Girls golf pair earn medalist honor

HUNTLEY — A sophomore and a senior earned top-10 medal winners for Huntley girls golf team at the McHenry County Girls Golf Invitational.

Sophomore Kinsey Hayes ended in fourth place with a score of 85 for the 18-hole event at Boone Creek Golf Club in Bull Valley. Senior Maddie Sloan was seventh with an 88. The Red Raiders posted a strong team finish of 378, edging McHenry by one shot.

Red Raiders girls golf coach Lindsay Allen commented on the top two finishers at the Sept. 12 event.

“I am so proud of Hayes for her round of 85,” Huntley girls golf coach Lindsey Allen said. “She has been putting so much work on her game in the past year and it’s really starting to show up on the course. Even after a tough hole, Hayes shook it off and got right back on track. She’s starting to show that mental toughness that great golfers have.”

“Sloan has placed in the top 10 each year she has played at this invitational,” Allen said. “This is pretty impressive. Sloan is posting some great rounds in her final year at HHS. She has worked to improve her consistency on the course. We are also working to keep her putting strokes lower by setting goals throughout the week.”

Allen was happy with the team’s finish in the meet won by Crystal Lake Central co-op.

“Overall, I was thrilled to come in fourth place. We beat McHenry by one stroke, which was exciting because they beat us by six the night before. We have so much great competition in our county. Any team can get hot at the right moment which makes for a really fun season.”

The Warriors downed the Red Raiders, 177-183 Sept. 11 at Pinecrest Golf Course in Huntley. Sloan led all golfers with a 41 round, while Keegan Smith fired a 43, Miranda Hoeft shot a 49 and Hayes contributed a 50.