Sports
Metea Valley Strives to be Competitive on Golf Course
Without any seniors, boys from Indian Prairie school look to hold their own against rich legacy of local opponents.
The contrasts could not have been more striking for Metea Valley in its inaugural appearance at the Aurora City Championship for boys golf last week.
East Aurora and West Aurora not only opened their doors in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War; the football game between the two in the fall of 1893 was Illinois' first high school athletic contest.
More than a century later, Metea Valley, the third Indian Prairie high school, became the ninth high school in Aurora.
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"We are the newbies," Metea Valley coach Ryan Hall said.
But if the rapid ascent of Neuqua Valley in athletics since its opening in the fall of 1997 is any indication, the growing pains for the Mustangs' athletic programs may not be as pronounced as in other communities.
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Adam Kreiner, a junior, is the Mustangs' top golfer; he fired an 82 at Phillips Park last Wednesday to pace the sixth-place Metea Valley finish.
"I think the toughest part is not having any seniors to compete with the other seniors in the area," Kreiner said. "I started off a little rough (in the tournament). I kind of brought it back on the back nine with a 39."
Metea Valley, which draws from both Aurora and Naperville, opened with all underclassmen last year.
Bill Finnerty is another junior who sees his classmates as trailblazers for future student-athletes at the school.
"We're proud to be the first class of juniors," Finnerty said. "We get to hold the school up for ourselves. We're trying to set the steps for those who are going to follow in our footsteps."
The rest of the Mustangs' varsity six-man lineup consists of Mike Fort, Bryson Hughes, who led the squad at the prestigious Fenton Invitational earlier this month, Jacob Soerens and Matt Marsh.
"It's tough without seniors," Hall said. "It's nice that we broke off from Waubonsie Valley. We still have that link to them. Our realistic goal (this season) is to keep guys out there and be competitive."
The Mustangs will compete next week at the Upstate Eight Conference tournament at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago.
The postseason will be even tougher; Matea Valley will be at the Class 3A Naperville Central regional at the Links of Carillon in Plainfield against the likes of Aurora city champion Waubonsie Valley, defending Upstate Eight champion Neuqua Valley and DuPage Valley Conference heavyweights Naperville North and Naperville Central.
