Shortly after Peoria Notre Dame senior Ella Coulter tapped in on the 18th hole at Red Tail Run in Decatur on Saturday, coach Ed Olehy couldn’t seem to lose the smile on his face.
After a missed cut in 2021, and missing the team podium by one stroke in 2022, the Irish found redemption in 2023, taking third place in the IHSA Class 1A state tournament with a team score of 677.
“These girls have worked hard three years in a row,” Olehy said. “We played in a lot of big tournaments this year. A lot of good courses, just in preparation for this. Here in the end it really paid off… They deserve every bit of it.”
The trophy is the first in the history of Peoria Notre Dame girls golf.