Maine West Sports Roundup: Maine West Boys Golf on Winning Streak

Boys Golf: When rapid success comes to a sports team, coaches often defer credit to their players. But it’s rare to hear them acknowledge another entirely different set of coaches.

Yet that’s exactly what Maine West golf coach Mike Godlewski did. When asked about the quick turnaround that has turned the Warriors golf team into one of the area’s top teams the golf teams at Maine West over the last five years have been the best in his 17-year tenure, and a lot of credit for that has to go to the Des Plaines Park District.

“Ever since [the Des Plaines Park District] took over the Golf Center on River Road … we’re getting a lot more players out that have had some junior experience before they get to high school,” Godlewski said.

Earlier:

This year the Warriors are 13-5, including upset victories over Evanston and Zion-Benton. As a team they also won the Grant Invitational.

There are 12 players on the varsity and Godlewski said nine or 10 of them have the ability to finish in Maine West’s top four.

“They are now competing just to try and make it in the lineup,” Godlewski said. “They are striving to be better and they’ve had to play a little more in the summer than in the past years. They are really working on their game.”

Godlewski said consistently lower team scores have come from having a number of golfers that could shoot even-par on any day.

Tim Burchard, Kyle O’Connell, seniors, and junior Tom Kukec, who all qualified for sectional last year, have led Maine West. Juniors Tony Volk, Janos VonAulock and Justin Mustari have also been stalwarts for the Warriors.

The regional championships come in two weeks and Maine West has set the goal of trying to advance as a team to the sectional round. But with teams like New Trier, Loyola and Notre Dame, it will certainly be no easy task.

Godlewski said for years there has been a gap in the CSL North between the top teams of Glenbrook North, Deerfield and Highland Park and the rest of the conference. But Maine West is creeping into that upper tier, he said.

Losses to Highland Park and Deerfield came by four and five strokes respectively, the closest any team has come in Godlewski’s coaching career.

“Now there’s an attitude on the team of ‘Hey, we can do this,’” Godlewski said. “I think there’s an outside shot we could qualify as a team and they are pretty excited about it.”

Girls Tennis: Maine West finished fourth in the eight-team Elk Grove Invitational on Sept. 17. The Warriors finished with 14 points, eight behind champion Jacobs (22).

Boys Soccer: Maine West won a pair of CSL North games last week, defeating Maine East and Glenbrook North. Nelson Herrera had a hat trick in the Warriors’ 6-1 victory against Maine East and scored his 12th goal of the season in their 2-0 victory over Glenbrook North. Maine West is now 8-3-1 on the season.

SCOREBOARD

Girls Swimming:

Sept 20 - Maine West 105, Wheeling 80 on Sept 20

Girls Golf:

Sept. 17: Mount Assisi Invite - Grant Park 401, Stagg 404, Maine West 405, Mount Assisi 433

Sept 19 - Highland Park 159, Maine West 208

Boys Golf:                                                             

Sept. 13 - Deerfield 158, Maine West 164

Sept 14 - Maine West 176, Ridgewood 194

Sept 19 – Maine West 161, Maine East 174, Guerin 191

Sept 20 - Maine West 137, Niles West 139

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