Golf preview: 5 storylines to watch in the NewsTribune area

With the high school golf season underway, here are five storylines to watch in the NewsTribune area this fall:

Will the area’s girls state tournament drought end?

It has been 10 years since a girls golfer from the NewsTribune area qualified for the IHSA state tournament. Princeton’s Arraia Hicks was the last area golfer to make the the trip Decatur.

Can the drought be ended this fall?

La Salle-Peru senior Allie Thome, who was 2023 NewsTribune Girls Golfer of the Year, had a strong summer, winning the girls division in the Illinois Valley High School Summer League.

Fieldcrest senior Jessica Schultz, placed fifth in the Class 1A St. Bede Regional last season and finished just three strokes shy of advancing to state.

Can Wyatt Novotny, Landen Plym return to state?

Bureau Valley junior Wyatt Novotny and Hall senior Landen Plym have both played in the IHSA Class 1A state tournament during their careers.

Novotny was the area’s lone state qualifier last year. He made the cut for Day 2 and placed 64th. He earned his trip to state by placing sixth at the Riverdale Regional (76) and sixth at the Sherrard Sectional (79).

Plym missed the state cut by three strokes last fall but did advance to state as a sophomore. The two-time NewsTribune Boys Golfer of the Year placed third at the Woodland Regional last year with a 76.

Will any other boys golfers qualify for state?

While Bureau Valley’s Wyatt Novotny and Hall’s Landen Plym have been to the state meet, a few other golfers were on the cusp of qualification last season

Henry-Senachwine junior Carson Rowe missed a state berth last fall by just one stroke, shooting an 82 at the Class 1A Sherrard Sectional.

Two of Novotny’s teammates, seniors Landen Birdsley and Colin Stabler, were within striking distance of state as well, finishing five strokes off the state cut at the Sherrard Sectional.

In Class 2A, La Salle-Peru has a pair of returning sectional qualifiers in Michael Milota and Riley Cetwinski, as does Mendota in juniors Dane Doyle and Brody Hartt.

Which teams will advance to sectional?

The Bureau Valley boys squad was the only area team to advance to a sectional as a team last fall, and the Storm will look to do it again with their entire starting lineup back, led by Novotny.

Fieldcrest, Hall and Henry-Senachwine were all close to advancing last season.

The Knights were just three strokes away from a sectional berth last year and return two individual qualifiers in Nathan Buchanan and Carter Senko. Hall returns its entire roster from what coach Mason Kimberley called “a purely developmental season.” The Red Devils, led Landen Plym, were just seven strokes shy of a sectional berth last fall. The Mallards also have a veteran roster with four of six starters back, including a pair of two-time sectional qualifiers in Carson Rowe and Jacob Miller, from a team that was 10 shots away from a sectional berth.

No area girls squads qualified for sectionals last fall, but L-P and Fieldcrest may be in position for a run this season.

The Cavs return three all-conference golfers in 2023 NewsTribune Girls Golfer of the Year Allie Thome, Sophia Chiua and Delani Duggan while adding a pair of IESA state qualifiers in Quinn Mertes and Mary Craven.

The Knights return a group of experienced players from a team that was just three strokes away from a sectional berth, led by senior Jessica Schultz, who was three strokes from an individual state berth last season.

Princeton also returns several veteran players.

Will NewsTribune Players of the Year repeat?

The NewsTribune Boys Golfer of the Year award looks like a two-man race between Hall’s Landen Plym and Bureau Valley’s Novotny, as Plym looks for a three-peat and Novotny looks to unseat him.

Both have state experience on their resume. Plym led the area in average at 37.7 last season with Novotny second at 39.4. Plym won the L-P and Princeton invitationals last season and was top five and two other invites and the Three Rivers Conference Meet, while Novotny was top five at three tournaments.

While Plym and Novotny are sure to battle for the top spot again, Henry-Senachwine’s Rowe certainly could be in the mix as well. Rowe, a two-time sectional qualifier, ranked third in the area with a 40.5 average last year and was a stroke off the state cut at sectional.

On the girls side, L-P’s Thome won the award last season and should be a strong contender again this fall. Thome, who led the area with a 47.8 average last season, had a solid summer, winning the girls division of the Illinois Valley High School Summer League.

She could be challenged by Fieldcrest senior Jessica Schultz, who averaged 48 last fall and was three strokes shy of a state berth, and Princeton senior Addie Carr, who finished third in the area in average last year with a 49.