MAGJT Autumn Challenge

Scores of 76 and 77 combine for a 6th place finish at the Autumn Challenge at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club. The lovely late fall weather and competitive field put a nice finish on the golf season.

Counting down the days until the Spring tournament season begins.

IHSA Regionals

Both the SCN team and John Carroll advance to Sectionals to be played Monday 10/10/2011 at Bartlett Hills.

Team 1st and 4th Individual Honors at Elgin Invitational

Cherala and Carroll top-10 as North Stars Take Title

Led by top-10 finishes from Ragheev Cherala (75) and John Carroll (76), St. Charles North's boys golf team took home the team title at Monday's Elgin invite at Bartlett Hills Golf Club.

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South Elgin’s Owens wins Elgin Invitational

By Paul Johnson For Sun-Times Media September 19, 2011 9:46PM

BARTLETT — It’s starting to become routine to see South Elgin senior golfer Xavier Owens post terrific scores on the links this fall. Owens was at it yet again Monday at the 12-team Elgin Invitational at Bartlett Hills. He was three under par after his first six holes and never looked back, earning medalist honors with a sparkling 69, five strokes ahead of the field. That helped the Storm finish third as a team with 312, behind team champion St. Charles North (309) and fellow Upstate Eight Valley team Neuqua Valley (311).

“This is kind of how I’ve been playing, but this is a good day for me,” Owens said. “I was playing very well, playing very consistent, not many mistakes. It’s nice to come out here where there’s a group of guys that can go low and I can go a little bit lower.”

Owens started with a birdie on his first hole in the shotgun format, the par-five fourth. He followed that with birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 and added another birdie on No. 12 to offset his one bogey of the day. Ryan Ford added a 78 for the Storm.

St. Charles North received a consistent effort from top to bottom to post a 309 and win the title. The North Stars hope to see this course again in a few weeks when the sectional meet is held there.

Raghav Cherala (75), John Carroll (76) and Dan Shepherd delivered yet again from the top three spots in the lineup to lead the North Stars.

“The top three guys have been pretty consistent for us week in and week out,” North coach Rob Prentiss said. “You start to take them for granted.”

Prentiss said that while the top three have been consistent all season, he’s still looking for a consistent fourth score. He got it Monday when seniors Quint Barr and Pete Roschmann each posted 81s after having a rough go of it Saturday.

“I’m really proud of Quint and Pete today,” Prentiss said. “They had a really bad day Saturday. I was hoping they’d bounce back, and they did. If the top three play well and we get some help from the bottom of the lineup, we can be tough.”

Bartlett placed fourth with a 322, led by ace Ryan Wolfe, who posted a solid 76. Chris Dungey added an 80 from the No. 5 spot in the lineup.

Dundee-Crown showed some consistency in its 330, with all four counting scores falling between 80 and 84, led by Scott Mallers’ 80 from the No. 4 slot. Larkin was consistent as well with its 343. Jack McCracken shot an 85 followed by three teammates who shot 86s.

Streamwood (402) and host Elgin (416) rounded out the 12-team field.

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Elgin Invite at Bartlett Hills

TEAM SCORES

St. Charles North 309, Neuqua Valley 311, South Elgin 312, Bartlett 322, West Aurora 325, Geneva 330, Dundee-Crown 330, Lake Park 341, Larkin 343, Hoffman Estates 349, Streamwood 402, Elgin 419.

Top 10 individuals

Owens (SE) 69, Rouches (NV) 74, Cherala (SCN) 75, Carroll (SCN) 76, Wolfe (B) 76, Butler (LP) 77, Dattolo (WA) 78, Ford (SE) 78, Vanalsburg (NV) 79.

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Solid Play Revises Index Plus Wheeling Invitational Results

Wheeling Invitational Tournament

Sept 17, 2011

John Carroll of the North Stars claimed the final medal with an outstanding 76, a score that was even more remarkable considering he suffered through a quadruple bogey on his 13th hole (No. 18 at Chevy Chase as the golfers played a shotgun start.)

The senior played even-par on the remaining 17 holes.

“It could have been better,” said Carroll, “but I’m not disappointed with a 76 at all.”

