Two-time defending Class AA state champion Hinsdale Central returns four of the six golfers that won last year’s team state crown, including second-place individual finisher Jessica Lee and sixth-place finisher Selina Zeng.
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Lee and Zeng are good friends and friendly rivals for coach Nick Latorre, who appreciates the seniors beyond their skills on the course.
“They’re both terrific players,” Latorre said. “But they’re also probably the hardest-working high school athletes I’ve ever been around.”
Lee’s hard work lately has centered on her short game. Lee shot rounds of 71 and 74 at the 2015 state finals at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth, finishing one stroke behind individual AA state champion Madasyn Pettersen of Guilford.
“I focused on my putting and short game this summer because that’s where I can drop strokes the easiest,” Lee said. “A couple missed three-footers last year really added up at the state finals. Walking up to a putt with confidence and having that confidence with every stroke is important.”
Zeng shot rounds of 74 and 79 in placing sixth last year. Like Lee, Zeng focused her offseason training on her short game.
“This summer I took a lot of my weaknesses and worked hard to turn them into strengths,” Zeng said. “With my chipping and putting, I did a lot more drills. … My goal throughout high school has been to shoot around par, and as I get older it becomes an expectation.”
On the course, both Lee and Zeng have competitive demeanors, but Zeng said she’s more expressive than her teammate.
“I’m a little louder than she is, but we’re very similar and we get along great,” Zeng said. “Usually Coach doesn’t put us together because he knows we’re good friends, and he’s afraid we’ll get distracted.”
The Red Devils also return ninth-place state finisher Roshannah Gaur and Maria Harrast, who placed 54th.
IC Catholic’s Hurt defends Class A title
Senior Maddie Hurt returns as IC Catholic’s first state champion golfer. Hurt drained a 15-foot putt to birdie the second playoff hole and win the Class A state crown last year.
“It was an amazing experience,” Hurt said. “It’s an honor to have won it. If I win it again it would be awesome, but if I don’t, I won’t be devastated because I’ve had such a great high school experience.”
Hurt has played the regular season on the IC Catholic boys team throughout her high school career before entering the girls individual state playoffs.
“I’ve never had a problem playing on the guys team,” Hurt said. “I went to grade school with a handful of them, and I’ve always been comfortable with it.”
Hurt added 20 yards of length off the tee since last year, giving her an advantage she intends to capitalize on this season.
“I had to work on swinging faster on the downswing,” Hurt said. “I also feel much stronger now because of the workouts I’ve done this summer and through last winter.”
Mroz seeks mental mastery
After finishing 17th at the Class AA state finals in 2014 as a freshman and coming off a 69 in last year’s regional tournament, Stephanie Mroz failed to advance past the sectional round as a sophomore.
This summer, the Fenwick junior has focused on the mental side of her game.
“I didn’t play well that day,” Mroz said of last year’s Oak Park Sectional. “It was my mental game and my attitude, and that’s what I’ve worked on most since then.
“Last year a double bogey would throw me off my game, and I’d get too upset if I wasn’t having a good round. But it’s the players who can forget about things and even laugh off a bad shot that are the best players in the game.”
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Fenwick coach Kitty Delany believes Mroz will thrive as she gains control of the mental side of golf.
“She has a beautiful swing and a beautiful game,” Delany said. “She’s been working on all aspects of her game, and I think the way last year ended will make her better this year.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press