NILES, Illinois — On the backs of a pair of senior Knights, the Northridge varsity golf team picked up two thrilling team wins this week taking down ISL conference powerhouse North Shore Country Day and local rival Notre Dame College Prep.
The Knights got off to a slow start against the Raiders with several golfers making bogey or double bogey on the first hole. Undeterred, the Knights played holes 2-7 brilliantly to build up a strong lead heading into the final two holes of the day, where they held on to a lead that got all the way down to three shots. Seniors Jackson Groth (39) and Evan Kataoka (42) led the way with strong performances, with Tommy Svanascini and Michael Kurt coming in with scores of 42 and 43, respectively.
"I am really pleased with how our team is playing. It seems we are finding ways during this pivotal stretch of the year to get four solid scores each time we play," head coach Joe Egan said. "This speaks to the depth of talent that we have on the team. Many high school teams rely on one or two players to play well each time, whereas we feel like any of our top six scores could count each match. It's a testament to this team and all the work they have been putting in at practice."
The practice would indeed pay off again for the Knights, who were back on the course Wednesday taking on local Niles rival Notre Dame College Prep, and they walked away with nothing short of an impressive result.
Unlike their previous match earlier in the week, the Knights dominated this one from the start of the round and never took their foot off the gas. Northridge benefited from solid play all around, which allowed them to maintain a strong 11-stroke victory over Notre Dame in a dominant performance. Once again, it was the senior duo of Jackson Groth (36) and Evan Kataoka (37), two golfers that have taken noticeable leadership roles this year, leading the way. Chris Carney also ended the day with a 38, while Tommy Svanascini shot a 41.
"These wins over Notre Dame and North Shore are historic for our program," Egan said. "We beat Notre Dame for the first time in school history last year and to follow it up again this year, while also taking down a powerhouse program in North Shore Country Day, speaks to the trajectory we are putting our program on long term. We are not done here, and we will continue to hopefully add more wins like these each year as we continue to develop talent, character and winning mentalities with all players in our program."
Northridge athletic director Will Rey had this to say on the big week: "It's exciting, but certainly not surprising, to see our golf program's improvement. This week's accomplishments aren't a flash in the pan or merely happenstance. They're the result of the championship culture that Coach Egan and his staff have instilled in the program. This goes back to their day-to-day habits and the work they've done in the off-season. They're on a solid path and their best is yet to come."
The Knights are now 5-4 in head-to-head matchups on the 2024 season. Looking ahead to the weekend, the Knights will compete in the Wildcat Invite hosted by Wheeling High School on Saturday, September 21st at Chevy Chase Golf Club.
To wrap up the regular season, the Knights will once again take on the Dons of Notre Dame College Prep in a Ryder Cup-style event on Thursday, September 26th. The match will be open to fans and food will be provided by the Notre Dame Grille Club for all attendees.
