A longtime coach is making his return to competition this fall at Fenwick High School. Kyle Perry, who coached boys water polo from 2012 to 2023, has taken over the Friars’ boys golf team, replacing another longtime coach, Jerry Kribs.
“I am excited to be [varsity] head coach,” said Perry, who served as the head coach of the junior varsity team and was Kribs’ varsity assistant the last three seasons. “Having worked with Coach Kribs over the past few seasons, he has left me with a great group of gentlemen. These guys love to play golf and love to grind out results.”
Fenwick returns seven golfers from last season: seniors Ryan Brennan, Johnny Cox, Aidan Haefner, Conor Hanley, Michael McMahon, and Luke Sherlock; and junior Alex Kulisek. Newcomers are freshman Marco Cefalu; juniors Clayton Dine, Danny O’Donoghue, James Papp, and Jay Raber; and senior Lee Sheahan.
“We’re leaning into our senior leaders, especially Luke and Johnny, as we begin this season,” Perry said.
Sherlock qualified for last year’s IHSA Class 2A individual finals and shot a two-day total of 163 to tie for 57th place. He, along with Cox and Kulisek, helped Fenwick advance to the sectionals as a team.
The Friars opened this season with a second-place finish at the St. Laurence Invitational, Aug. 14, shooting a total of 307. Sherlock placed fourth individually with a round of 73; Cox and Kulisek tied for 10th as each shot a 77; and McMahon carded a round of 80.
Chicago Catholic League golf has been dominated recently by Fenwick, Loyola Academy, and St. Ignatius as the three schools combined to win the last 10 varsity championships. Perry figures that the Friars will again compete with the Ramblers and Wolfpack for this year’s title.
“We hope to be playing some of our best golf at the conference championship,” Perry said, “and using that momentum to head into the IHSA state series.”
Fenwick girls
Fenwick brings back three golfers from last year’s team which finished second in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference and qualified for sectionals. One of those returnees, junior Mairin Sweeney, qualified for the Class 2A individual state finals for the second consecutive year.
Despite the lack of experience, eighth-year head coach Mike Trankina likes how things are going so far.
“We have a strong returning core and some great younger golfers who can step up and have shown that they can in the past,” he said. “The biggest strength we have is our depth; we have six that can go low in their scores on any day.”
Besides Sweeney, who finished 77th at last year’s state finals with a two-day total of 177, seniors Kate and Maddy Cox are back for Fenwick. The Friars’ other returnees are sophomores Lila Gaddipati and Madeline Roginski; juniors Maddie Brennan and Noel Gallery; and seniors Lola Martinez and Gia Vizzini.
“Noel played a lot of competitive golf over the summer and has put up some great scores,” Trankina said. “I also feel that our two returning sophomores are quite capable of a breakout season. They both posted some low scores at some varsity matches last year.”
Wheaton St. Francis won the GCAC last year and appears to be the team to beat this season. Other strong contenders, according to Trankina, include DePaul Prep, Loyola Academy, Mother McAuley, and St. Ignatius.
“I’d like to think that we’re up there with those teams,” he said.
Trankina adds that the program’s main goal this year is roster development. He believes good things are in store for Fenwick should that get achieved.
“Our goal is to make the state tournament as a team,” said Trankina. “That’d be great. But honestly, if our players develop and improve but we don’t make state, it will still be a successful season. I want Mairin to continue to improve, and I know she will.”