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38 | October 18, 2018 | The Lockport Legend sports
lockportlegend.com
Lockport’s Sluzas secures state title with torrid finish
Freshman Anderson
plays well at state
for girls team
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
Ben Sluzas has heard the
legendary stories.
Now the Lockport Township
sophomore is part of
one.
Sluzas put together a fantastic
finish with a birdie
and an eagle on his final two
holes to win the Class 3A
individual state golf championship.
That happened on
Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Den
at Fox Creek Golf Course in
Bloomington.
The opening round of
the tournament, which took
place the day before, had to
be halted about two-thirds of
the way through because of
cold and snow. So the IHSA
decided to start over and
have a single day state final
with all 12 teams instead of
the usual two-day affair.
Not only did Sluzas match
Drew Pierson in 2000, as an
individual state champion
golfer for the Porters, but his
performance nearly helped
carry Lockport to the team
state championship as well.
Hinsdale Central (297) won
it, while Stevenson (298)
was second and the Porters
(299) placed third, bringing
home their third ever state
trophy in the sport.
“When you’re growing up
and coaches tell you about
the state champion golfers,
you think it’s pretty cool,”
Sluzas said. “You dream of
being that guy and when you
are, it’s amazing.”
What was also amazing
was Sluzas’ finish. Playing
the front nine last, he birdied
the 17th hole and then had
an eagle on his 18th (really
the 9th) hole to end it. That
left him with a 4-under par
68 on the day.
“Ben hit a birdie at eight,
his 17th hole,” Lockport
coach Matt Eber said. “Then
he had a beautiful tee shot on
nine then used a hybrid [club]
to the green. From there he
drained his eagle putt [from
about 10-feet] with ease. He’s
been playing so steady. Just
Ben’s ability to make birdies
and eagles is what sets him
apart. He had a great round at
the right time and he’s been
the ultimate teammate the
past two years.”
While Sluzas ended up
edging friend and local rival,
Lincoln-Way Central sophomore
Sean Curran (69) for
first on the scoreboard, it
was Waubonsie Valley junior
Will Troy that he was
most concerned with. Troy
double bogied his 15th hole,
then had bogey on his 16th,
par on his 17th, and a bogey
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on his 18th. That dropped
him to a 1-under 71 on the
day and he finished tied for
third with Downers Grove
North senior Aidan Lafferty.
“We were playing together
and he was 5-under at one
point,” Sluzas said of Troy.
“On the last hole, I eagled
it and he bogied. I made the
eagle putt and knew I was in
good shape.”
Curran came in a couple
of hours later with a bogey
on his 17th hole and then got
a birdie on the ninth hole.
But he needed an eagle to tie
and Sluzas hung on.
“I was mad when they
cancelled the opening day,”
said Sluzas, who eagled his
first hole on Friday and was
at even par through 12 holes
that day when play was halted.
“But I knew I could still
play well. I just stayed calm
and played my game. I knew
if I made a couple of birdies,
I’d have a chance.
“Finishing third in state as
a team is great. It’s exactly
what these [teammates]
deserve. Especially the seniors.”
The rest of the carded scorers
for the Porters were seniors
Nolan Weis (75), Eric
Gasienica (77) and John Weis
(79). Sophomore VJ Greci
(84) and freshman Brody
McCarthy (85) rounded out
the Lockport lineup.
“I had mixed emotions,”
Eber said of the IHSA canceling
the first day. “It was
a tough decision, but the
weather got to us. So I told
the team before Saturday
that this was just like any
other invite. Except we went
a little farther and we were
competing for a better trophy.
“We had a special performance
and we kept battling
all day. Everything we
preached came through. We
never lost focus and kept
grinding... All I know is
there are only nine of these
[state trophies] and we got
one.”
Providence senior Joey
Utz, who lives in Lockport,
tied for 44th individually
with a 78.
Led by a 79 from Sluzas,
the Porters hung on to take
third at the Edwardsville
Sectional on Oct. 8 with
windy conditions at Sunset
Hill Country Club in Edwardsville.
On the girls side, Lockport
freshman Lizzie Anderson
was no stranger to advancing
to the State Finals. As
an eighth grader at Homer
Jr. High last fall, she was the
IESA individual state champion.
In her first year of high
school, she also advanced by
firing a 78 at the Class 2A
Hinsdale South Sectional on
Oct. 8 at Prairie Bluff Public
Golf Course in Crest Hill.
Girls Volleyball
Lockport takes second at
Maine West Invite
Taylor Morgan (14 kills, 3
aces, 2 blocks) led the way
Lockport sophomore Ben
Sluzas putts during state
competition Saturday, Oct.
13, at the Den at Fox Creek
Golf Course in Bloomington.
He took home the
individual Class 3A championship
at the event.
high school highlights
The rest of the week in high school sports
for LTHS and Dovile Gorys
added 26 assists in pool play
of the Maine West Invite as
Lockport defeated Libertyville
and Wheeling before
Lockport freshman Lizzie Anderson
hits a tee shot Friday,
Oct. 12, during the first round
of the IHSA 2A state tournament
in Forsyth. Photos by
Clark Brooks/Photonews
Media
The girls, who have two
classes, were able to get the
entire two-day state finals
finished. Anderson made
the first day cut and finished
with a two-day total of 160,
which tied her for 33rd overall
at Hickory Point Golf
Club in Forsyth.
“It’s just really exciting
to go down there,” said Anderson,
after the sectional,
of going to state now in
high school. “It’s just cool
to make it to sectional as a
team and to make it to state
as an individual.”
Lockport (339) finished
sixth in the sectional. Junior
Rachel Kuzel (82) also
missed advancing for the
Porters by thee strokes. Her
goal is to make it her senior
season. Sophomore Claire
Ancevicius (89), junior Megan
Kohley (90), and sophomores
Katherine Tomczuk
(91), and Fiona Heeney (97)
rounded out the Lockport
scores.
It was a banner year for
the Porters, as they captured
their first SouthWest Suburban
Conference Blue Division
title in 10 years and
won a regional title for the
first time in four seasons and
for only the fourth time in
school history.
falling to Sandburg in the
title game Saturday, Oct. 13.
Compiled by Editor Max Lapthorne,
max@lockportlegend.
com.
visit us online at Lockportlegend.com