Decade team has bright Futures

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A fearsome fivesome of girls golfers comprise the best of the decade for the BCR area. Leading the way is former Hall phenom Carrie Riordan, who is currently playing professionally in the Duramed Futures Tour. Joining Riordan on the all-decade squad are former Tigresses Gwen Holmes and Alyssa James, as well as pair of Lady Bruins, Bekki Prokup and Randi Watland.

Here’s a look at the decade’s best (in alphabetical order):

Gwen Holmes, Princeton Class of 2009: After taking her junior year off to focus on volleyball, Holmes returned to the links to help the Tigresses capture a regional team title in 2008 with her first-place finish at the Spring Creek Regional. The BCR Golfer of the Year pick averaged 46.4 strokes per nine holes and went on to place fourth at sectionals, punching her ticket to the state golf meet, where she placed 12th.

Alyssa James, Princeton Class of 2009: James, the BCR Golfer of the Year in 2008, turned in a team leading second-place finish at regionals as a junior to help the Tigresses advance as a team to sectionals. As a senior, James repeated her second-place regional performance to help lead PHS to a regional title and averaged 48.3 strokes per nine holes, second best in the area.

Bekki Prokup, St. Bede Class of 2010: Prokup was the area top girls’ golfer for the 2009 season, finishing with a 45.6 average per nine holes. Prokup, who earned BCR Golfer of the Year honors, helped lead the Lady Bruins to a team sectional appearance with her fourth-place regional finish.

Carrie Riordan, Hall Class of 2005: Riordan, without a doubt the best girls’ golfer of the decade, piled up an impressive list of accomplishments in her prep career, including three trips to the state tournament, two regional championships and a sectional title. The four-time BCR Golfer of the Year continued her success into college as well, finishing her career at Eastern Illinois University with an individual Missouri Valley Conference Championship. Riordan is currently playing professionally on the Duramed Futures Tour, with the hopes of one day playing in the LPGA.

Randi Watland, St. Bede Class of 2009: Although she golfed for only one season, Watland left her mark on the Lady Bruins’ golf program. She was the Academy’s first ever female state-qualifier in 2006 as a sophomore, earning her trip to the state finals with a sixth-place sectional finish after leading the Lady Bruins to a team-sectional appearance. The 2006 BCR Golfer of the Year proved without a doubt that she was the Lady Bruin’s “Ace” with three holes-in-one her sophomore campaign, including two in one week.

Boys’ golf decade team

Three of the BCR’s Boys’ Golfers of the Decade, Kyle Castner, Danny Nelson and Kenney Jones, share a common thread as teammates on the Tigers’ best-ever third-place state meet finish in 2003. Joining the trio of Tigers are a pair of Red Devils’ representatives in Brad Pinter and Nick Rounds, who each earned solo trips to the state meet during their prep careers.

Kyle Castner, PHS Class of 2004: The two-time BCR Golfer of the Year pick scored the area’s highest state meet finish of the decade with his third-place medal effort as a senior, which led the Tigers to a third-place team finish. The two-time BCR Golfer of the Year averaged 38.2 strokes per nine holes his senior campaign, tops in the area, and made three trips to the state meet as a Tiger, finishing 22nd overall as a junior.

Kenney Jones, PHS Class of 2006: The BCR Co-Golfer of the Year pick in 2005 made a pair of trips to the state meet, helping the Tigers to a third-place team state finish as a sophomore, and returning as the lone Tiger to qualify as a junior. As a senior, Jones won the Princeton Invite and finished as a regional runner-up, while averaging 39 strokes per nine holes.

Danny Nelson, PHS Class of 2006: Nelson, who split BCR Golfer of the Year honors as a senior, earned a pair of trips to the state meet, first as a sophomore, teaming up with fellow all-decade golfers Jones and Castner to help the Tigers earn their third-place state trophy. Nelson punched his ticket back to the state meet as a senior, finishing the season with an area leading average of 38 strokes per nine holes.

Brad Pinter, Hall Class of 2002: Pinter earned his first trip to the state meet as a sophomore finishing 27th at state after claiming a sectional title. The 2001 BCR Golfer of the Year used an area-best 38.2 strokes per nine-hole average to make a return trip to the state meet as a senior, and ended up finishing 21st in a rain-shortened tournament.

Nick Rounds, Hall Class of 2009: A two-time BCR Co-Golfer of the Year pick, Rounds earned a trip to the state meet as a junior, finishing 44th with a season average of 40.52 strokes per nine. While he fell short of making a return trip to state, Rounds shaved over a stroke off his average (39.3) his senior campaign, winning his second-straight Princeton Invite in the process.