Shae Ellis golf sullivan 8/18/2024.
Shae Ellis
Sullivan senior
Why she made the first team … The Ellis family has a long line of successful golfers, and Shae is the latest to leave her legacy in the high school ranks. She’s now a Lincoln Prairie Conference champion, a two-time regional champion, a four-time sectional qualifier and a two-time state qualifier. Ellis capped off her senior year tying for 21st in the Class 1A state tournament after shooting rounds of 80 and 84, improving 12 strokes from last year’s state showing.
Her biggest golf superstition is … always having a ball marker on her hat.
Her dream career is … an entrepreneur.
Her go-to snack is … whatever chips are in the house.
If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … badminton.
The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Hailee Steinfeld.
If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Annika Sörenstam, Kobe Bryant and Frank Ocean.
Three things on her bucket list are … skydiving, scuba diving and visiting Europe.
Mahomet-Seymour’s Brooke Hartman made the 2024 News-Gazette All-Area Girls’ Golf First Team.
Brooke Hartman
Mahomet-Seymour junior
Why she made the first team … Hartman, dubbed by coach Eric Potter as the hardest working golfer he knows, won every dual and triangular meet the Bulldogs had this season with a 9-hole scoring average of 41. She finished first at the Champaign County tournament, second in the Apollo Conference and third at regionals. Hartman beat Player of the Year Ashley Wells multiple times throughout the season and could be on her way to leading that discussion next year.
Her biggest golf superstition is … doing at least one practice swing, but never more than two, before every shot.
Her dream career is … an LPGA golfer or working with something in professional sports.
Her go-to snack is … any fruit she can find in the fridge.
If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … track or softball.
The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Jennifer Aniston.
If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Adam Sandler, Tiger Woods and Jesus.
Three things on her bucket list are … traveling and golfing around the world, playing in or attending the Masters and trying many different restaurants around the world.
Taylor Page golf Hoopeston 8/18/2024.
Taylor Page
Hoopeston Area senior
Why she made the first team … Page had her roughest showing of the season in round two of the Class 1A state tournament, finishing in a tie for 75th, but she was one of only four area girls’ golfers to even make it to that stage. She led the Cornjerkers with a fifth-place finish at regionals and squeaked her way into the state competition after winning a playoff at sectionals.
Her biggest golf superstition is … not lining up her putts.
Her dream career is … a high school band director.
Her go-to snack is … Cheez-Its.
If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … badminton.
The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Tina Fey.
If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Kurt Cobain, John Philip Sousa and John Lennon.
Three things on her bucket list are … volunteering at a bird sanctuary, studying abroad in college and going to the Drum Corps International World Championships.
Macy Printy golf monticello 8/18/2024.
Macy Printy
Monticello senior
Why she made the first team … Printy led the charge for a history-making Monticello team that won the inaugural Illini Prairie Conference girls’ team championship with a school-record 18-hole team score of 357. Printy earned all-conference honors and qualified for the Class 1A state tournament ending her season with a 9-hole scoring average of 45.1. Unfortunately, she had to withdraw from the state competition due to medical concerns after just five holes.
Her biggest golf superstition is … wearing the same uniform when she’s on a winning streak.
Her dream career is … a craniofacial surgeon.
Her go-to snack is … a hot dog at the end of a round.
If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … snowboarding.
The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Lana Condor.
If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Nelly Korda, Jennifer Lawrence and Max Greenfield.
Three things on her bucket list are … seeing the northern lights in Alaska, golfing at Pebble Beach and indulging in the culinary delights of Italy.
Villa Grove girls’ golfer Ella Schweighart is The News-Gazette’s first female Athlete of the Week for the 2024-25 school year.
Ella Schweighart
Villa Grove junior
Why she made the first team … Still beaming from helping the Blue Devils softball team make state last spring, Schweighart nearly did the same this fall, losing out to Player of the Year Ashley Wells in a sectional playoff for the final spot at state. Still, Schweighart had a great season, compiling 12 medalist finishes and earning Lincoln Prairie Conference runner-up honors while averaging a 9-hole score of 43.
Her biggest golf superstition is … she plays better when she has lemonade.
Her dream career is … an interior designer.
Her go-to snacks are … Cheez-Its and Kinder Buenos.
If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … softball.
The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Reese Witherspoon.
If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Nelly Korda, Stevie Nicks and Adele.
Three things on her bucket list are … traveling the world with her best friend, attending an Adele concert and golfing for a big university.
Girl’s Golfer of the Year, St. Thomas More senior Ashley Wells, at Lincolnshire Fields in Champaign on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024.
Ashley Wells
St. Thomas More senior
Why she made the first team … Wells was the clear choice for The News-Gazette’s Golfer of the Year award, earning the honor for the second consecutive season. She shot a two-day score of 158 at the Class 1A state finals to end her high school career with a 14th-place finish, the highest placement of any area golfer. Wells won eight of the Sabers’ nine regular-season meets with an 18-hole average score of 79 and was clear of second place by seven strokes at regionals.
Her biggest golf superstition is … not changing anything with her routine from the start of the season to the finish.
Her dream career is … a neurosurgeon.
Her go-to snack is … her sister’s pumpkin chocolate chip bread.
If she could make the Olympics in any other sport, she would pick … gymnastics.
The actor she’d pick to play her in a movie would be … Sandra Bullock.
If she could have dinner with three people from any time period, she would pick … Sandra Bullock, her Grandpa Wells and Scottie Scheffler.
Three things on her bucket list are … visiting New Zealand, setting foot on all seven continents and golfing at Augusta National.
