CENTRALIA (WSIL) -- Fall sports is winding down and sectional meets ended the golf season in Illinois.
Everyone's health is main priority so I understand why no state championship in fall sports, but I can tell you this, if there was a state championship in golf, southern Illinois would be well represented and have a chance to win a team title and several individual titles.
Benton's Cy Norman makes this game look so easy. Just a sophomore, wins with a 68. Norman mostly played error free, shot 4 birdies, just 2 bogeys.
Norman shot a 66 at regional play last week and is playing some great golf here of late.
Benton had the best team score with a 318, but Norman didn't do it alone. Freshman Luke Melvin finished in 6th, shot an 81.
Marion's Hayden Burns is quite the story. He's in the sectional because he earned an individual spot, shot a 77 to tie for second.
Burns had 2 birdies on the day, but his tee shots were solid and put him in good position most of the day.
In his group, Herrin's Logan Baggett finished 30th, shot an 88.
Also in this group representing Harrisburg was Grant Wilson and shot a 90 on the afternoon.
Carbondale started on the back nine and that's where we found Ian Davis. The Terriers Sophomore finished 12th with an 84.
My general manager Charlie Grisham couldn't get out to the course but we made sure we shot video of his son Kenri. Thought we'd let Charlie see his son's final putt of his high school career.
Local individual results from the Centralia Sectional:
1 Cy Norman, Benton, 68
T2 Hayden Burns, Marion 77
6 Luke Melvin, Benton, 81
T7 Peyton Sieveking, Benton, 82
T12 Ian Davis, Carbondale, 84
T18 Andrew Bittle, Harrisburg, 86
T18 Owen Thoms, Carbondale, 86
T24 Alex Baughman, Carbondale, 87
T 24 Andrew Bell, Benton, 87
T30 Logan Baggett, Herrin, 88
T33 Keaton House, Benton, 89
T40 Grant Wilson, Harrisburg, 90
T54 Kenri Grisham, Carbondale, 99
60 Zach Sanders, Carbondale, 103
61 Samuel Baker, Carbondale, 106
At the Class 1A Zeigler Royalton Christopher Sectional, our local golfers put on quite a show. Four top five finishers, and five in the top ten.
And here's a great story, West Frankfort's Tyson Elko wins the sectional on his home course. Shot a 69. Great way to end a fantastic high school career, victorious at Franklin County Country Club
Let's not overlook what Anna-Jonesboro's Luke Lasley did. The junior shot a 70. He challenged Elko down to the last hole.
Carmi White's Ty Barbre finished tied for third with a 74 and a stroke back tied for fifth is Chester's Jarrett James.
Rounding out the top ten is Goreville's AJ Johnson, shot a respectable 77.
Local individual results from the ZRC Sectional:
1 Tyson Elko, West Frankfort, 69
2 Luke Lasley, Anna-Jonesboro, 70
3 Ty Barbre, Carmi-White, 74
T5 Jarrett James, Chester, 75
T10 AJ JOhnson, Goreville, 77
T12 Noah Smith, Eldorado, 78
T21 Ross Coleman, Trico, 80
T24 Logan Cleland, Trico, 81
T24, Laban Hunt, Hamilton County, 81
T31, Daniel Vogt, Trico, 82
T40 KaCee Fulkerson, Carmi-White, 83
T40 Lucas Whittington, West Frankfort, 83
T40 Tyler Compton, Trico, 83
T44 Dalton Nichols, Hamilton County, 84
T48 Ben Herron, West Frankfort, 85
T53 Abraham Neal, Hamilton County, 88
T53 Kaden Carter, Carmi-White, 88
T56 Riley Cross, Zeigler-Royalton-Christopher, 89
58 Colden Hilliard, West Frankfort, 90
T59 Gavin Ingram, Hamilton County, 91
T67 Calen Banks, Hardin County, 93
T67 Zack Roark, Carmi-White, 93
T67 Zack Thies, Trico, 93
T72 Peyton Lovel, Trico, 93
T74 David Beasley, West Frankfort 96
77 Gage Atteberry, Carmi-White, 98
82 Landon Croslin, West Frankfort, 106
On the girls side, Marion represented at the 2A sectional at the University of Illinois course in Champaign. Sarah Capel finished tied for 12th with an 82 and teammate Baylee Kelly completed the round tied for 18th with a score of 84. Both student athletes are juniors and their future is bright.
