CL Central 1 shot short

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ST. CHARLES – Coming into the IHSA Class 2A West Chicago Sectional at Pheasant Run, golfers knew the competition for the top two team spots needed to qualify for the state tournament would be stiff.

After all, last year’s third-place finisher, Wheaton Academy, had brought back state champion David Flynn and was playing on its home course.

“We had a pretty good feeling it was going to come down to the second and final spot,” Crystal Lake Central coach Mike Hermann said after the Tigers (317) missed tying for second by one stroke. “Four or five teams had a great chance of advancing.

“We were just one of the teams that came up on the short end of the stick.”

Wheaton Academy (297) finished first, followed by Grayslake Central (316).

For Crystal Lake Central’s Tigers, Riley Bauman followed his medalist performance at the Prairie Ridge Regional with a sixth-place 3-over-par 75, six shots behind Flynn.

“It’s hard when your team loses by one shot, but we played well and should be proud of our season,” Bauman said. “We were pretty confident in grabbing that last spot, but it just didn’t happen.”

Bauman qualified for state as an individual. The Class 2A state tournament is Friday and Saturday at Weigreen in Normal.

Prairie Ridge senior Robinson Logue qualified for state by matching Bauman’s 75. The Wolves (320) finished fourth.

“I did really well on the par-5s, but I had a little bit of a shaky start,” Logue said. “I was able to even things out eventually and started hitting the fairways and making my putts.

“I came out a day early with my dad to practice my putting, and it really paid off on the 10-footers.”

Also making the cut for individual qualifiers was Marian Central sophomore Luke Waggoner, whose 77 helped lead the Hurricanes (322) to a sixth-place finish.

“It was nerve-racking waiting for the final group of players to come in,” Waggoner said. “I wasn’t sure if my 77 would stand up.

“After making state last year, I put a lot of emphasis on making it back, and I’m happy to achieve one of my goals.”

Hampshire (335) took ninth behind Jeremy Yoder’s 79.

“I just concentrated on coming out and playing a solid round,” Yoder said. “There’s a lot of great golfers out here, but you can’t let it distract you.”

“This is definitely one of the best teams that’s ever come through Hampshire, and I am proud to be a part of it with a great group of guys.”