Girls’ Golf won the Central Suburban League (CSL) Conference Tournament for the first time since 1993, shooting a program record 325 and placing four golfers in the tournament’s top seven.

Sophomore Lara Konanahalli won the individual conference championship, while senior Sydney Saltzman finished third,  and juniors Alex Hafemann and Nia Minumula finished fifth and seventh respectively. Konanahalli also earned Conference Player of the Year honors after placing first in conference and finishing third at regionals.

The team’s success came from consistent scoring throughout the lineup, improved individual skills, and competitive practices, Tom Cieplik, Girls’ Varsity Golf Coach, said. After finishing tied for second in conference with a 3-2 record, South placed third at regionals, qualifying as a team for the first time in several years.

“The conference tournament was the moment it all came together, and the score showed what the girls could accomplish together,” Cieplik said.

Cieplik said the team established higher expectations by being more intentional with their preparation, competing at a higher level during practice, and holding  each other accountable. Players also took advantage of the summer to compete in tournaments and continue developing their skills, Konanahalli said.

“We had girls pushing each other to improve every day,” Cieplik said. “That combination of accountability and internal competition made us stronger.”

Beyond improving their scores, players learned to manage golf’s mental challenges, Minumula said. Because golfers compete individually while contributing to a team score, they must recover from mistakes and support teammates when rounds did not go as planned, she said.

“It can be hard to motivate people at times, but you have to push down your own dissatisfaction with your personal score and try to think about the team,” Minumula said.

As the team prepared for sectionals, players practiced at Mount Prospect, the site of the competition, and competed in the Glenbrook Cup to become familiar with the course, Minumula said. South ultimately did not advance to state.

“We were really close to getting people to state, and I think if we continue this effort, it’ll be doable next year,” Minumula said.

With six seniors graduating, returning players have to compete for open spots in the lineup next season, Minumula said. The team has several strong returning players and believes continued hard work could help them reach state, she said.

“We made so many accomplishments this season that I didn’t expect we could do, and it has inspired me to work harder for next season,” Minumula said.