Boys golf: Marmion's Konen claims regional championship
It wasn't the best day to golf, but Lemont made the best of the soggy weather conditions Wednesday and beat runner-up Providence Catholic by a stroke, 303-304, to win the championship of the Class 2A Lemont Regional at Inwood. Those two teams, along with Marmion Academy, which finished third with a team score of 313, advance to Monday's Lemont Sectional, which will be held at Wedgewood.
It was the fifth tournament win in a row for Lemont, which has not lost to a team from the state of Illinois yet this season.
This one was close, though.
"This was actually kind of a blah day for us," Lemont coach Mark Hollatz said. "We aren't happy with how we played. We want to play to a certain level and we really didn't do that today. But, the goal was to advance to the sectional and we did that. We hope today was just a lull and we will be back in good form Monday."
Several of the opening holes for the golfers were played with rain coming down, and the rest of the day was spent working their way around a soggy course.
The conditions were tough enough that only one golfer came in with a round under par. Marmion's Regan Konen took the individual championship with a 1-under round of 70.
"I won the regional last year," Konen said. "I just wanted to play good golf today. Play smart and try to limit mistakes and the results take care of themselves.
"I played probably the first five holes in the rain and made pars, except for a big birdie putt on No. 4. I was best off the tee today and that helped. I didn't have to scramble a lot. I just tried to hit fairways and greens. The greens were tough. They were a little slow with the rain and they had been aerated so they were a little bumpy.
"It's great for us to be moving on as a team. That was a big motivation for us today. Now we want to do well at the sectional and hopefully make a run at state."
Also receiving medals for placing in the top five were Joey Scott and Robbie Politza of Lemont (74 each), and Eddie Scott of Lemont, Tyler Mott of Providence Catholic, Alex Nahas of Joliet Catholic Academy and Tom Gneiser of Hinsdale South (all with 75).
After the Scott brothers and Politza on Lemont's scorecard came Matthew Devoy (80) and Brett Paluch (80). For Providence, the scoring golfers were Tyler Mott, Dylan Mott (76), Joe Brasky (77) and Cullen Parker (81). Marmion's scoring golfers were Konen, Evan Paganelis (80), Clay Ellis-Escobar (81), and Trey Howicz (82).
"Lemont is probably the favorite to win Class 2A," Providence coach John Platt said. "And we were right there, a stroke behind them. We just have to remain consistent. There are probably six or seven teams that have the potential to get out of the sectional, so it will be tough, but we are pretty familiar with that course, which will help.
"Dylan Mott had been our medalist most of the year, and it was nice to see his brother step up and be that for us today. Joey Brasky also had a good day. He struggled a little early in the season, but he has really come around. We just need these guys to get back to the form they had over the summer."
The top 10 individuals not on an advancing team also advance to Monday's sectional.
JCA had four golfers advance as individuals. Besides Nahan, the Hilltoppers advanced Connor Neville (78), Jake Gimbel (81) and Owen Swienton (86). Other individual qualifiers were Gneiser and Sam Johnson (88) of Hinsdale South, who beat out teammate Dom Rallo in a playoff for the final spot, Ryah Novak (86) and Jackson Michels (83) of Aurora Central Catholic, and Jake Eaheart (85) and Joe Haase (76) of Peotone.