Girls Golf: Nazareth duo earn honors

Updated: November 28, 2011 6:38PM

Few Chicago-area conferences cover as much area as the East Suburban Catholic.

Nazareth girls golf coach Charlie Rohlf said watching his players complete homework on the ride home after a meet is common.

“We have long bus rides in our conference. After dual meets on weeknights, we’ll drive more than an hour, which makes for a late trip,” Rohlf said.

Meets on the road to Carmel in Mundelein and Bishop McNamara in Kankakee make for even longer trips.

For a pair of Rohlf’s former golfers, seniors and Clarendon Hills residents Megan Dolan and Becky Adams, the weeknight and even Saturday road trips become even more time consuming when you’re trying to finish projects and homework for Advanced Placement classes in Biology and English.

“During golf, we get home at 9 or 10 o’clock from a meet. You have to do all of your homework.” Adam said. “You do it on the bus and you do it when you come home.”

Dolan and Adams have known each other since the first grade when they both attended Notre Dame Parish school through eighth grade, so it would seem appropriate that the best friends competed in golf together.

On Nov. 16 they also became two of three Nazareth girls golfers to earn the Senior Scholar-Athlete Award given to varsity athletes who were able to carry a GPA of 3.5 or greater for six consecutive semesters. The other Nazareth golfer to earn the honor was Clare Bohne.

“(Sports) helps your grades,” said Rohlf, who doubles as Nazareth’s girls basketball coach. “It keeps the kids focused. It makes you think about doing the most with the time you have.”

Dolan and Adams might argue that the academic prize may not have been their greatest honor during the season. The duo helped the Roadrunners capture their first Class A regional title as the host team at Willow Crest Golf Club in Oak Brook.

Nazareth scored 379 while Adams shot a 92 to finish as the team’s second scorer, trailing Colleen Muldowny (85). Dolan shot a 106 to finish fifth on the team. The Roadrunners could not capture the same magic in the following week, finishing seventh at the Westminster Christian Sectional at Golf Club of Illinois in Algonquin.

The best friends have no brothers and act much like sisters. It should be no surprise that they own nearly identical GPAs at 4.2 and both averaged in the mid-40s for nine holes during the season. Neither girl has made a college decision although they have applied to a few of the same schools. Adams is considering a college major in international business and Dolan is undecided. They do not plan on attending the same college.

“It was the first time we won regionals,” Dolan said. “It was a great honor. We were recognized at the school after that weekend. The school made an announcement and there was a banner in the gymnasium.”

The girls came to Clarendon Hills from different backgrounds. Dolan’s parents moved from the city while Adams arrived from Columbus, Ohio. They started their golf careers playing with friends at the Downers Grove Golf Course.

“It’s easy going. It’s laid back and you do not run a lot (in golf),” Adams said. “There is hard work, especially in the summer when it’s hot. You can talk to people and get to know the players.”

“It’s mentally challenging,” Dolan said. “(Golf) teaches me self-discipline as a person.”

The duo share the same class for AP Biology with teacher Sheila Emmett, but are in different classes for AP English taught by Lori Sadowski.

Keeping up their grades and playing golf also means making sacrifices.

“You do not watch TV or do other things you like to do,” Adams said.

Dolan and Adams do not participate in any other sports. Their athletic careers ended after the sectional.

“I love our team. They are like a family,” Dolan said. “We had such a tight-knit team. I’m definitely sad to leave it. The team offered me some great memories.”

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