(This story was updated with more tournament results and more photos)
As a sophomore, Emma Pierson led the only Belvidere golf team to win a regional title. As a senior, she needed help from her sister to do the same in the NIC-10. With a little inspirational help from Belvidere Co-op coach Keith Kleckler.
“We took a photo of the trophy and I showed the girls it had never had either of our names on it, Belvidere nor Belvidere North,” Klecker said.
It will next year. Emma Pierson shot 77 to edge Boylan’s Ava Kalt for the individual title and Ella Pierson finished fifth overall with an 85 to help Belvidere Co-op top Boylan by nine strokes, 366 to 375, Thursday at Macktown.
Demi Hampilos (83) finished fourth for Boylan and freshman Juliana Villarreal shot 97 to improve her last 18-hole score by 23 strokes and keep the Titans close.
But not close enough.
“It’s a huge accomplishment,” said Emma Pierson, a three-sport star who has committed to Minnesota-Crookston to play both NCAA Division II women’s basketball and golf. “Nobody ever thought Belvidere was that good. We were never that good at golf. To show everybody this year that we can actually play and compete, it’s a big deal.”
Her little sister pushed Belvidere over the top.
“I was really nervous, but I knew I was out here for a reason,” Ella Pierson said. “I wanted to do good so I made the best of it.”
“It’s really fun competing with her,” Emma Pierson said of having her little sister on the team. “Sometimes we get in arguments, but we always push each other to be better.”
Hononegah sophomore Alicia Wallin placed third with an 81 and helped Hononegah take third as a team, followed by Rockford Guilford Co-op and Harlem.
Big Northern boys
The No. 2 player on Boylan’s golf team is the No. 1 player in the Big Northern. Again. Joey Luna shot 1-under-par 71 Thursday at Timber Pointe to repeat as BNC champ. And this time he not only did it by six strokes, he led Lutheran to the team title. Lutheran, second by two strokes to Byron last year, shot 310 to easily beat Rockford Christian (322) and Byron (323). Dixon (350) was a distant fourth.
“It feels good to beat (Byron) in any sport,” Luna said. “Byron is good in every sport and it feels good to beat them.”
Luna made four birdies and was 3-under at one point. “I kept the ball in play, hit greens and made par. Tried to keep those high numbers out of play,” Luna said.
Lutheran finished fourth in Class 1A last year but has only one state golf trophy, a third-place finish in 2009. This looks like the Crusaders’ greatest team, led by seniors Luna and Jake Guse, the BNC champ two years ago who tied for second Thursday with a 77.
“It’s really nice when your No. 2 can win tournaments,” Lutheran coach Kevin Flack said. “We are undefeated so far this season as a team. To be able to keep that going is exciting. It’s been a great season so far. We’re excited about what’s to come.”
Davis Baker, who tied Guse for second with a 77, led Byron. Rockford Christian was led by Luke Frazier (fourth with a 78) and Brody Carlson (fifth with a 79).
Big Northern girls
Defending champion Amelia Dunseth struggled home but did not notice how close she came to losing her Big Northern Conference golf title.
“I don’t check the scores during the round, so I didn’t know what everyone was doing,” the Stillman Valley senior said. “I don’t look because it makes me overthink.”
Madison Bushnell didn’t look, either. She didn’t have to.
“My dad made sure he showed me,” Bushnell said. The sophomore, only the No. 4 player for Rockford Lutheran, found she was tied for the lead in the entire conference after making a birdie on No. 2 at Timber Pointe, her 14th hole after a shotgun start Wednesday. She played the next three holes in five-over and finished fourth with an 87, three strokes behind Dunseth.
“I was stressing out a lot, but it’s OK,” Bushnell said.
That’s because she helped Lutheran take the team title for the first time in seven years, shooting 369 to Dixon’s 374. Byron, which lost to Lutheran in a sixth-player tie-breaker in the team dual after even their fifth players tied, was a distant third with 401 strokes.
Lutheran junior Ella Pieschel was second overall at 85 and Byron sopomore Alayna Brandt third at 86. The top five golfers each finished one stroke behind the golfer in front of them.
Dunseth looked like she would win the individual title easily before hitting a stretch where she was 8-over-par in six holes, including three double bogeys. She then righted herself and was only 3 over on her final six holes.
“I didn’t have my A game like I wanted to, but I got the win,” Dunseth said. “I got a double on 14 because I hit it in the water. That got me down a little. I tried to fast forward, but it stuck with me a few more holes. It felt great to finally get a par. I was nervous for a minute there that I wouldn’t get any.”
Bushnell, junior Ella Pieschel (second with an 85) and junior Madelyn Bennett (eighth with a 93) led a young Lutheran team to the team title.
“Our team has grown up together,” Bennett said. “It’s really rewarding to come out on top.”
Lutheran’s No. 4 girl coming in second for the team is not unusual for the Crusaders, who have been aiming all year to advance to state as a team.
“We don’t know who’s going to shoot what,” Pieschel said. “It’s really cool. We can have our best player shoot in the low 80s and have a couple of other people do that as well.”
NUIC Boys
Fulton sophomore Owen Vanzuiden shot 72 to win medalist honors Thursday and lead Fulton to the NUIC boys title by six strokes over Forreston with a 316. All four Steamers broke 90 and finished in the top 12 individually. Forreston junior Kaden Brown finished second with a 75. He was even par and tied for first before making bogey on 16 and a double on 17.
River Ridge seniors Camden Flack and Joseph Winter each shot 76 to tie for third and junior teammate Sam Rife tied for sixth with an 80.
Forreston finished third with 333 strokes, while Dakota (358) and Eastland (364) rounded out the top five.
NUIC girls
Galena shot 440 at Lake Carroll on Wednesday to beat Pearl City (457) and West Carroll (472). River Ridge (476), Eastland (497) and Pecatonica (499) rounded out the top six in the 10-team tournament.
River Ridge junior Sarah Winter shot 87 to win medalist honors by eight strokes. Forreston senior Aspen McGlynn finished second with a 95, Eastland junior Jaden Brower was third at 97 and Stockton senior Masyn Cahill fourth at 99.
Matt Trowbridge is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at mtrowbridge@rrstar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @MattTrowbridge.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Sisters power new NIC-10 golf champs, Lutheran sweeps Big Northern titles; NUIC results
Comments / 0