Some of the best boys' prep golf talent in Illinois will come together in what is shaping up to be one of the state's toughest postseason gatherings.
A pair of 2019 conference champions — Alleman (Western Big 6) and Ridgewood (Lincoln Trail) — will headline the Class 1A Cambridge Regional on Oct. 6 at Valley View Golf Club, one of 20 such events taking place around the Land of Lincoln.
Set to defend their Big 6 title Monday in Sterling, the Pioneers swept both the regional and sectional team titles last fall and went on to place sixth at the state meet in Bloomington as current senior standout Luke Lofgren tied for seventh in the individual standings.
The sectional title was Alleman's first since 2009, with its trip to state the second in a row and the third in five seasons, a stretch that includes a third-place 1A finish in '15.
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Meantime, regional host Ridgewood followed up its third consecutive LTC team title with its second trip to state in three seasons, bringing home a 10th-place finish.
Among the other teams to watch in Cambridge will be Three Rivers Conference powers Rockridge and Sherrard, the latter squad recently coming off a dual-meet win over Fulton in which it set a school record with a team score of 140 strokes. In that meet, Tiger senior standout Evan Earl set an individual record with a 4-under par round of 32.
Fellow TRAC member Orion is also headed to Valley View, while the host Spartans will be joined by Lincoln Trail rivals Annawan-Wethersfield, Mercer County, Mid-County, United and West Central; current Prairieland and future LTC member Knoxville rounds out the field.
Among other 1A boys golf regionals of area interest, 2019 state bronze medalist Riverdale heads to Oregon as part of a TRAC-heavy field that includes Bureau Valley, Erie-Prophetstown, Fulton, Morrison and Sterling Newman; Northwest Upstate Illini member West Carroll is at Pearl City.
While the Rams bagged their sixth straight regional team title and their third straight sectional win en route to finishing third — following up 2017's state championship and '18's runner-up placing — Fulton won its second regional title in three years and reached state for the first time since 1982, finishing seventh.
In 2A, Geneseo and Kewanee are headed to the Chillicothe IVC Regional, while Rock Island will serve as one of the 3A regional hosts, welcoming a field that includes WB6 rival Moline to Coal Valley's Oakwood Country Club.
Kewanee set to host 1A girls' regional: For the second time in its two years as a full team, the Kewanee girls' golf squad will serve as a regional host when it welcomes 13 other squads to Baker Park Golf Course on Oct. 7.
Three Rivers team champions last fall, the Boilermakers were runners-up at their own regional and then took third at sectional to reach the state meet in Decatur, where they placed 12th.
Another conference champion headed to Baker Park is United, which will be joined by its Lincoln Trail rivals Annawan-Wethersfield, Mercer County, Mid-County, Princeville, Ridgewood, West Central and Williamsfield along with future conference member Knoxville.
Joining Kewanee from the TRAC will be Orion, Rockridge and Sherrard; Knoxville's Prairieland rival Brimfield rounds out the field.
Also in 1A, reigning regional team champion Geneseo and its Western Big 6 rival Alleman head north to Oregon. Last year's title was the third in a row for the Maple Leafs and the sixth in the past seven seasons.
Also at Oregon will be Bureau Valley, Erie-Prophetstown, Fulton, Morrison, Newman and Riverdale; West Carroll is headed to Byron. In 2A, Moline and Rock Island join Big 6 rival Galesburg at the Pekin Regional.