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Athletes of the Week

Boys

Luke Waggoner

Marian Central, sr.

Waggoner qualified for the IHSA Class 2A Boys Golf State Tournament for the fourth consecutive time Monday when he shot even-par 72 at Pheasant Run to take third place in the Wheaton Academy Sectional.

Waggoner realized the pressure he was under to make it again as a senior, but said he tried to focus on just having fun. That approach seemed to work well as he played one of his best rounds of the season.

He tied for 23rd at state last year.

Girls

Emily Olivera

Marian Central, jr.

Olivera tied for the fifth-lowest score at the Class A Westminster Christian Regional on Monday at the Golf Club of Illinois to lead the Hurricanes to the team championship.

Olivera shot an 89, and Marian finished with 385 strokes, well ahead of second-place Byron with 414. The Hurricanes were moved from Class AA to A this year and benefited from the move with a trip to state.

Noteworthy

Pushing each other: Marian Central’s Olivera sisters, Beth and Emily, often have traded off as the Hurricanes’ top golfer this season. Beth shot 89 to lead Marian to the St. Francis Regional title and Emily’s 89 led the Hurricanes to the Westminster Christian Sectional championship.

Marian coach Paula Watson said their consistency is uncanny. “They both average 44 strokes on nine holes,” she said.

The sisters are close, but also competitive.

“It’s definitely better with Beth on the team,” said Emily, a junior. “She motivates me and keeps me going. We compete to beat each other. All over our team we pick each other up and equal each other out.”

Watson said the sisters are one another’s biggest supporter.

“We go home and talk about matches,” said Beth, a senior. “We enjoy that a lot, having someone to relate to doing the same things.”

Marian took advantage of dropping from Class AA to A this season to qualify as a team for state.

“After we heard we were in a smaller class, we thought we had a shot,” Emily said. “We were two strokes from making it last year in AA.”

Beth wasn’t sure she would see her high school team ever make it to state in golf.

“I realized we had a chance [going to Class A],” she said. “Everyone had fun and it worked out the way it was supposed to.”

State tournaments

(Today and Saturday)

Class A Girls

At Red Tail Run, Decatur

Team: Marian Central (Emily Olivera, Beth Olivera, Claire Castetter, Samantha Leicht, Caitlin McKenna, Casey Doherty).

Individual: Andrea Lindal (Johnsburg).

Class AA Girls

At Hickory Point, Forsyth

Individuals: Connie Ellett (Hampshire), Lexi Harkins (Crystal Lake Central).

Class 2A Boys

At Weibring Golf Club, Normal

Individuals: Luke Waggoner (Marian Central), Hunter Simonini (Marengo).

Class 3A Boys

At The Den at Fox Creek, Bloomington

Individuals: Trent Craig (Huntley), Sean Kozak (Jacobs), Nick Robles (Crystal Lake South).

SEnD Joe Stevenson

joestevenson@shawmedia.com