New Trier golfers punch their state tickets

Monday was a banner day for extended-summer weather — and for New Trier High School golf.

Trevians boys and girls were as hot as the bright sun during sectional competition with each team finishing with the best scores in their respective tournaments.

With the results, both teams qualified for the state championships Oct. 10-11.

Boys: 4 Trevs break par en route to sectional crown

Led by sectional champ Logan Keeter’s 5-under-par 67, New Trier boys golf finished atop the leaderboard of the IHSA Class 3A Payton Sectional Oct. 6 at Highland Woods Golf Course in Hoffman Estates.

All four of the Trevians scorers — Keeter, Ezra Primosch (-4, 68), Liam Kelly (-1, 71) and Jake Douglass (-1, 71) — were under par, and New Trier (-11, 277) needed the special team effort to overcome Evanston (278) and York (280).

Even the Trevians’ backup scores went low, as Elias Weidemanis and Jack Gill each carded 1-over 73s.

“It was a slugfest throughout the whole day,” New Trier coach Pete Drevline said. “We knew Evanston was going to be a formidable foe all day, but really playing against the course and yourself, and we came out on top.”

Evanston and New Trier are no strangers to dramatic competition, but the rivalry is reaching new highs (or in this case, lows) on the golf course.

The Trevians won the Class 3A state championship in both 2022 and 2023. Last year, it was Evanston’s turn as the Kits tied Hinsdale Central for the best score (before losing a tiebreaker) with New Trier just one stroke off the pace.

The Kits topped the Trevians 135-138 in a dual match this season, and the teams saw each other a number of times in tournament play. New Trier has now topped Evanston back-to-back events, including last week’s regional, and Drevline and the Trevians know they’ll see the Kits at state.

“We enjoy playing against them, with them,” Drevline said. “We see them 10 times a year. I think Jed Curtis is one of the best coaches in the state. We just know they are really good. They are not going away, so it’s something we got to deal with. They are a great team top to bottom also.”

Drevline credited his team’s “fundamental” play in the sectional and said they’ll be ready to carry the elite golf over to the weekend.

With that, the Trevians will be ready to face the Kits and the rest of the state’s best on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 10-11, at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.

“We kind of gear our whole season to peak in October,” Drevline said. “These guys know this is a business trip; we’re on a mission and playing some great golf in October is our goal all year.” We talk about that a lot. We try to find our bet lineup in August and September and they know what is expected (come end of season), and they played really well.”

Girls: Leber leads again as Trevians punch state ticket

New Trier girls golf is headed back to state after a misfire a season ago.

Playing in the state’s best IHSA Class 2A sectional in 2024, the Trevians’ fifth-place finish left them out of the state tournament for the first time in 20-plus years. But amid a similar field this season, the host Trevians shared the top spot on the leaderboard (with Stevenson) Monday, Oct. 6, at Winnetka Golf Club, finishing as runnerup via a tiebreaker.

Star senior Grace Leber, a top-10 finisher in the state a year ago, won the sectional tournament with a 4-under-par 68 and was backed by Molly Tir’s 75, Charlotte Giczewski’s 82 and Maddie Shabaz’s 83.

Loyola Academy placed seventh in the sectional tournament.

The Trevians’ 308 was the second lowest team score from all four Class 2A sectionals. Hinsdale Central, which placed third in 2024’s Class 2A tournament, scored a collective 301.

New Trier and the rest of the qualifiers will bring their talents on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 10-11, to Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth for the Class 2A championships.

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