After another close call at making history in 2023 by a couple of strokes, senior Taryn Schultz and her Riverside Brookfield High School girls golf teammates were ready for their second chance on Sept. 25.
“Last year, losing by such a close amount motivated us to work harder to win,” Schultz said. The Bulldogs secured their first conference team championship in program history by winning the Upstate Eight Conference Meet by two strokes at St. Andrews Golf Club in West Chicago.
“I’m really excited to win conference for the team because it helps me end my high school golf career on a good note,” Schultz responded. “It is also exciting because hopefully it will motivate the rest of our team to continue the success and carry it on to win next year.”
Juniors Lucia Vazzana and Tali Schultz shot 89s for the Bulldogs, followed by freshman Harper Jesswein (91) and Taryn Schultz (93). RBHS edged U-46 co-op 362-364 for the UEC Meet title, and the overall championship outright, by also going undefeated in conference duals. The overall conference title combines dual and UEC Meet results.
Unlike most RBHS sports, girls golf made its UEC debut in 2023. Vazzana and the Schultz sisters were part of the lineup that lost to South Elgin 356-359 at the UEC Meet for the overall title after being tied for first in duals with a 7-0-1 record.
“What it means to me to make history is that I am proud of the team and how far we have come. A lot of us worked hard this season and it paid off in the end with the conference title,” Tali Schultz said. “One thing I will remember about the [UEC Meet] round is that even though I had some bad holes, I was able to turn it around and it all worked out in the end.”
Also gaining individual All-UEC honors for being among the top 10 players, based on dual and the UEC Meet results, were Vazzana (No. 2 overall), Taryn Schultz (No. 5), Tali Schultz (No. 8) and Jesswein (tied for No. 10).
Vazzana and the Schultz sisters, who are not related to RBHS head coach Doug Schultz, also were All-UEC in 2023. Jesswein’s rapid improvement in particular has been welcomed after the graduation of three-time state qualifier Mayan Covarrubias.
“Winning conference and making history means a lot to me, especially because I am a freshman with not a lot of golf experience,” said Jesswein, whose golf game has been bolstered by playing ice hockey.
“I had a lot of nerves going into [the UEC Meet] and right when I teed off, they went away. I have surprised myself a ton with my success. I think a lot of the older girls have helped me along the way, too, to get to the player I am now.”
The Bulldogs played at the Class 2A Hinsdale Central Regional Tuesday with hopes of a top-three finish to advance to the Sandburg Sectional, Oct. 7, at Silver Lake Country Club.
Last year, the Bulldogs were fifth at regionals with Vazzana, Taryn Schultz and Tali Schultz joining Covarrubias as individual sectional qualifiers. Vazzana and Taryn Schultz also were individual sectional qualifiers in 2022, when the Bulldogs just missed their first sectional team berth on a fifth-score tiebreaker for third place. Â
LTHS girls golf
The Lions also begin their quest for a return to the state meet at the Hinsdale Central Regional with junior Amelia Van Vuren and senior Isabella Evans back from the 10th-place 2023 state lineup.
LTHS was sixth (365) at the West Suburban Conference Meet, Sept. 25, at Village Greens in Woodridge and tied for fourth with York in the final overall standings after going 6-3 in duals.
Van Vuren (81) earned top-20 All-WSC medalist honors by sharing a four-way tie for fifth. Van Vuren was awarded fifth outright based on a scorecard tiebreaker.
Other scorers were Mekayla Genovesi (91), two strokes from the last all-conference score, Isabella Caulfield (94), Brynn Evans (99), Pati Pawlikowski (101), and Bea Waite and Winn Waite (102s). Evans scratched because of illness.
The Lions were two strokes behind Oak Park and River Forest and four behind York. The top three teams (Hinsdale Central, Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South) join them at the Hinsdale Central Regional.
“Without [Evans] we competed,” LTHS coach Jeff Johnson said. “We have some really nice kids. They’re good to each other and they’re having fun.”
