H-F's goal: Return to glory days on links

Dean Armstrong, whose sophomore daughter Ashley will be one of the leaders on the star-studded Homewood-Flossmoor High School girls golf team this season, knows all about his alma mater's past dominance on the links.

"Between 1976 and 1999, the H-F girls won five state titles, finished second six times and third six times," Armstrong said. "Now we're going to return to glory."

Yes, the H-F girls golf family has plenty of reasons to be confident about what might happen this fall. The Vikings return their entire lineup from a team that had to settle for third place (losing on a fifth-score tiebreaker) at the 2007 Class AA sectional finals at Coyote Run. The top two sectional teams, Marian Catholic and Hinsdale Central, ended up placing third and fifth at state, respectively.

"We learned at that sectional that every single stroke counts," H-F coach Rick Pavinato said. "We were one stroke from qualifying a team to the state finals. Our girls are ready to make that happen this year."

The timing is perfect for H-F to bring back the glory.

"Our top five girls have all won some kind of a tournament this summer," said Pavinato, whose team opens the season Monday at the Marian Catholic Invite back at Coyote Run.

Leading the pack is Armstrong, the third-place state finisher (rounds of 72 and 73) last October and winner of numerous junior titles since April. She recently was named the Illinois Junior Golf Association Junior Girls Player of the Year.

Senior captain Rachel Mayer (two-time state qualifier, 29th in 2007) and her sophomore sister Michelle (55th at state) will join Armstrong, along with sophomore Ryann Gilley and freshman Lauren Dawson, the latter having had an outstanding junior career.

"These kids have been golfing together for a long time," Pavinato said. "They're like a big family. They're disciplined, they have a lot of pride, and they're having fun."

With five solid scorers in the everyday lineup, Pavinato also will be looking for solid play from senior Zakiyyah Ali, juniors Elizabeth Rogers and Caitlyn Childress and freshmen Elizabeth Hassett and Katelyn Hoag.

When the big meets arrive in October, H-F probably will be part of the regional at Lincoln Oaks or Silver Lake and the sectional showdown at Cog Hill in Lemont.

Defending state team champ Normal, led by second-place finisher Lauren English (one stroke ahead of H-F's Armstrong), lost four players from its lineup. The state meet is slated for Oct. 17-18 at Stone Creek Golf Course in Makanda.

There are several other Southland golfers to keep an eye on. Lincoln-Way East, which won a regional and was fourth at the sectional, will rely on sophomore Kathy Sterling and juniors Paige Pollack and Julia Radgowski. Providence Catholic brings back senior Alexis Wadowski, who was second in regional play. Lockport senior Carly Shapiro and Mount Assisi senior Rose Trotto are returning sectional qualifiers.

Helping Shapiro at Lockport will be seniors Kelsey Sweet and Nina Ferry and junior Allie Burek. Lincoln-Way Central will be led by seniors Sophia Kolyvas, Jackie Berlin and Laura Korte and juniors Stephanie Delrose and Maggie Pentek.

Marian Catholic coach Linda Gilley, who has a 90-13 dual meet record and state finishes of third, fourth and second in the past three years, will try to rebuild with juniors Mary Kate Zagotta and Emily DeBoer leading the way. Zagotta has state-tournament experience.

Stagg senior Shannon Potter and Andrew senior Jennifer Grant are returning sectional qualifiers, while Mother McAuley's Tara McQuillan and Andrea Falco made it on a qualifying team.