2025 Clutch Sports Media Girls Golf All-Area Teams: 31 Central Illinois golfers earn honors

The first-ever Clutch Sports Media Girls Golf All-Area teams are littered with over two dozen of the best golfers from the Peoria and Bloomington/Normal area. 

Two teams — Tri-Valley and Normal U-High — and seven individuals from the area qualified for state in their respective classes but U-High’s dominance throughout the season was the storyline to watch. The Pioneers won over 10 tournaments and finished fifth in Class 2A while Tri-Valley finished eighth in Class 1A, its second straight state berth. 

Dunlap, Morton, Bloomington Central Catholic and Normal Community were among the area’s frontrunning teams and were among several schools to boast multiple all-area selections. 

Golfers from the 39 schools in the Clutch Sports Media coverage area surrounding Peoria and Bloomington/Normal were eligible to be nominated for the All-Area teams, which feature a total of 31 golfers. 

Clutch Sports Media will also have a Coach of the Year and a Girls Golfer of the Year, which will both be announced shortly. All of the All-Area nominees below are listed by team, then in alphabetical order.

Earlier, CSM released its boys golf all-area teams, plus the Coach of the Year and Boys Golfer of the Year.

Clutch Sports Media All-Area First Team

Leah Brown, junior, Pekin

Brown has continued to grow through her Pekin career, going from an impact contributor to one of the top golfers in the area. The Dragons’ junior was one of two individuals in the area that made the cut at the Class 2A State Finals, finishing T52 after shooting a six-over 78 and a 13-over 85 at Hickory Point Golf Course. Brown finished third at the Class 2A Washington Regional with a 75 and tied for 16th at the Class 2A Pekin Sectional, carding an 83 to qualify for state. During the regular season, Brown earned first-team all-Mid Illini honors for the second straight year and finished fourth at the conference tournament. She was a medalist or co-medalist for eight events this season, which tied a Pekin program record. One of those came at the Alleman/Rock Island Invite, where she fired a 76 to win the tournament. Brown carried a 9-hole scoring average of 40.88. 

Elle Filarski, junior, Tri-Valley 

Filarski was a dominant presence for Tri-Valley, who qualified for the Class 1A State Finals as a team and finished eighth. The Vikings’ headliner was the highest-finishing area golfer in Class 1A, tying for 18th with rounds of 81 and 82 at Red Tail Run Golf Course. Prior to that, she helpd Tri-Valley win two big pieces of postseason hardware as a team and, individually, was the runner-up at both the Class 1A Pontiac Sectional (79) and Class 1A Peru St. Bede Regional (84). Filarski won the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament with an 82 and also finished in the top 10 at the Normal U-High Invite and Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout. The junior, who also balanced playing volleyball at the same time this fall, set the program’s new 9-hole scoring record with a 37. 

Paige Fischer, senior, Normal U-High

Fischer finished her high school career by helping Normal U-High achieve a fifth-place finish at the Class 2A State Finals and finishing T28 individually with rounds of 76 and 80. The Pioneers veteran was in contention at many tournaments, including taking second at the Livingston County Invitational (70), third at the Pekin Dragon Classic (75), fourth at the Central State Eight Conference Tournament and fourth at the Bloomington/Normal Intercity Tournament. She earned a Central State Eight first-team all-conference spot and finished T4 at the Class 2A Metamora Regional with a 76 and T11 at the Class 2A Pekin Sectional (81). 

Audrey Hitt, junior, Normal U-High 

Hitt was another integral part to Normal U-High’s loaded lineup that helped the Pioneers win 11 tournaments during the season and set a new team scoring record of 294 at the Livingston County Invitational. The Central State Eight all-conference selection had more than a handful of top-5 showings, including runner-up placings at the Quincy Notre Dame Invite via a career-low 74 and the Bloomington/Normal Intercity Tournament. Hitt routinely shot in the 70’s helping her take third place at the CS8 Conference Tournament, fourth at the Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout, Normal Community Invite and Class 2A Metamora Regional, where she fired a 76. She ended her season with by tying for 20th at the Class 2A Pekin Sectional and 52nd at the Class 2A State Finals. 

Sydney Hunt, junior, Dunlap

One of the top girls golfers in Central Illinois since her freshman year, Hunt capitalized in the postseason and made her first appearance at the Class 2A State Finals, finishing T15 after rounds of 80 and 72 at Hickory Point Golf Course. Hunt was the Class 2A Metamora Regional champion with a 73 and took third at the competitive Class 2A Pekin Sectional with a 75. Hunt was a shoe-in Mid Illini all-conference first-teamer, winning the conference title with a 72 and leading the Eagles to the team title, as well as a sectional berth. Hunt also won the Metamora Redbird Invite and Geneseo Invite, coupled with third-place finishes at the Mike Rusk Invite (76), Livingston County Invite (72), and Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout (77). 