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September 2011 Recuriting Video

Strong Performances Continue

Batavia just misses winning own invite

By Kevin McGavin

Fox Valley Golf Club attracts the finest boys teams from the western suburbs on the Saturday after Labor Day.......

John Carroll and Dan Shepherd had matching 75s to lead St. Charles North past their city rivals for ninth place.

“I think we played OK,” St. Charles North coach Rob Prentiss said. “I think we’re still a work in progress. If you look at the (team) standings, we were in ninth place. But it’s a little misleading because we were only 8 shots out of first place.”

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Geneva Match

John Carroll was part of a three-way tie for medalist honors with a score of 37 at Thursday's Upstate Eight River dual with Geneva, but the Vikings won 155-156 thank to 37s from John Krutzler and Pat Cuscaden.

Dan Shepherd (38), Pete Roschmann (39) and Quint Barr (42) provided the rest of the scoring for the North Stars, who fell to 2-1 in conference play.

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North Stars take second at Fenton Invite

John Carroll and Dan Shepherd both fired 3-over 73s to help St. Charles North finish second out of 30 teams at the Fenton Invitational on Saturday.

Raghav Cherala (77), Quint Barr (81) and Jason McAleese (88) also factored into the scoring for the North Stars, whose 304 team total was nine 11 strokes behind event champion Lyons Township.

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FENTON INVITE
White Pines East Course, par 70
Lyons Township 293, St. Charles North 304, Neuqua Valley 310, Benet Academy 310, Hinsdale Central 317
Individual
Adam Turner, Glenbard South, 70; Charlie Netzel, Lyons, 71; Orion Turner, Maine East, 71; Dan Hudson, Lyons, 72; Dan Shepherd, St. Charles North, 73; Kevin Carlsson, Lyons, 73; John Carroll, St. Charles North, 73; Kyle Acevedo, Leyden, 74; Curtis House, Hinsdale Central, 74; Ian Nebendahl, Neuqua Valley, 74


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Medalist at Medinah Country Club

Prep roundup: Low scores carry St. Charles North boys golf

By The KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
MEDINAH – The St. Charles North boys golf team made the most of a picturesque day on Monday, scorching the field at Medinah Golf Course No. 2 by double digits for a win at the Lake Park Quad. North’s team total of 146 was 10 strokes better than Glenbard West, with Lake Park and Elk Grove lagging further behind.

North’s John Carroll fired a 2-under 34, while Raghav Cherala (35), Dan Sheperd (37) and Quint Barr (40) also factored into the winning showing.

“It was perfect out tonight,” North coach Rob Prentiss said. “There was no wind conditions. It was pretty conducive to some low scores. It shows a little bit what we’re capable of.” Prentiss said playing a course of Medinah’s caliber makes for an infusion of energy.  “It’s just a treat to go to a place like that and our three big guns all played well on the same night,” Prentiss said.

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John Carroll's 2 under round of 34 ties the 9 hole record for North High School.

Geneva McChesney Cup

Batavia, Geneva boys golf band together to defeat St. Charles East, North

Author(s): DENNIS D. JACOBS Date: August 23, 2011 Section: Sports

GENEVA – So far in the early stages of the high school golf season, the Batavia boys have found themselves chasing rival Geneva, finishing just behind the Vikings in two tournaments last week. The two teams met again Monday at Geneva Golf Club, but the long-time adversaries were on the same side in the McChesney Cup tournament, joining forces to defeat a combined St. Charles East-St. Charles North squad, 118.5-97.5.
“It’s just a wonderful opportunity for us to come out here and team up with what we call our rivals,” Batavia coach Tim DeBruycker said. “That’s what everyone calls us. But today they were friends, which is good.”
DeBruycker praised Geneva coach Bill Koehn for coming up with the idea of the McChesney Cup several years ago to help foster greater camaraderie between Tri-Cities schools and help dispel some of the negative comments that were bandied about between schools.
“It’s good to have a friendly rivalry, but it’s bad to let it get out of control,” DeBruycker said. “It’s just really nice to come out here and watch the kids work together and high-five each other.”
Each player got in 27 holes as the tournament was divided into three nine-hole phases. The first phase was best-ball play, with the Bulldogs and Vikings coming out on top, 33 holes to 21. The Saints and North Stars rebounded a bit in the next round, winning the alternate shot competition, 28-26. But in the final round of singles matches, Batavia and Geneva were victorious, 59.5-48.5.
Geneva No. 1 player Bill Gregory downed St. Charles East’s Sean Lenchner in their match, 6-3.
“I didn’t hit the ball very well, but I won,” Gregory said. “I guess that’s all that matters.”
The 404-yard, par-4 eighth hole proved to be a pivotal moment in the match. Gregory was 1 up, but he put his drive into the left rough, leaving his path to the green partially obscured by a weeping willow. His second shot hit a branch of the tree, dropping the ball into a tough lie next to a brook.
Lenchner, meanwhile, got onto the green in three, but was unable to capitalize on Gregory’s early troubles on the hole, missing a couple of short putts. Gregory sank a six-footer to claim the hole.
“You’ve got to stick with it because the greens are pretty difficult,” Gregory said. “I should not have won that hole.”

