On October 9, the New Trier golf finished second at the state tournament. The team shot a score of 578 at state (282 on the first day and 296 on the second day), a score that had never been reached previously at state. However, Glenbrook North had a score of 575 and ended up setting the record and winning the tournament.

Despite the loss, head coach Pete Drevline was pleased with the team’s effort.

“They laid it all out on the line and performed well,” said Drevline. “They shot a state record both days. Unfortunately, Glenbrook North also shot a state record which was three strokes better [than ours].”

According to senior captain Gage Johnson, the team felt good about their chances of winning at state after their win at sectionals.

“We were very confident going into state,” Johnson said. “We played a good first round but failed to get it done the last day.”

Junior Alex Creamean thought that senior captain James Pryor was a key factor in the team’s success during state.

“We gave it our all down state, especially Pryor, who played incredible during the postseason,” said Creamean.

Drevline agreed with Creamean that Pryor played exceptional at the end of the season and said that Johnson was a standout performer.

“Pryor finished second in the state (139 total) and just missed being the individual title holder,” said Drevline. “Gage Johnson shot a 33 on the back nine to finish with a [score of] 72. The two captains really shined down state.”

Before competing at state, New Trier won at IHSA sectionals on October 4 with an overall score of 279. Sophomore Noah Zyung and Pryor led the way for the Trevians with scores of 68 and 69, respectively.

Drevline was impressed with the team’s historic performance at sectionals.

“They were outstanding,” said Drevline. “They shot a school record of 279, which is unheard of [to do at sectionals].”

Johnson was also thrilled with the team’s performance at sectionals.

“We played the best round we’ve played since I’ve been on the team,” said Johnson. 

“We got off to a great start and just kept our foot on the gas the rest of the way. There’s not much we could have done better.”

Creamean believed that the team showed a lot of resilience in their win.

“After getting second in regionals, it showed a lot from our team to come out and win the sectional,” Creamean said. “I was very proud of how our team competed.”

Even after a heartbreaking loss at state, Drevline is extremely proud of the team.

“They had a lot of pressure on them because everyone knows that we’re really good and they still performed well,” Drevline said. “They were gentlemen on and off the course.”

Follow @newtrierboysgolf on Instagram and @ntboysgolf1 on Twitter to get updates about the team.