2008 IHSA Class 3A Champions photo albums

Head Coach: Jack Halpin 630-291-0424 email

2011 - Season Summary

The 2011 Lions had a great season overall. The highlights were three separate instances of nine-hole scores totaling in the 140s. No team under Head Coach Jack Halpin has ever had a run like this. The Lions won their own Invitational and placed in a number of others. The Lions faced tough competition at Regionals and placed 5th with a score of 309. Luke DeTrempe, Tim Orlowski and Sam Masini qualified for the Sectional tournament, with DeTrempe making it to the State finals. He placed in the top 25 overall.

2010 - Season Summary
LIONS Win ESCC Title 6th Time in 7 Years

The 2010 season openned with the Lions facing by far the toughest schedule ever in the 50 seasons that the school has competed in golf.  Of the twelve teams that advanced "Downstate" the boys from Oakton played 8 of them and beat them all.

Openning with a first place title at  the Rockford Boylan Invite led by Joe Ward's 72, the Lions were off and running.  A 2nd place later that afternoon at the Rolling Green Invitational showed that the team was one to be recond with despite having to replace four of six starters from the 2009 State championship team.

One of the highlights of the season was the trip to Phoenix to play in the Antigua National High School Team Invitational played at Southern Dunes, a 7,200 yard course..  Kenny Wienckowski openned with an even par 72 and the team shot a season best 295 on the first day.  Led by Nick VanStedum 147 (74-73), the team finished a respectable 9th in a field of 20 that included teams from Florida to Hawaii.

Competitions against all of the powers in the State (Lake Forest, New Trier, Hinsdale Central and St Charles East) were great preparation for the ESCC Tournament.  Headed into the event the Lions were tied with Carmel High School with a record of 7-1 (the only loss was to State qualifier St Pat's).  Last year the Lions saw their 5 year streak of ESCC titles broken by Carmel with a 1 stroke defeat to the Corsairs at Conference.

The team got off to a great start at the Conference championship on the front nine but Carmel fought their way back.  On the par 5 18th hole, Rick Gattone sank a 12 foot downhill birdie putt to pull the team into a tie with Carmel.  On his last hole of the day, Nick VanStedum birdied to cement the title for Saint Viator with a stunning one stroke reversal of last year's loss to Carmel.  Rick and Nick tied for 3rd with 76's and Luke DeTrempe was 5th with a 77..  A key to the win was Pat Schuetz hanging tough to be the 4th counter that was good for 15th place and an All Conference designation along with Rick, Nick and Luke.

The next step was Regionals and the team picked the wrong day to have their one bad tournament of the year.   Assigned to the toughest Regional in IHSA history wasn't really an issue as we just didn't have our "A game".  Rick Gattone advanced to Sectionals where he shot a 74 and made it Downstate.

Other highlights of the year were freshman Hudson Luthringshausen shooting a 68 for the medal at the Bloomington Invite and a 73 at the Wildcat Invite for a 2nd place finsih.  The two things the coach was most pleased with was the fact that 8 players averaged under 80 for the year to provided tremendous depth and the overall maturity and manners that the team displayed all year.   "These guys were trully the best".

On the frosh soph level the highlights were freshman Robert Renner's three consecutive tournaments where he shot 75 in each and Charles Derrick's closing round of 70 good for the medal at the St Charles North Invite.

2009 - Season Summary
Back to Back State Championships

Winning a third straight IHSA Class 3A championships and having the individual State Champion for the 2nd straight year were the highlights of the 2009 season.

Last season the Saint Viator boys won the State Finals by eight (8) strokes.  They broke the all time IHSA Tournament scoring record with a 583 (+7) by four strokes in 2008.  This season the weather conditions were much more demanding and the winning score was 311. This made the Lions the first team in sixty-four (64) years to win three boys straight golf titles at the highest IHSA level. 

Dan Stringfellow won the individual title with a score of 144.
Dan shot a 69 on the first day and won with a dramatic birdie on the final hole.  This made Dan only the second player in IHSA history to finish in the top 10 in all four of his State Tournament Finals.  PGA player DA Points is the only other to achieve this feat.

Joe Carlson’s final round of 73 clinched a 6th place Individual medal.  Joe holds the all time record for Class 3A Individual Champions with his 137 (-7) at The Den in 2008.  Carlson broke the record held  until three years ago  by PGA professional Jay Haas for thirty five years.

Junior Kenny Wienckowski shot a final round of 76 at the State Tournament.  His overall score of 151 was good for 17th place.  Kenny will return next season as the team captain.

Senior Joe Ferrari shot a 79 on the last day of the tournament to become a counter on both days.  Joe played a significance role in the Lions third straight State Title.

Captain Brad Klune finished out his four stellar years as a starter with another great season highlighted by a 72 at the ESCC Championships. Freshman Luke DeTrempe was a major force on this veteran squad.  Luke led the team with a 71 in Regionals to tie for Medalist. Seniors Brian Keefe, Nic Trapani and Dom Zanfrandino were solid contributors in many conference matches through out the year.

