Chester Boys Golf Team wins 2024 IHSA 1A Regional Championship

/ Featured Sports, Sports

YellowJackets advance to 2024 IHSA Sectional Tournament for the first time in school history; Trevin Eggemeyer finishes 4th overall to earn Top-5 Medal

By Jim Beers

CHESTER – On Wednesday October 2 the Chester High School Boys Golf Team traveled to the IHSA Class 1A Regional Golf Tournament at the Union County Country Club Golf Course in Cobden, Illinois. The YellowJackets made school history by becoming the first Boys Team at CHS to ever win a Regional Golf Tournament.

The 18-hole tournament featured 14 teams from across Southern Illinois and the Chester YellowJackets finished in 1st Place to become the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Regional Champions.

Teams were allowed to have a maximum of six golfers. All but one of the 14 teams had six golfers. The other one had five golfers for a total of 83 competitors. Team scores were calculated by adding the top 4 golfer’s scores.

If there were ties, the tie-breaker was determined by going to the 5th golfer’s score. The best score between the 5th golfers broke the tie and his team was awarded the higher placement in the overall team rankings.

The CHS Varsity YellowJackets that competed at Regionals include seniors Max Blechle, Evan Dunning, and Noah Homan, as well as sophomores Trevin Eggemeyer, Tallen James, and Kross Jany. The YellowJackets are coached by Head Coach, Jaden Mott. He is assisted by Paul Zemlyn and Tony James.

The Jackets were led in their quest for the Championship by sophomore Trevin Eggemeyer who shot 43 for the first nine holes and 38 for the back nine, for a total of 81 strokes. He finished 4th overall out of the field of 83 golfers and earned a top-5 medalist award (medal).

Chester’s next best score was from sophomore Tallen James who recorded a score of 42 on the front half and 41 on the back half for a total of 83 strokes. The 3rd best Jacket score came from senior Noah Homan. He had a score of 43 on the first nine holes and 44 on the second nine holes, for a total of 87 strokes.

The final top-4 YellowJacket finisher was Evan Dunning, a senior. Dunning shot 47 on the first half and 42 on the second half for a total of 89 strokes for the 18-hole match. The Top-4 Chester golfer’s scores were combined to make the winning team total of 340 strokes.

The other two Jacket teammates included senior Max Blechle and sophomore Kross Jany. Blechle recorded a score of 53 on the first nine holes and 54 on the second nine for a total of 107 strokes. Jany shot 55 on the front half and 56 on the second half for a total of 111 strokes.

For their efforts, the Chester YellowJackets earned the title of 2024 Regional Champions. With this title is the honor of advancing to the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Sectional Golf Tournament as a team.

Team finishes and scores include the following:

1st        Chester *                                 340

2nd       Waltonville *                           347

3rd        Trico *                                     363 Tie

3rd        Steeleville                                363 Tie

5th        Zeigler-Royalton                     371 Tie

5th        Junction City (Gallatin Co.)   371 Tie

7th        Vienna                                     372

8th        Johnston City                          385

9th        Eldorado                                  388

10th      Woodlawn                               410

11th      West Frankfort                        413

12th      Cobden                                    435 Tie

12th      Goreville                                 435 Tie

14th      Elizabethtown (Hardin Co.)    459

 

Note*  The Top-3 teams automatically qualified to advance to the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Sectional Golf Tournament to be held at Zeigler-Royalton. Those teams include No.1 Chester, No.2 Waltonville, and No.3 Trico. Steeleville and Trico tied for 3rd and broke the tie by comparing the 5th golfers on both teams. The better score broke the tie and earned the better finish. Trico won the comparison.

