Sloan, Hayes garner all-FVC golf honors
HUNTLEY — Competing at the Fox Valley Conference tournament, two Huntley girls golfers shot under 90 and one had a memory from one of the 18 holes of Crystal Woods Golf Course.
Maddie Sloan tallied an 82 stroke total, 40 front nine, 42 back nine, for fourth place Sept. 25. Sophomore Kinsey Hayes shot an 47-42, 85 and was 10th. The Red Raiders finished fourth in team standings with a 377 team score in the meet won by Crystal Lake Central Co-op.
Sloan, a senior, scored an eagle on the par five 420-yard No. 8 hole.
“I’m excited because I usually struggle at that hole,” Sloan said. “I hit a driver to 169 yards then hit another driver to a 12-foot putt.”
Sloan and Hayes won all-FVC honors for the day and top 18 FVC for the season (including duals). HHS was 5-2 for team duals.
“Sloan has had an incredible season,” Huntley girls golf coach Lindsey Allen said. “She is also such a leader on the team. It was an emotional day as Sloan finished her round. It was exciting that she played so well, but sad because this is her last conference championship.”
Hayes, who recently shot a season-best 85, was happy with her round.
“I was struggling on the front nine, but improved on the back nine. It was exciting to be all-FVC,” Hayes said.
Allen likes the progress Hayes has made this season.
“Hayes has also had some excellent rounds this season,” Allen said. “As a sophomore, I am so impressed by her maturity and mindset on the course.”
Allen praised the team’s finish in the top half of the tournament.
“I was so proud of how the girls played,” Allen said. “Crystal Woods is always a challenge, but I have seen so much improvement from our individual players over the years. Crystal Lake Co-op are always great competitors and I believe they drive us to play our best.”
Also contributing for the Red Raiders: Annie Garrard, 103; Keegan Smith, 103; Taryn Rainey, 105; Miranda Hoeft, 106 and Ava Lodewyck, 118.
IHSA Regional
The Red Raiders will host an 11-team IHSA Class 2A Regional Oct. 2 at Pinecrest Golf Club. Qualifiers advance to the Boylan Catholic Sectional on Oct. 7.
“Our goal at regional is to play for the team,” Allen said. “Our number one player’s score is just as important as our number six. I’m looking for our girls to stay positive throughout the day as that is when we have our best team rounds.”
