Season ends, but Burlington can tout historic run
By Mike Ramczyk
Correspondent
The season is over for the Burlington girls varsity golf team, but oh, what a way to go out.
It started with a top-four finish at the WIAA Division 1 Regional Oct. 2 at Bristol Oaks Golf Course, which qualified the Demons for their first trip to team sectionals in 15 years.
Then, the run culminated with sectionals Tuesday, where three girls posted their best scores of the season.
Head coach Nick Schilleman couldn’t be more proud of this group.
“Abigail (Weiler), Saige (Heelein) and Bridi (Allen) all had their best scores of the year at the hardest course we’ve played,” Schilleman said. “I could not be more proud of the girls. This is only the second time that I know of that we have made it for team sectionals.”
“I am proud to have worked with these ladies throughout the year, and it is great to see them improve. Hopefully we can take this momentum into next year’s season.”
On Tuesday, Burlington shot a 432, good for seventh of eight teams.
Schilleman said “very fast greens” made the short game challenging.
Kettle Moraine won the sectional, played at Hartland’s Legend at Bristlecone, with a lights-out performance of 330.
Union Grove placed second with a 359.
Lake Geneva Badger’s Holly Murphy medaled with a 69.
For the Demons, Heelein led the way with a 95, and Allen added a 98.
The best nine holes came from Heelein’s 46 on the back-9.
Serra Brehm shot a 117, and Abi Weiler and McKenzie Plitzuweit each added 122s.
History is made
On. Oct. 2 at Bristol Oaks, the Kenosha Tremper Regional, the Demons fired a 434 in rainy, muddy conditions, which placed them fourth to advance to Bristlecone.
Union Grove won that event with a low score of 361.
Schilleman said his girls played smart.
“The key was everyone had great rounds given the conditions we played in,” he said. “They made great shots and played smart. All five had a good day.”
The goal for sectionals was to have fun, do their best and make some memorable shots on a beautiful course.
It seems the Lady Demons did just that, with a season-best 18-hole team score and three season bests of four recorded scores.
Burlington made a dramatic improvement from the 2018 season, when it sent Heelein to sectionals individually but didn’t have the luxury of well-rounded team scores.
The fact that the team did something it hadn’t in 15 years provides more than just hope for a bright program moving forward.
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