Medalists: The top-5 golfers earned medalist honors and received a medal for their performances. Those Top-5 golfers included:

  1. Chase Cole 76                    Zeigler-Royalton                    
  2. Grayson Wilson 77                    Junction (Gallatin County)
  3. Bronson Tippett 79                    Eldorado
  4. Trevin Eggemeyer 81                    Chester
  5. Brendan Klinger 81                    Waltonville

Automatic Qualifiers to Sectionals: The Top-3 finishers in the team rankings automatically qualified to advance to the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Sectional Golf Tournament. Those Top-3 include:

  1. Chester 340
  2. Waltonville 347
  3. Trico 363 Tie

Individuals advancing to Sectionals: The Top-10 individuals, after the Top-3 teams were removed from the standings, also advance to the Sectional Tournament. Those Top-10 individuals include:

  1. Chase Cole 76                    Zeigler-Royalton
  2. Grayson Wilson 77                    Junction (Gallatin Co.)
  3. Bronson Trippett 79                    Eldorado
  4. Sean Crabb 84                    Vienna
  5. Thacker Fromm 88                    Junction (Gallatin Co.)
  6. Evan Goforth 89                    West Frankfort
  7. Braden Middendorf 89                    Steeleville
  8. Caleb Gaddis 89                    Vienna
  9. Canon Ruby 91                    Steeleville                               
  10. Tyler Ingles 91                    Steeleville

The 2024 IHSA Class 1A Sectional Golf Tournament will take place Monday October 7th at the Franklin County Country Club site. It being hosted by Zeigler-Royalton. Participating teams from the following four regionals will converge to the sectional match including Carlyle Regional, Cobden Regional, Effingham St. Anthony Regional, and the Mt. Olive Regional.

From the Sectional Tournaments, advancing teams will compete at the 2024 IHSA State Golf Tournament to be held at the Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington, Illinois on Friday and Saturday October 18-19. 

The 2024 Chester High School Varsity Boys Golf Team won the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Cobden Regional Golf Tournament Wednesday October 1 at the Union County Country Club Golf Course. The Jackets finished 1st out of a field of 14 teams with a total of 83 golfers. With the win, the YellowJackets became the only Boys Golf Team in school history to win a Regional title.  Chester’s Trevin Eggemeyer earned a Top-5 golfer award for his performance of recording an 18-hole round of golf of 81. That score also earned him a medalist medal. He finished 4th overall out of a field of 83 golfers. Other CHS golfer scores include Tallen James (83, Noah Homan (87), Evan Dunning (89), Max Blechle (107), and Kross Jany (111)_. The YellowJacket score also earned them a trip to the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Sectional Golf Tournament Monday October 7th. Pictured with their Regional Tournament Plaque are the members of the CHS Golf Team, including (left to right) Tony James, Assistant Coach; Kross Jany, Tallen James, Evan Dunning, Trevin Eggemeyer, Max Blechle, and Head Coach, Jaden Mott. Not pictured: Paul Zemlyn, Assistant Coach.   

Chester High School senior golfers proudly display the 1st Place Championship plaque that the boys team won Wednesday October 2 at the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Regional Golf Tournament. The boys placed 1st with their team score of 340 strokes. With the win, the YellowJacket Boys became the first team in CHS history to win a regional tournament. Holding the Championship plaque are (left to right) Noah Homan, Evan Dunning, and Max Blechle. Photo by Christy James

 

 

A very proud and happy Head Boys Golf Coach, Jaden Mott, arrives in town Wednesday evening after winning the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Regional Golf Tournament. Mott is driving the District 139 van carrying the victorious YellowJacket Golf Team. Jim Beers Photo

 

 

The Chester Fire Department gave the Regional Champion CHS Boys Golf Team into town Wednesday after they traveled home from the 2024 IHSA Class 1A Regional Golf Tournament. Red lights and siren blaring, the golfers and a parade of parents and other well-wishers drove through the City of Chester celebrating the first ever Boys Golf Regional Championship. Jim Beers Photo

 

 

At precisely 6 P.M. Wednesday October 2 the Chester Fire Department truck led a parent and player parade into town. This act was  to celebrate the CHS Boys Golf Team as they arrived home after winning the 2024 IHSA  Class 1A Golf Regional Tournament. The event was at the Union County Country Club Golf Course in Cobden. The parade took up most of State Street in front of the Glister Mary-Lee plant in Chester. Jim Beers Photo