Allen always dedicated to golf skills

HUNTLEY — New Huntley girls head golf coach, Lindsey Allen, always loved the sport of golf.

Her high school career, though, had a different twist than most female golfers.

“I was the only girl on the boys’ team at Crystal Lake South,” Allen said. “We started a girls’ co-op team my senior year. It forced me to be more competitive and we made sectional our first year.”

Two decades plus later, Allen is leading the Red Raiders as she was named head girls golf coach after Anne Christensen retired. Christensen had led HHS girls golf for 14 seasons.

“Coach Christensen was a great teacher for me, as I came back to coaching three years ago,” Allen said.

Allen played other sports as a youth in Crystal Lake but always came back for work on her golf game at Pinecrest Golf Club and McHenry Country Club.

Her Gators career led to college golf at Linwood College in St. Charles, Missouri. “I won all-conference all-academic, that was my claim to fame,” Allen said.

Season starts

Allen is pleased with the start to the season for Huntley. HHS is defending Fox Valley tournament champs.

HHS won the Belvidere North meet for openers. “We set goals  for the meet and blew them out of the water to win by 20 shots,” Allen said.

Red Raiders leaders include senior Aubrey Dingbaum and junior Maddie Sloan, both sectional qualifiers last season.

Sloan led HHS to a fifth place at its tournament at Pincrest Golf Club as she turned in a round of 44 for nine holes. Kaitlyn Busky and Kinsey Hayes shot 49, Dingbaum shot a 50 and Anna Garrard a 56.

“The team did a wonderful job as the winds increased and made the course more difficult throughout the round,” Allen said. “Our goal was to never give up and always think about the next shot. Sloan accomplished this after a rocky start. She showed determination by finishing strong and ultimately being the low scorer for our team.”