Golfers Finish Strong at State

After sneaking into the 3A state tournament, Barrington’s boys’ golf team was hoping to finish their season with a strong performance at state, and although they didn’t turn in their best scorecards, they still finished with an eighth place finish at the Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in downstate Bloomington.

“Although the guys were a little disappointed that they didn't put up a better showing, I know they enjoyed the experience of playing in a state tournament,” said Barrington’s head coach Mike Kallenbach.  “Eighth place sure beats not making it to state.”

Barrington, who last week finished just a couple shots ahead of Stevenson and Glenbrook North at the Fremd Sectional earning third place and a trip downstate, carried some of that momentum into early action at the state tournament which started Friday, Oct. 14. 

Ending their first round action behind JP Talbot’s one over par (73) which included a (-1) on the back nine, Barrington was in seventh place; unfortunately they found themselves 17 strokes behind the eventual winners of the tournament Lake Forest (ended with 612 team strokes).

“JP had a phenomenal first round,” Kallenbach said of the senior.  “He was in the ‘zone.’”

Finishing behind Talbot on Friday were seniors Mike Stathakis (82), Taylor Ganzer (82) and junior Greg Conrad (83) which gave Barrington 320 team strokes heading into their second round action.

“Mike, Taylor and Greg have played great all year and deserved to finish the year downstate,” Kallenbach said of the yearlong consistency that helped the team go undefeated through the MSL and capture a regional championship, their second straight.

Stathakis (82), Conrad (82) and Ganzer’s (84) solid play on Saturday helped keep the Broncos stay in the top ten while junior Nick Schippel’s 81 led Barrington.  Schippel shot a (+2) on the back nine helping Barrington to 649 strokes, but it wasn’t enough as just eight strokes separated fifth and eighth place.

Fillies’ Golf

Despite freshman Julia Calbi shooting consecutive scores of 70 to lead all golfers in both the Crystal Lake regional (par 72) and Buffalo Grove sectional (74), it was sophomore Heather Ciskowski ending Friday’s first round of the 2A state tournament in Decatur’s hickory Point Golf Club tied for second place.  Ciskowski’s score of 77 (+5) was just two strokes behind the leader.

Of the more than 100 golfers in the state meet, Ciskowski would end the tournament tied for 11 place (+15) while Calbi finished tied for 15 (+18).