Natalie Ocheltree, senior, Normal U-High 

Ocheltree led Normal U-High to 11 tournament wins during the season, its seventh consecutive regional title and fifth place at the Class 2A State Finals. The four-time state qualifier posted her best season finish yet, tying for ninth at state with rounds of 77 and 70 at Hickory Point Golf Course. Ocheltree took second at the Class 2A Metamora Regional (73) and tied for fourth at the Class 2A Pekin Sectional (76). Her dominance was on display during the regular season, winning the Central State Eight Conference Tournament, Bloomington/Normal Intercity Tournament (70), Livingston County Invitational (70), Pekin Dragon Classic (71), Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout (68) and the Normal Community Invite. Ocheltree will golf at Illinois Wesleyan University following graduation. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Second Team

Maddie Bradbury, senior, Bloomington Central Catholic 

Bradbury made her second state trip in 2025, closing her senior season by tying for 52nd at the Class 1A State Finals. The Saints’ senior was a regional champion, firing an 83 to capture the Class 1A Peru St. Bede Regional title before shooting an 85 at the Class 1A Pontiac Sectional to tie for seventh and qualify for state. Bradbury, a four-year varsity golfer for BCC, placed second at the Sam Wells Invite in Champaign, third at the Bloomington/Normal Intercity Tournament (78), fifth at the Metamora Redbird Invite (84) and tied for third at the Illini Prairie Conference Tournament with an 82, helping the Saints finish as conference runner-ups. 

Caroline Braucht, junior, Bloomington Central Catholic 

Braucht led Bloomington Central Catholic all season, accumulated several top-10 finishes and took 45th at the Class 1A State Tournament in her second state appearance. The junior finished in the top five in both regionals and sectionals, shooting an 86 to place fourth at the Class 1A Peru St. Bede Regional and an 84 to tie for fifth at the Class 1A Pontiac Sectional. Braucht was one of the top golfers in the Illini Prairie Conference and was the runner-up at the conference tournament with a 76. She also won the Sam Wells Invite by 10 strokes, firing an 81, as well as Tri-Valley’s Queen of the Greens Tournament with a 76. The Saints’ ace also grabbed top-10 showings at the Bloomington/Normal Intercity Tournament, the Livingston County Invitational, Metamora Redbird Invite and Normal Community Invite. 

Bailey Engel, junior, Normal Community 

Engel helped lead a strong season for Normal Community, who won the Big 12 Conference championship. The Iron junior came in ninth at the Class 2A Metamora Regional after an 80 and missed out on qualifying for state by just one stroke, tying for 20th with an 85 at the Class 2A Pekin Sectional. Engel tied for second at the Big 12 Conference Tournament with an 87 and went low at the Livingston County Invitational, tying for sixth after firing a 76. Engel also earned top-10 finishes at several of Central Illinois’ biggest tournaments, including the John Macek Memorial Tournament (85), Mike Rusk Invite (80) and Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout (80). 

Sara Finn, senior, Illini Bluffs 

Finn ended her season by finishing T22 at the Class 1A State Finals, the best finish by an Illini Bluffs girls golfer in program history. The Tigers’ senior shot matching rounds of 83 at Red Tail Run Golf Course following a T7 showing at the Class 1A Pontiac Sectional (85) and a third-place showing at the Class 1A Peoria Notre Dame Regional (91). Finn, a Creighton softball commit, won the Inter-County Conference title for the third straight season with an 84 and helped the Tigers win several matches with medalist honors during the regular season. Illini Bluffs’ top golfer carried an 18-hole scoring average of 86 and a 9-hole average of 44.7. 

Morgan Robinson, senior, Morton 

A first-team all-Mid Illini player for the third straight year, Robinson was at the top of a Potters’ lineup that was one of the most competitive in Central Illinois. Robinson finished sixth with a 79 at the Class 2A Metamora Regional and shot an 85 at the Class 2A Pekin Sectional to fall short of qualifying for state by just one stroke. Robinson helped Morton take second at the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and placed second herself, thanks to an 81. Robinson’s consistent play earned her top-10 showings at the Metamora Redbird Invite (84, fourth), Pontiac Invite (82, fifth) and Pekin Dragon Classic (84, 10th). 

Savanna Siegrist, senior, Normal Community 

Siegrist’s strong senior season was highlighted by winning the Big 12 Conference title with an 81, keying the Iron to winning the team title as well. In the postseason, Siegrist shot a 79 to tie for sixth at the Class 2A Metamora Regional, moving her on to the Class 2A Pekin Sectional, where she carded an 88 to tie for 27th. Siegrist won the John Macek Memorial Tournament with a 75 and tied for sixth at the Livingston County Invite with a 76. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Honorable Mention 

Kate Anderson, junior, Farmington

Addison Behringer, sophomore, Richwoods

Maddie Bierbaum, freshman, Normal West

Nicole Detmers, junior, Brimfield

Rachel Fell, junior, Brimfield

Kennadie Finchum, junior, Olympia

Clara Gregg, sophomore, Richwoods

Gloria Hayes, freshman, Richwoods

Payton Hays, junior, Morton

Josie Heffron, junior, Peoria Notre Dame

Hadley Hitt, freshman, Normal U-High

Izzy Mayes, junior, Tri-Valley

Elizabeth Nieukirk, junior, Morton

Josie Skeate, junior, Bloomington

Lorelai Smith, freshman, Tri-Valley

Megan Turner, senior, Farmington

Gillian Tyra, junior, Metamora

Campbell Vrabel, senior, Dunlap

Margaret Wargo, junior, Tri-Valley