NILES, Illinois — Two Knights varsity golfers, senior Evan Kataoka and freshman Ian MacFarlane, earned spots in the upcoming IHSA 1A golf sectional after finishing in 6th and 8th place, respectively, this week in the IHSA regional. As a team, Northridge finished in 5th place, just two spots short of another trip to sectionals.
The youngest team in the field at Harvest Christian and featuring just three upperclassmen, the Knights got off to a tough start through the first nine holes. Roughly 25 shots out of qualifying to advance, Northridge mounted a furious comeback in the back nine, but ultimately came up nine shots short on moving on.
However, the top 10 individual golfers outside of the advancing teams also can move on to sectionals. On an intimidating 18th and final hole, both Evan Kataoka and Ian MacFarlane made birdie to advance, overcoming a very difficult green surrounded by water. After a terrific effort, senior Jackson Groth missed out on advancing by a single stroke (11th place).
"I'm really proud of this year's team," head coach Joe Egan said. "We played a strong schedule, came away with a winning record and had some great development from each of our players. The culture of commitment, friendship amongst players, and mental toughness has never been stronger. Great things ahead for this team. None of this would have been possible with the strong leadership of our seniors Jackson and Evan and the hard work from our entire coaching staff."
"Our golf program had a highly competitive regular season," Knights athletic director Will Rey said. "It's a young team led by two experienced senior leaders, Evan Kataoka and Jackson Groth. They accomplished much this season in terms of solidifying the stability of the program and establishing a solid foundation upon which future championship success will be seen. The future of our program has never been brighter."
The Knights end the season with a 6-5 team record. Kataoka and MacFarlane will compete in the IHSA 1A sectional on Monday, October 7th at Turtle Run Golf Club in Danville, Illinois.
