Area boys teeing up 
for 1A regionals

Noel Nichols and the Princeton Tigers will tee up at Highland Springs Golf Course in Rock Island in Tuesday’s 1A regional golf action. (BCR photo/Mike Vaughn)

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The prep golf season gets into full swing Tuesday, with area high school boys’ teams hitting up the regional links in Mendota and Rock Island, with the top three teams and eight individuals from non-qualifying teams from each regional advancing to sectional competition.

Princeton and Bureau Valley will take the trip to Highland Springs in Rock Island at the Rockridge Regional. Hall and St. Bede will compete out off th Mendota Regional.

At Rock Island: Princeton coach Brian Church said that Rock Island Alleman and Fulton are two of the team favorites to advance, with the the third qualifying spot looking to be a tough battle between Riverdale, Rockridge and the Tigers.

Leading the charge for the Tigers will be junior Collin Slattery, who will tee off for at 9:45 a.m. Slattery, who has qualified for sectionals the past two years, is coming off a second-place finish at last Thursday’s NCIC Lincoln conference meet.

“Collin Slattery has had a really good season for us, he’s averaged between 76 and 78 for his 18-hole tournaments, and he’s done that in good weather and in bad.”

With rain and thunderstorms forecast in the forecast today, Slattery’s round of 78 in very wet conditions at the NCIC Lincoln meet last Thursday is a good sign that he has what it takes to perform in adverse weather.

Storm coach Duane Price said that the BV coaching staff and players made the trip to Highland Springs Sunday to check out the unfamiliar course with a practice round.

“We don’t play there during the regular season, we’ve never been over there for a regional, it was new for all six of our players and both of our coaches,” said Price.

Storm senior captain Jordan Twidell, who was a sectional qualifier last year, will be one of Bureau Valley’s best sectional qualifying hopes. Twidell will tee off at 10:39 a.m. for the Storm.

“He’s really putting in the work down the stretch, so I foresee him having a good chance,” Price said, adding that BV golfers Riley DeBrock and Alex Knisely are the Storm’s other best bets to advance to the sectional level, which will be held next Monday at Hawthorn Ridge in Aledo.

• Locally, the Amboy/LaMoille, Hall and St. Bede boys’ squads will head to the Mendota Golf Club to square off against the host Trojans and the rest of the pack that includes Aurora Christian, Earlville, Hinckley, Marquette, Plano, Seneca, Indian Creek and Somonauk.

Hall senior Nick Rounds is one of the favorites to advance as an individual. Last Saturday Rounds, a second-team NCIC Lincoln all-conference pick, was the top local finisher at the prestigious L-P Invite, shooting a 75 which was good for ninth place. Rounds, who qualified for state last year as a junior, will tee of his 2009 postseason run at 10:39 a.m..

Also looking to find their way into the qualifying field are Red Devils’ Ben Dagraedt and Dean Colmone, who both shot 88s at the L-P Invite.

Senior Garret Fouth should lead the way for the Bruins of St. Bede, after also posting an 88 Saturday at the L-P invite.

Qualifying teams at the Mendota regional will advance to sectional play next Monday at Edgebrook Golf Course in Somonauk.

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