The York girls golf team got itself off to a hot 3-0 start in dual-meet action last week.
York was a 152-167 non-conference winner against Nazareth Academy. Freshman Madison Cotey and Abby Evans led the Dukes with 36s, while Maya Patel shot 39.
In a 149-155 non-conference over Lake Park, Cotey shot a 33, while Briley O’Brien shot 37 and Patel finished with a 38.
York also recorded a 161-202 West Suburban Conference win over Willowbrook. Cotey shot 36, while Patel had a 38 and Olivia Gumino shot 40.
The Dukes are coming off a 2025 season where they finished 8-5 in duals and 5-4 in WSC matches. York also took third at the 2025 Eagle Cup held at Golf Club of Illinois in Algonquin where Patel took fourth with an 81.
Patel qualified for the Class 2A state finals a year ago as a freshman where she finished tied for 59th (8-over par). Patel averaged 38 for nine last year and is averaging 36 this year.
O’Brien, a senior, qualified for the sectional last year and averaged 43 for nine (she’s down to 40 for nine this season). Gumino, also a senior, averaged 45 last year and was at a 41 average for nine out of the gates this season.
Evans, a senior as well, qualified the sectional last year. She’s down an average of five strokes so far (41 for nine compared to 46 last year).
Junior Avery O’Brien also qualified the sectional as a sophomore and is averaging 46 for nine. Juniors Isabella Cortez (46 last year, 44 this year) and Olivia Moore (49 last year, 44 this year) also return.
Cotey is averaging 34 for nine holes so far. She had seven Illinois Junior Golf Association top finishes this summer and tied for first at an American Junior Golf Association qualifier series event at Quail Creek in downstate Robinson and also played in the Western Women’s Amateur. She also won the Playing Member 18-hole event No. 3 (senior division) at Cary Country Club, took third at the Summer Junior Elite Event No. 1 at Buffalo Grove and was fourth at the Summer Junior Elite Event No. 4 at Old Orchard Country Club in Mt. Prospect.
Patel also was plenty busy on the summer juniors circuit where she had nine IJGA top finishes. Patel, an all-WSC selection last year along with multi-sport athlete Briley O’Brien (basketball and soccer as well as golf), won the player of the year tournament where she shot even par, won the Pepsi Little People’s multi-day tournament in Quincy and won the Summer Junior Elite multi-day tournament.
Freshman Claire Wilhelm (41 average for nine) is also a key newcomer for coach Matt Monken’s squad.
“We have good senior leadership with young, talented players,” Monken said.
Monken said the Dukes again will be challenged in the West Suburban.
“The WSC is always very strong, but we feel like we have a group that compete with the top teams,” he said. “Young talent and senior leadership creates the opportunity to take the team to state.”
