Girls golf: Marian Central’s Notaro sisters, Prairie Ridge’s Jenna Albanese excited for state experience

Marian Central senior Ella Notaro walked off the 18th green at Lake Carroll Golf Course in Lanark not knowing if her score of 83 would be enough to get her through to her second straight Class 1A state tournament.

Notaro also was curious to find out how her sister Nina, a junior, fared at the Lanark Eastland Sectional.

“I had no idea,” Ella said. “I walked off the course, and as I was walking up to the scorers table, my dad [Steven] was just like, ‘Hey, good job. You tied Nina!’ I was like, ‘No way!’ ”

Not long after that, the Notaro sisters found out they both were headed to the Class 1A state tournament Friday and Saturday at Red Tail Run in Decatur.

Ella Notaro had the best state finish of any local girls golfer last year, placing 35th with a 86-78–164. Her Day 2 score of 78 was a career best, a fitting way to end a memorable season.

She is hoping for another fantastic finish to her high school career, which included winning the inaugural Chicagoland Christian Conference championship earlier this year, again tying her career-best round with a 78.

Ella Notaro said her main focus was getting to state with her sister.

“My mindset was just to try my best, and if I didn’t make it I was still going to be happy with everything I accomplished,” Ella Notaro said. “But I really wanted Nina to go. I was thinking mostly if me and her both made it, that would be awesome. We wanted to go together.”

Ella, Nina and their older sister, Ava, a sophomore at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, all started golf at an early age. Ella remembers being too young to actually play, but the memories of spending time on the course are still there.

Ella and Nina said their dad, Steven, is their No. 1 coach, and their mom, Elaine, is their No. 1 fan.

“At the start, it was kind of like something our dad enjoyed, but we liked being out there, too,” Ella Notaro said. “One thing that we would love doing was going out on the course, walking around and filling divots and fixing ball marks, even if we didn’t get to actually play because we were so young. We just got used to being out there.”

Nina Notaro was thrilled to earn her first state berth. She also was focused on getting there with her sister.

“I just had the goal in mind of going with my sister,” Nina said. “I only have the two years left, and I really wanted to be a part of something big. I just put it in my mind that I can do it, and I think that confidence really helped me.”

Nina said both sisters have been an inspiration. Seeing Ella go to state last season was a big motivator.

“I’m really excited. I’m a little nervous, but I know my nerves aren’t going to be as much with my sister there,” Nina Notaro said. “She obviously means everything to me.”

In Class 2A, Prairie Ridge junior Jenna Albanese will make her state debut after taking one of the two final qualifying spots at the Burlington Central Sectional at Whisper Creek in Huntley.

Albanese shot a 77 and was the only local qualifier for this weekend’s 2A state tournament at Hickory Point in Decatur. She is the first individual girls golfer from Prairie Ridge to qualify since 2004 [Trisha Hartke]. The Wolves also sent their entire team in 2012.

Albanese had an aggressive mindset at sectionals.

“I knew the competition was harder this year, and I knew if I wanted to go, I would just have to go for it. I couldn’t play it safe,” Albanese said. “There was this one hole where you were going right into the wind and you had to carry your drive pretty far to make it over water, or you could lay up. I knew if I wanted to go to state, I had to go for everything.”

Albanese had some tense moments after the round.

“When I finished, I was one spot under the 10th [qualifying] spot, but there were multiple people who still had not finished, and it showed I might have to go to a playoff,” Albanese said. “It was starting to get dark, and they told us if it got too dark we’d have to come back the next day. I was really hoping that wasn’t going to happen.”

Albanese, who won the Fox Valley Conference individual championship last month, said she wasn’t really expecting to go to state. She struggled some during conference duals, but has shined in the postseason.

“I was also just trying to end my season in a positive way, either way,” Albanese said. “I’m just looking forward to the whole experience. There’s going to be a bunch of great golfers, and I’m looking forward to competing with the best competition out there.”

Local state qualifiers

Girls golf

Class 1A

at Red Tail Run in Decatur

Individuals: Ella Notaro, Marian Central, sr.; Nina Notaro, Marian Central, jr.

Class 2A

at Hickory Point in Decatur

Individuals: Jenna Albanese, Prairie Ridge, jr.