St. Charles North No. 1 John Carroll, who said he “played good the whole day,” tried to help the cause of the North Stars and Saints, downing Batavia’s Nathan Podraza, 6-3.

Carroll uncorked a shot from an island of rough in a bunker along the ninth fairway that he put within 12 feet of the pin. He just missed his birdie try, but a par was enough to win the hole and give his team another point.

The North Stars and Saints won’t face each other in a dual meet for another month, but the Bulldogs and Vikings will find themselves on opposite sides again next Tuesday in an Upstate Eight Conference dual.
“I was very pleased with our performance at Larkin and Geneva,” DeBruycker said. “Obviously, having Geneva beat us by three [strokes] and nine in those two tournaments shows us that we have to step it up a little bit because, ultimately, I still think that head-to-head match next Tuesday is going to be huge. It’s only our second conference match of the season, but it’s against one of the favorites.”

Copyright 2011, Kane County Chronicle (Geneva, IL). All Rights Reserved.
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St. Charles North Places 2nd at QHS Invite

A 2nd Place trophy for St. Charles North Varsity golfers in the 22 team Quincy High School Invite, the oldest high school invitational in Illinois. John Carroll placed 9th out of 120 golfers.


HS golf roundup:  Pekin notches tournament title at Quincy

The Pekin boys golf team won the 22-team Quincy Invitational with a five-player total of 400, beating out second-place St. Charles North by two strokes on Saturday at Westview Golf Course.

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2011 North High School Season Begins

IL State Jr. Amateur

Eagle helps Shepherd’s cause

By DENNIS D. JACOBS - editorial@kcchronicle.com


BARRINGTON – Daniel Shepherd is well within striking distance at one of the state’s toughest junior tournaments.

Shepherd, who will be a junior at St. Charles North this fall, fired a 75 over 18 holes at Tuesday’s 42nd Illinois State Junior Amateur Championship at Makray Memorial Golf Club. That puts him four shots behind Ian Mankoff of Lake Forest, who was the only golfer who managed to avoid finishing over par.

“It’s a pretty tough course,” Shepherd said. “I was happy to get out of there with a 75.”

St. Charles North golfers Shepherd, John Carroll, and Raghav Cherala are among 156 of the state’s top young golfers competing in the Illinois Junior Golf Association event.

Shepherd was aided greatly by an eagle on the 431-yard, par-4 fifth hole. A fortuitous bounce off the cart path on his tee shot left him just 131 yards from the pin.

“I hit a pitching wedge in and it took a hop or two and then it just kind of rolled in,” he said of his second shot on the hole.

His fellow North Stars did not have as much luck with the course. Indicative of Cherala’s day was a 15-foot putt for birdie on No. 11 that went halfway down the hole and then popped out.

“I was striking it really well,” Cherala said of his round. “I just couldn’t find the hole. … I was just making not great decisions. I would hit a great shot and then I would hit a bad second, good putt, then miss the par.”

Cherala, who will be a sophomore this fall, finished with an 86. That still put him ahead of about a third of the field.

Carroll found more success. His 79 put him in a tie for 38th.

“I played a good back [nine], but I left a few [strokes] out there on the front,” the Elburn resident said.

Carroll, a senior at North, got off to a rough start, double-bogeying the first two holes. He finished with a 7-over par 42 on the front nine. He was much more consistent on the back nine, parring every hole except 12, which he bogeyed.

