Moraine Valley golf team peaks at regions, sends Alec Martinez to nationals

In a season that included a new coach and just one returning athlete, the Cyclone golf team turned in a respectable campaign that included an individual NJCAA championship qualifier.

Newcomer Alec Martinez (Sandburg), who played on the Cyclone basketball team last season and rejoins the team this year, is fairly new to golf. His overall athleticism gave him a season low of 72 (twice), an average 79.5 and a sixth place finish overall in both the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and NJCAA Region IV, the latter qualifying him for the national tournament.

The lone returner, Conner Lille (Oak Forest), finished eighth overall in conference with a 79.75 average, good enough for the All-Conference team and just missing qualifying for nationals. He was on the conference championship team last season that competed at nationals.

All season the team played consistent golf, taking third place in conference and third in regionals. The other newcomers—Nick Regan (Lincoln-Way East), Reid Rimsnider (Lockport), Jacob Frencl (Reavis), and Mitch Crook (Richards)—held their own on the links. Under pressure, Regan and Frencl shot their lowest rounds of the season at the region tournament, 73 and 78, respectively.

“They all played well at regionals, peaked at the right time and got better throughout the season,” said first-year Coach Matt Lovelace, who qualified for nationals twice when he golfed for the Cyclones in 2009 and 2010. “In my first year coaching, I didn’t know what to expect. They all seemed to bond as the season went along. In golf you really don’t work together, so that was good to see that they got along so well. Plus they played consistent overall. I’m happy with how they performed.”

Martinez has until May to prepare for the national tournament in Arizona. Until then, Lovelace will recruit new players to join the solid freshmen he expects to return next season.