm (72) was fifth and Frehner (75) tied for eighth, followed by Tyrrell (77), Larmon (78) and Novak and Niemiec (80s).
Tyrrell said Monday was his best 18-hole round along with a 71 at Prairie Landing Aug. 15.
“I’ve never been on the [state] course, excited to play though,” Tyrrell said. “[My goal is] just try to play well and be up there on the leader board.”
