Benet Academy Boys Golf is the subject of this month’s Team Profile after a stellar start to the season, presented by Molly Maid of the Aurora Naperville Area.
In 2018 and 2019, Benet Academy boys golf enjoyed one of the most successful two year runs in program history. Competing in class 2A, the Redwings earned back to back top ten finishes at state and last season won both the Montini regional championship and the East Suburban Catholic Conference Championship for the first time since 2013.
After finishing in 9th place as a team a year ago, BA entered the 2020 season needing to replace four of the team’s top six varsity golfers. Despite the roster turnover facing Coach Marty Gaugin and his team, the Benet boys have been able to pick up right where they left off thanks to the leadership of returning golfers like senior Quinn Shanley and junior Jack DiTrani.
It takes more than just leadership and experience, the golf team members also needed to find ways to improve their game despite the challenges of dealing with a pandemic.
Golfers like Tim Baer, Connor Richards and the fours Ryan’s. Ryan Dannegger, Ryan Fargaro, Ryan Curtiss and Ryan Treacy have all shown they are capable of putting up the low score on the team on any given day.
Right off the bat, this Benet group showed it had a chance to be very competitive once again by finishing as the runner up in the Vern McGonagle Memorial tournament and defeating the always tough Neuqua Valley Wildcats in a head to head dual.
On the eve of the ESCC tournament championship, Benet hopes to bring home back to back conference titles and make another post season run. Although there is not an IHSA state tournament this year, the sectional round was just recently added back to the schedule. Which means this resilient squad will get one extra week to build on one of the most successful stretches Benet boys golf has ever seen.
