BY JIM BEERS
Contributing Writer
In an article submitted December-28-2022, Aubrie Medford of Chester High School was recognized for signing a letter of intent to play golf next year at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Medford is a senior at CHS and played golf for the Lady Jackets her sophomore through senior years at Chester. She is actually the first lady golfer to sign to play golf for Shelton State Community College. 2023 will be the first time that there will be a women’s golf team at Shelton.
In the article about Medford it was stated that Medford was the first Lady Jacket golfer to play golf at the collegiate level. Apparently Medford “is” the first Lady Jacket golfer “to earn a scholarship” to play at the collegiate level immediately following graduation from Chester High School, however, there was at least one other Lady Jacket golfer that played golf at the college level.
Andrea Cowell, daughter of Chester’s Danny and Marla Cowell, played golf at the University of Illinois. According to Danny, a 1971 graduate of Chester High School, Andrea was a member of the first “official” Lady Jacket Golf Team at Chester High School.
Golf began at CHS in the 1970’s and was quite popular throughout the 70’s. At that time only boys played golf at CHS.
Chester’s first golf team was formed in the fall of 1972. This team as coached by Pat Malley and included Jay Wolz, Steve Korando, Jimmy Killion, David Kraft, Paul Koeneman, Gene Heires, Steve Higgerson, James Best, and Mitch Eggemeyer. That team finished 6th in the Southwest Eqyptian Conference (SWE). James Best earned the Most Valuable Player award that inaugural season.
Golf teams at CHS won the SWE title in 1973, 1974, and 1975. The 1975 team won not only the SWE Championship, but won the Pinckneyville Championship title, as well as the Chester Tournament. That team had a record of 21-0 in the SWE and an overall record of 26-3.
The 1975 team also accomplished a 25-game SWE winning streak and opponents dreaded playing against the YellowJacket Golf Team which included Tim Sickmeyer, Billy Knowles, Jimmy Killion, Mitch Eggemeyer, Greg Koeneman, Taylor Search, Rob Wolz, Curt Weese, and Tim Sickmeyer.
That season, Brad Koeneman was low medalist in the SWE Tournament, finishing 2nd Place. Jimmy Killion finished 4th Place and Mitch Eggemeyer finished 5th Place. Coach Hinkle led the Jackets during that period.
In the early 80’s interest waned and the golf program was discontinued throughout the 80’s due to a lack of interest and players.
According to information in the CHS Summit Yearbooks of the early 90’s, Pat Malley, a CHS teacher and former golf coach, resurrected the golf program at Chester High School. At that time, however, there was no girl’s golf team at CHS.
Andrea Cowell was a freshman at CHS during the 1991-92 school year and she was a sophomore during the 1992-93 school year at CHS. She was unable to play golf her first two years.
As a child, adolescent, and teen, Andrea was taught golf by her father, Danny. She followed him around the Chester Country Club and at other area country clubs learning to play golf. Apparently she learned well and became an avid and proficient golfer by her junior year of high school.
Her junior year at CHS, Andrea was “officially” allowed to play golf for the YellowJackets’ Golf Team at CHS, She had to play, however, on the boys’ team and had to play under official boys’ rules and regulations. This was during the 1993-94 school year.
That year, there were a total of 10 golfers on the YellowJacket squad, 9 boys and Andrea Cowell. Boys included John Skorcz, Mark Beare, Tony Lochhead, Brian Otten, Jeff Krieg, Brent Middendorf, Tyson Search, Jason Knott, and foreign exchange student, Per Malmquist.
That year, Mark Beare finished in 1st Place in the Southwestern Egyptian Conference Tournament and Andrea Cowell finished in 2nd Place in the SWE Conference.
Andrea’s senior year, 1994-95, girl’s golf was started at Chester High School. The first ever Lady Jacket Golf Team included Andrea Cowell, Elizabeth Pechacek, Jennifer Miller, and Tiffany Beggs. Andrea Cowell was selected as an All-South golfer her senior season.
Cowell earned 9 letters in three sports at Chester High School including softball (4), Golf (2), and Volleyball (3).
Andrea graduated from Chester High School in May of 1995 and enrolled at the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana. She had no intention to play golf at the collegiate level.
According to Andrea’s father, Danny Cowell, he and Andrea were playing in a golf tournament at the Chester Country Club during the summer of 1995.This was after Andrea’s senior year and graduating from CHS.
It just happened that at that tournament, the University of Illinois Golf Coach, Paula Smith and her father, Paul Smith, noticed Andrea. They were impressed with her level of proficiency and made a contact with Danny Cowell at the after-tournament meal and reception at the Chester Country Club.
Mr. Cowell said, “While we were in the food line after the tournament, Coach Smith approached me and asked if Andrea was my daughter and if she had any desire to play golf at the college level. At the time she was not interested and wanted to simply adjust to college life and pursue her college degree at U-of-I.”
“Smith understood but told Andrea that if she decided to change her mind, she could report to the program at U-of-I once she arrived on campus and there would be a place for her on the team. No scholarship was offered, but Andrea could be a part of the team if she so desired.”
According to Cowell, Andrea did decide to report once she got on campus and she was, in fact, allowed to be on the Illini Golf Team her freshman year. She had an NCAA visit and was recruited with no scholarship being offered.
Her first year, 1995-96, she was allowed to compete in three tournaments. Only the top-6 golfers on a team competed at the college level. Her low round was 87 at the Lady Northern. She also received a U-of-I Academic Award for her high grade point average.
Her second year, 1996-97, Andrea competed in six matches and earned a scholarship. She lettered that year, shooting a career-low of 83 in the first round of the Boilermaker Invitational. She matched that accomplishment in the Illini Spring Classic. That season she earned a place on the Academic All-Big Ten Team.
Golf at U-of-I was a year-round affair which required constant practice. Subsequently with Andrea maintaining Academic Dean’s List status and her need to interview for job possibilities, she decided to withdraw from the golf program her junior year.
Andrea’s Division I golf experience in the “Big-10” with the University of Illinois Women’s Golf Team was fantastic and a memory she will never forget. She graduated from U-of-I with a degree in Finance.
Andrea’s married name is now Andrea Stanek, and she has had positions in the field of finance in California, Phoenix, Arizona, and is currently the Director of a Start-Up Company in St. George, Utah.
Aubrie Medford has complete her very successful high school golf career at Chester High School and will graduate in May of 2023.
At the recent “CHS Golf Awards Night” held at Chester High School, Aubrey was recognized as having earned All-Conference honors in the Cahokia Conference Illinois Division. She also received the 2022 Team Leadership Award for her efforts in being a huge role model for her fellow teammates throughout the season and entire career.
Medford was low-medalist at 4-of-11 matches in which she competed this year and was selected to the 2022 All-South Girls Golf Team. Medford will begin her collegiate career this fall at Shelton State Community College.
According to current records and informational knowledge, Medford and Cowell are the only two Chester High School Lady Jacket golfers to play golf at the collegiate level.