Blue Devils make cut at state tournament, ready to chase trophy in final round

FORSYTH, Ill. — The fluctuating leaderboard had the Quincy High School girls golf team bouncing anywhere from fifth to eighth place every couple of holes Friday afternoon.

It made everyone a little leery of what was transpiring.

So as Laci Novosel, one of two seniors and the only current Blue Devil with state tournament experience, approached the 17th hole, QHS coach Hanlynn Vahlkamp took a moment to provide Novosel with the lay of the land.

“Hanlynn was like, ‘Look at me. You have to par out if we want any chance of playing tomorrow,’” Novosel said. “She was like, ‘No pressure, but I have to say it.’ I was thinking, ‘Oh, shoot,’ but she knows I play well under pressure.”

The most pressure-packed shot she faced might have been her best.

After making bogey on the par-3 17th and thinking to herself the Blue Devils might miss the cut, Novosel’s approach shot on the par-4 18th rolled into the second cut on the back of the green. She sized up the chip shot perfectly, flopping it onto the putting surface watching it snake into the cup for a birdie.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we’re actually going to play tomorrow,’” Novosel said.

It finished off a round of 6-over 78 for Novosel at Hickory Point Golf Course and firmly planted the Blue Devils in sixth place at the Class 2A state tournament with a 319 team total. The top eight teams made the cut to play Saturday’s second round, and the Blue Devils sit just 13 strokes out of third place.

So a push to bring home a trophy isn’t out of the question at this point.

“Since our freshman year, we’ve been waiting for this,” said senior Paige Cain, who shot an 83. “To be here and to be playing again tomorrow is so cool. I can’t even picture it anymore I’m so excited.”

Barrington leads the field after posting a 296, while Lincolnshire Stevenson is second at 302 and Loyola Academy is third at 306. Hinsdale Central (314) and New Trier (316) are also ahead of Quincy.

“We have one more day to prove how good our team is,” said QHS junior Saya Geisendorfer, who shot a 79 along with freshman Sophia Gold. “We’re pretty serious, but we also want to have fun, too.”

Novosel’s chip-in allowed everyone to relax, especially her.

“I was shaking,” Novosel said of standing over the shot. “It could have been my last round in high school. I had all that pressure, but at the same time, I was like, ‘You got it.’ I would say it was one of the biggest shots of my season.”

It also happened to be one she had been practicing.

“My dad and I had been working on my chipping all week,” Novosel said. “It was actually a shot I had been practicing quite a bit out at Spring Lake. So I was like, ‘I know this shot. I’ve got it.’”

A solid finish mirrored a quality start.

After waiting through a nearly two-hour fog delay, the Blue Devils opened their round on the back nine with Novosel and Geisendorfer both birdieing their second hole. Vahlkamp felt the delay allowed the Blue Devils to relax and after being a little nervous when they arrived at the course.

“It was kind of a blessing,” Vahlkamp said. “They were able to reset and get everything going. It worked into our favor. We had a beautiful day, and they hung in there and played well.”

Yet, they know they can play better.

“Missing 3-foot putts is something we can change,” Cain said. “I know I missed some and I’m sure the other girls did. Knowing we can make it up by improving on the little things helps a lot, too. Now that we’ve played the course, we have confidence in what we can do.”