The York girls golf team continues to impress.
The Dukes were 7-1 overall in dual meets and were sitting at 4-0 in West Suburban Conference play through mid-last week.
In recent action, York downed Oak Park-River Forest 145-178 in a WSC meet. Maya Patel led the Dukes with a 34, while Madison Cotey had a 35 and Briley O’Brien shot 38.
In a 150-178 non-conference win against Wheaton North, Cotey shot 35, Patel shot a 36 and Bella Cortez added a 39.
York took third out of 17 teams at the Varsity Ram invitational. Cotey was second individually with a 74 for 18 holes, while Patel took fourth with a 76.
York’s only dual-meet loss came in a non-conference contest against Conant by a 145-152 count. Cotey shot 34, while Patel shot 36 and O’Brien shot 38.
In a 156-176 WSC win against Hinsdale South, Cotey shot 33, while Patel shot 38 and Olivia Gumino shot a 42.
York also downed Lyons Township 156-159 in WSC play. Cotey shot 36, while O’Brien had a 37 and Abby Evans shot 39.
The Dukes were third at the Itasca Country Club invitational. Patel was second individually with a 71, while Cotey took seventh with a 76.
Both Cotey and Patel were leading the team in nine-hole average with 36s. O’Brien was averaging 41, while Gumino and Evans were each averaging 43 and Cortez was at 44.
“This team has focused on mental toughness,” York coach Matt Monken said. “The best teams thrive under adversity. We have worked to bounce back from bogeys, bad rounds or difficult weather conditions. We try to focus on recovery. Great golfers accept bad shots quickly, making smaller mistakes and recovering faster instead of spiraling after a poor shot. This is one of the most difficult aspects of golf and we are making strides to keep calm under pressure.”
Monken has been impressed with the recent play of Cortez.
“Bella has continued to play well and has moved up two positions on the varsity team over the past few weeks,” he explained. “Consistent drives and a good short game keeps her playing good golf.”
Monken added Cotey, Patel and O’Brien have played consistently “and helped keep us in every match and are a solid top three for us,” he said.
Monken noted York has four WSC matches this week, plus the final conference dual against Hinsdale Central on Tuesday, Sept. 22. “Hopefully, both teams will be undefeated in the WSC which should make for a great match going into the WSC conference championship,” he said.
