Three local high school golfers qualified for state tournaments taking place this weekend. 

Making a return trip to state is Waterloo High School junior Reese Kite, who keeps adding to her medal collection this fall. 

Having recently won the Mississippi Valley Conference Championship with a conference record score of 68, Kite shot a 70 to win the IHSA Class 2A O’Fallon Regional last week. She won by one stroke over Triad’s Emma Hall. 

This was Kite’s third straight regional title. 

On Monday, Kite won the Normal Sectional at Ironwood Golf Course in dramatic fashion. She tied with Blair Powers of Mattoon with a 74, then won in the first hole of a playoff.

Up next is the Class 2A state tourney this Friday and Saturday at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur.

Last year, Kite tied for 11th place at state. 

Also making a return trip to state is Columbia sophomore Avery Arendell. 

She shot a 78 at the Class 1A Roxana Sectional on Monday to qualify for this weekend’s Class 1A state tourney taking place Friday and Saturday at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur.

Last year, Arendell placed 49th overall at state on the same course with a 36-hole score of 174.

Arendell recently won the Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division individual title with an 18-hole score of 75.

Arendell advanced to this year’s sectional with a third place showing at the Alton Marquette Regional. Columbia senior Sabrina Leingang also advanced to the sectional round.

The third local to qualify for state was Columbia junior Jacob Hall. He shot a 74 at the Class 2A Mt. Carmel Sectional on Monday to advance. 

He will tee off Friday in the IHSA Class 2A boys golf state tourney taking place at Weibring Golf Club in Normal.

Hall placed 48th at state last year. 

Hall was almost joined by the entire Eagles boys golf squad at state this year. Columbia placed fifth at the sectional, just one stroke behind fourth place Breese Central and two strokes back of state qualifying third place team Charleston.  

Columbia advanced as a team to the Mt. Carmel Sectional by virtue of a second place score of 311 at the Centralia Regional last Wednesday.

Leading the way for the Eagles were Hall in second place with a 72 and Kyle Chudd in third place with a 75. 

The Waterloo High School boys just missed advancing to the sectional as a team, shooting four strokes higher than third place Breese Central.

Advancing for the Bulldogs to the sectional as individuals were sophomore Brady Schmidt, juniors Nate Charron and Ty Armbrecht, and senior Jaden Smith. 

Led by a one over par 71 by Cohen Jackson, the Gibault Catholic High School boys golf team advanced to Monday’s Class 1A Waterloo Sectional at Acorns Golf Links by virtue of a third place team showing last Wednesday in the Pinckneyville Regional.