The cupboard is always full at Saint Viator and Coach Jack Halpin thinks he had a great junior class.  In addition to Wienckowski, Rick Gattone, Nick VanStedum, Nick Baur, Chad  Holsworth, Sean Dowd and Joe Ward are all potential varsity starters next season. The sophomore class seemed just as strong with Pat Schuetz, Tim Orlowski Sam Masini, Jack DeWilde, Frank Travaglio and mark Lakowske.

“This was one of the most memorable times in these young men’s lives.  The opportunity to win three consecutive State Championships has only come to five other teams in the history of the IHSA  in the 64 years since Rockford East became the only team to acheive this at the highest level.  Our accomplishing this was an amazing feat”, said Coach Jack Halpin.

2008 - Season Summary

With a theme of “things can only get better”, the back to back IHSA State Champions headed into the 2009 season knowing that the only ones in the state that could beat them were themselves.  Very seldom does something start out with such a huge sense of anticipation and then turn out exactly as planned.

The veteran squad was so deep that Coach Halpin was forced to keep twenty players.  A schedule that included days with multiple tournaments allowed Halpin to get ample playing opportunities for all of the team members.  Many of the players would have been starters in previous years but still played strong roles when called upon.

The key players were the seniors Brad Klune, Joe Carlson, Dan Stringfellow and Joe Ferrari.  Fellow seniors Nic Trapani, Brian Keefe and Dom Zanfardino played well in several ESCC matches.

Dan Stringfellow won the State Individual Championship with an even par 144 at the State Finals. Joe Carlson followed his record setting performance at last year’s State Finals with a solid 152 for a 6th place finish.

Brad Klune’s strong overall play and personal leadership in his role as captain were valued greatly by Coach Halpin. Joe Ferrari was the blood and guts of the team with his strong finish at the State Finals with a 79.  Joe’s scores counted both days.

Junior Kenny Wienckowski was a key factor in that his scores counted in almost every contest.  The highlight of his season was a 70 (-2) at the Wildcat Invitational and his 17th place finish at State.

A huge surprise was the emergence of freshman Luke DeTrempe.  Not even on the initial varsity depth chart,  DeTrempe clawed his way onto the playing lineup and ended up in a playoff for medalist at Regional’s with a 72.

The other varsity members of juniors  Rick Gattone, Nick Baur, Nick VanStedum, Pat Schuetz, Sean Dowd, Joe Ward , Chad Holsworth, Nick Antoniou, Emmanuel Dominguez, Jonathan Goldenne and Anthony Skinner are all solid players and will compete for playing time in 2010. A strong sophomore class of Sam Masini, Timmy Orlowski, Frank Travaglio, Jack DeWald, Mark Lakowske, Andrew Leja, Pat Marty and Jeremy O’Donnell bodes well for the future.

2007 - Season Summary
Lions Win Back to Back IHSA 3A State Titles

The 2008 Lions, anchored by veteran captains Matt Vitale(Sr), Dan Stringfellow(Jr), Brad Klune (Jr), and Joe Carlson(Jr) won the 2008 IHSA 3A State Championship with a record breaking score of 583.  Joe Ferrari, Kenny Wienckowski and Pat Schuetz were a huge part of the total team effort.  Joe Carlson was the individual medalist with a score of 69-68=137(-7).  Danny Stringfellow finished 5th with a score of 70-73=143(-1).  Brad Klune finished 23rd with a score of 77-74=151.  Matt Vitale finished 25th with a score of 75-77=152.  

The Lions team score of 583 set the all-time IHSA State Finals record.  Equally impressive was their 15 stroke margin of victory as they turned a 5 stroke overnight lead into a 15 stroke rout on the back 9 on Saturday and won back-to-back IHSA 3A State Titles.  In the 2007 State finals, Danny Stringfellow finished in 8th place, Matt Vitale and Joe Carlson tied for 12th and Brad Klune finished 20th.  

Senior Matt Vitale led the Lions with great performances in the 2006 Regionals (74) and Sectionals (71).  In 2007, his matching 76's and 12th place finish at the State Finals were a great mark of consistency.  In 2008, Matt tied for 1st at the Wheeling Invite out of 130 players when he shot 71.  He was named the East Suburban Conference player of the year with his winning score of 72.  He helped lead the team to a return trip to the State Finals when he shot 70 at the Glenbrook Sectional.  Matt finished off his high school career with a 25th place finish in the IHSA State Finals when he shot 75-77. 

