2022 Northwest Herald Girls Golfer of the Year: Crystal Lake Central co-op’s Delaney Medlyn

Crystal Lake Central co-op’s Delaney Medlyn was brought to tears when she qualified for her first Class 2A girls golf state tournament.

“I was stunned. I was completely stunned,” Medlyn said. “Literally tears of joy when I walked off the golf course.”

Medlyn, a sophomore at Cary-Grove, enjoyed her two days of state competition at Hickory Point in Forsyth, making the Day 2 cut and finishing in a tie for 64th with a score of 82-81–163.

But Medlyn, who was the only area golfer to make it to the 2A state tournament, said what made her time at state special was having two of her teammates – Madeline Trannel and Rylee Rud – there to cheer her along.

“Lots of jokes and lots of TikToks,” Medlyn said.

Earlier in the season, Medlyn won the McHenry County Tournament title by four shots with a career-best round of 75. She was fourth at the Fox Valley Conference Tournament, tied for sixth at regionals with an 81 and tied for eighth at sectionals with a 79.

Medlyn will get two more chances at state, starting next fall, as she strives to shoot lower scores and add onto an already impressive high school résumé.

For her accomplishments, Medlyn was voted the 2022 Northwest Herald Girls Golfer of the Year by the sports staff with input from area coaches. Medlyn spoke with sports writer Alex Kantecki about her first state experience, goals for junior year, “Dancing with the Stars” and more.

What do you like about golf the most?

Medlyn: It’s very competitive, and I’m very competitive. But at the same time, you get to meet so many people. There are people you golf with that just want to have a fun round no matter what.

What was the best part about the state tournament?

Medlyn: The best part was being able to bring down two of my teammates [Trannel and Rud]. The whole experience was a lot of fun. It was my first time going, so I was just going for the experience. And they made it so much more fun.

Do you have a most memorable shot or round?

Medlyn: My most memorable round of golf was this year when I shot a 75. It just felt like everything was going right and everything was working.

If you could have dinner with any three people in history, who would they be?

Medlyn: One person I would say from my family is my dad’s mom. She passed away when I was really little, I think 2 or 3. I don’t have a ton of memories of her, so she would be one person.

Which teammate makes you laugh the most?

Medlyn: Ella Smith. We clicked and got along right away. She’s always so happy and she always makes me laugh even when I’m upset.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Medlyn: Turkey, because my dad smokes a turkey and it’s really good.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Medlyn: People who click their pens really loud.

What’s the best piece of coaching advice you’ve ever received?

Medlyn: That you have to work hard to achieve the things you want. My dad told me, “If it was easy, everybody would do it.”

What is your most prized possession?

Medlyn: My phone. It’s with me 24/7.

What is your favorite TV show?

Medlyn: “Dancing with the Stars.” It’s been my favorite show for a while now.

What scares you?

Medlyn: Clowns are very scary.

If you could change one thing about golf, what would it be?

Medlyn: I would say how people think of the sport. People don’t always take golf as a serious sport, and that always aggravates me. It takes so much skill and time and dedication to be good at golf.

What is the nicest gift you’ve ever received?

Medlyn: A necklace from my grandma that I wear all the time.

What sport that you don’t play would you be good at?

Medlyn: Dance or cheer.

What will you remember most about this past season?

Medlyn: I made a ton of new friends. They’re going to stick with me forever.

What are you looking forward to most next season?

Medlyn: I have the mindset that I’ll have lower scores going into next season because I’m already starting to see lower scores now. I’m excited to see what my scores will be like next year, but there’s still a lot of time.