Valparaiso freshman Kennedy Gutierrez the medalist but superior depth enables Chesterton to win sectional at Valpo CC, where McCoy, Kisic and Driscoll lead the way

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com
Golf is all about bouncing back from bad shots, bad holes, bad starts. A golfer who doesn’t find a way to do that tends to turn into an ex-golfer, sells the clubs for pennies on a dollar at a garage sale, and takes up an easier hobby.
No need for Chesterton junior Genevieve Driscoll to do that. She showed the ability to rebound in a big way with a strong finish after a literally shaky start.
“I was really nervous this morning,” Driscoll said after her round at Valparaiso Country Club, site of the Valparaiso sectional. “My first tee shot I hit it really bad. I was shaky (flutters her hands). My heart was racing. I started with two triples.”
Not only that, Driscoll, “got a little upset at my mom on the second hole,” because she said, she “made a crinkling sound while I was teeing off. I cried, but after that, I did much better. Maybe I just needed to get the emotions out.”
Whatever works.
Six-over par on the first two holes, Driscoll was 9-over on the remaining 16 for an 87. The next best score from a No.3 golfer was a 97. She followed her 48 on the front with the best nine-hole score of her life, a 39.
The Trojans knew their depth must deliver in the clutch Monday if they were going to successfully defend their sectional title because they knew that unlike last year, when graduated Maddie Soffin was medalist, they weren’t going to have the low scorer this time.
Predictably, Vikings freshman Kennedy Gutierrez won the individual sectional title with a 75. That was an 11-stroke advantage over anyone in the field, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Trojans from winning the title.
Chesterton won its ninth sectional title in school history with a 356. Valparaiso (363) and Bishop Noll (452) also advanced to Saturday’s regional at Sandy Pines.
Chesterton’s previous sectional championships came in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
For the second year in a row, Chesterton’s No. 1 Kristin McCoy tied with a teammate for second place in the sectional. She shot an 86, the same score as Taylor Kisic, one stroke ahead of Driscoll, the fourth-place finisher. Liz Dodds was the Trojans’ fourth and final scorer with a 97 and Caitlyn Robison shot a 101.
Each of Chesterton’s top four said she drove the ball well, even on a day with wet fairways, which didn’t allow for much roll out.
Having the ability to hammer long drives is one thing the four golfers have in common. Also, they like putting on fast greens, which Valpo CC does not have, and Sandy Pines does.
Liz Dodds was the Trojans’ fourth and final scorer with a 97 and Caitlyn Robison shot a 101.
Each of Chesterton’s top four players said she drove the ball well, even on a day with wet fairways, which didn’t allow for much roll out.
Having the ability to hammer long drives is one thing the four golfers have in common.
“Liz plays softball, so you know she wants to swing it,” Driscoll said. “Both Taylor and Kristin are so little you wouldn’t expect them to hit it that far.”
But they do.
McCoy shot a 44-42 and Kisic shot a 41-45.
McCoy had the steadiest round, carding 14 bogeys and four pars, despite not having her best day with the flat stick. She said she left four putts an inch short.
Kisic had one triple bogey, two double bogeys, seven bogeys and eight pars to get to the same score. She came out on fire, making four pars in the first five holes for a 1-over start.
Driscoll’s card had two triple bogeys, a double bogey, nine bogeys, four pars and Chesterton’s only two birdies. She made a 3-footer on No. 5 for a 3 and a 6-footer on 17 for a 2, and had four up-and-down holes.
The girls are scheduled to play a practice round at Sandy Pines after school Wednesday.
The two girls who tied for second at the sectional shared how they use practice rounds.
“Personally, I only really worry about the tee shots and reading the greens,” McCoy said.
Added Kisic: “I just want to feel confident on every hole that I can par or bogey it. If you can play Sandy with some bogeys and a good amount of pars, you can get a pretty good score.”
Former boys coach Pat Ward, in his first season as girls coach, was particularly how well the girls drove the ball Monday.
“If you’re driving the ball well at Sandy Pines, you make that course short,” Ward said. “I’m very pleased with how we played today.”