Junior Brad Klune set the Lions individual scoring record in 2006 as a freshman when he shot 67 in his first high school event.  Later that year he shot 74 in Regionals and Sectionals, then finished a great freshman campaign with his 76-76=152 and 5th place finish in the IHSA State Finals.  In 2007 Brad finished in the top 5 in five out of six invitationals.  On day 2 of the IHSA Finals, Brad went out early and posted a great round of 75 that started the team on a roll to their first State Championship.  In 2008, Brad won the prestigious Wildcat invite with an outstanding score of 71 out of 130 players.  His 73 at Conference, 75 at Regionals, and 74 at Sectionals showed once again that Brad is one of the most consistent players in the state.  On day 2 at the 2008 State Finals, Brad went out early and posted a solid 74, starting the Lions on a roll that led to their second consecutive State Championship.  

Outside of high school golf, Brad's junior golf accomplishments are even more impressive as he earned Fully Exempt status in the AJGA this past Summer based on his 2nd place finish in the Future Legends tournament in Wisconsin.  His scores of 71-71-73 again proved he is "Mr Consistency".

Junior Danny Stringfellow came to Saint Viator with an impressive junior golf resume.  He made his mark as a Freshman when he finished 5th (77-75) at the 2006 IHSA State Finals.   In 2007, Danny won 4 tournaments during the season.  Victories at The Viator Invite(67), Wheeling Wildcat Invite(72), and prestigious Zee-Bee Invitational(73) started Danny on a roll into the post season.  He then captured the 2007 Buffalo Grove Regional(72), and was 2nd in the tough Hersey Sectional(74).   He finished the 2007 season in 8th place in the IHSA State Finals when he shot 78-73=151.  He shot 31(-5) in a dual match in 2007, then did it one better with another 31(-6) in 2008 shattering school records.   In 2008 he captured 3 more events as he won the Rolling Green Invite(72), Viator Invite(70), and Fremd Regional at Hilldale(68).   Danny finished 2nd in the Glenbrook Sectional with his 69, then finished his 2008 campaign with a 70-73=152 and 5th place finish in the IHSA State finals.  

Outside of high school, Danny's junior golf resume contains many impressive wins.  He is the reigning 2008 Illinois State Junior Amateur champion having defeated the top juniors in the state this past Summer at Makray Memorial Golf Course.  In 2007 he won the prestigious FCWT Whistling Straights Classic by 7 strokes, and picked up another win a week later at the IJGA Medinah Shriners Classic, beating a strong field by 3 strokes.  He appeared on the Golf Channel a few years back when he won the National Drive, Pitch and Putt Championship sinking a 30 foot putt to capture the title.  Danny has also appeared in the Junior World Golf Championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego on 2 occasions.

Junior Joe Carlson made his mark as a Freshman in 2006 when he shot 75 in four of his five invitationals.  In 2007, Joe came on strong late in the regular season when he finished 2nd at Wheeling Wildcat(73) and the Buffalo Grove Regional(73), finishing right behind teammate Dan Stringfellow's 72 each time.   Joe then broke through with the Lions first ever individual Sectional title when he shot 70 and posted a 4 Stroke win at the tough Hersey Sectional.   Joe finished his 2007 season when he shot 75-77 and finished 12th at the IHSA State Finals.   In 2008, Joe again came on strong late as he finished 2nd in Conference(73), and 2nd at the Fremd Regional(73).   Another 73 at Sectionals proved Joe would be a contender in Bloomington.   Joe finished a dream 2008 season when he won the IHSA 3A individual medalist honors with a 69-68=137, setting the all-time IHSA scoring record.  

Away from high school golf, Joe also enjoyed a dream 2008 season by being named the IJGA player of the year, largely based on his 2nd place finish in the State Junior Am, and season ending win in the Tournament of Champions when he fired another 68-69.    He narrowly missed a spot in the prestigious USGA Junior Amateur when his 36 hole score came up 1 stroke short.  In 2007 he was a finalist in the prestigious Chick Evans Memorial Championship which began with over 400 golfers.

Junior Joe Ferrari is in his first year on the varsity squad after he led last year's frosh soph team throughout the year.  Joe capped his 2007 season with a 76 in the Viator Invitational placing him 3rd in a field of over 100 players.   He was named the MVP of the Frosh/Soph squad before moving up to varsity this year.   In 2008, Joe broke through at Sectionals when he shot 76, and put up an 80 on the second day of the IHSA State finals, gaining valuable experience for next season.

Sophomore Kenny Wienckowski anchored himself in the varsity lineup after a successful Summer on the IJGA tour where he broke into the 70's numerous times.  Last season on the Frosh/Soph squad he had mild success, but a winter of hard work proved that Kenny had the tools to compete at the highest level.   Kenny shot 78 at Rolling Green in his first varsity tournament narrowly missing a medal.   A couple days later, he shot a 75 at The Bloomington Classic earning a 3rd place medal.  Late in the season Kenny came through with a 78 at Regionals helping the team to their 20 stroke win.   At his first IHSA State Finals, Kenny shot 77-80 to finish a very respectable 46th for the State Champs.

Also competing at the varsity level this past season were Chad Holsworth, Pat Schuetz, Brian Keefe, Nick Trapani, Lucas Underys, Mario Cuttone and Dom Zanfardino.