After struggling with his drives on the first nine holes, Carroll consistently found the fairway over the final nine. He thought he chipped and putted well throughout the day.

“It saved me today,” he said of his short game. “I was chipping good and making lots of good putts.”
Shepherd also putted well.

“I think if you can go out there and not have any three-putts, you’re doing something pretty well,” he said, “because the greens are pretty fast and pretty sloping.”

Shepherd is tied for 12th heading into today’s second round. He said his goal coming into the tournament was to make the cut to play in Thursday’s final round. But after his opening-round success, he said he’s revising his goal to finishing in the top 30, which would exempt him from having to qualify for next year’s championship.

“If I can do that, I’d be happy with my performance,” he said.

Geneva has a pair of golfers in the tournament, but Monday was not their best day. Andrew Cisco shot an 84 and John Stolte carded a 90.

A highlight of Cisco’s round was a birdie on the 540-yard, par-5 sixth hole.

Second Place finish at IJGA Regional

Nice article in the Kane County Chronicle about my second place finish at the IJGA Regional at the Highlands of Elgin, which included weather delays and a competitive field.

ELGIN – Doubtful that John Carroll will make repeat morning runs to McDonald’s a pre-round tradition, but on Monday, the unconventional itinerary worked out well for the Elburn teenager.

Carroll was scheduled to tee off at 7:30 a.m. as the first group out at an Illinois Junior Golf Association tournament at The Highlands of Elgin, but a two-hour weather delay created a ragged morning.

“I went to McDonald’s a couple times because we had two delays,” Carroll said. “I came back, thought I had to play, and then went back again.”

When it was finally go-time for real, the St. Charles North senior delivered a 3-over-par 75, which seemed like it might be enough to take the title for a chunk of the afternoon. A competitor in one of the last few groups in the 16-18 boys division, Ryan Craig, of Huntley, came in one stroke better at 74, so Carroll finished runner-up in the 39-player field.

While the delay was hardly ideal, the up-side to the wet morning were softer greens that allowed Carroll to take aim at the pins more boldly. Carroll hopes the quality round is a momentum-generator for a busy summer of tournaments ahead.

“I think they’re pretty important because I’m trying to play golf in college, and these help a lot, if you do well in them,” Carroll said.

Carroll was North’s No. 3 golfer for much of last season behind Stephen Gow and Nate Clark, both of whom will golf collegiately at Carthage in the fall. Gow was part of Monday’s field as well, and said he has detected improvements to Carroll’s swing and tempo.

“He’s picked up the pace,” Gow said. “We used to call him ‘slow-mo,’ because he used to be so slow, but he’s picked it up. It’s going to be fun watching to see how they do next year.”

Gow played in the group behind Carroll. He said he still was at home when he heard about the weather delays, so he went back to bed – twice – before shooting an 80, landing in 11th place.

“Highlands, I’m pretty familiar with the front nine, but back nine I’ve only played it once, and that was awhile ago, so there were a lot of blind shots,” Gow said. “But that’s just part of the game. ... You’ve got to be able to hit shots that you’re not really used to hitting.”

Among the field’s Tri-Cities area contingent, only Carroll and Geneva’s Sam McKinney finished ahead of Gow.

View the full article here:

Kane County Chronicle Coverage of IJGA Regional #9

Recruiting Video

Filmed at Eaglebrook Country Club, Geneva IL, April 2011

Wind gusting 30-35, so you might want to turn the volume down!

Windy City Challenge

The Windy City was certainly a challenge! Temps in the 40's, driving rain and gusting winds required proper attire and a tough mental attitude.

You have to really love golf to love playing in Illinois in April!

Kikkor Day At the Office Contest 2nd Place Winner!

Thanks to Kikkor Golf for the great contest and for choosing our video for the Second Place Winner. Can't wait to wear new Kikkor shoes on the course!

At the Tee Box

MAJGT Byron IL

MAJGT Rockford

MAJGT Mistwood

2010 Varsity Highlights

74  Geneva Invitational  Mill Creek
76  Hinsdale Invitational
78  IHSA Naperville C. Sectional
36  vs. St. Charles East
36  vs. Bartlett High School

Junior Year Varsity Average 81.9
Voted Most Improved by Varsity Team