East Girls Golfers Honor Absent Teammate This Season

Prep golf tryouts are one of the many reminders that a new school year is about to begin. For the tradition-rich St. Charles East girls program, the annual end-of-summer exercises to determine the composition of the squad brought devastating news: Anna Daley, who was expected to play a key role with the team, was diagnosed with leukemia.

Suddenly, preparations for the eight-week high school season seemed inconsequential as Daley has been hospitalized almost continuously since the mid-August diagnosis.

"For the first two weeks, we had a very rough start to the season,” said Rod Osborne, St. Charles East coach and Hall of Fame member. “(Anna) is a great spark to the team for leadership.”

Saints team members have kept their emotions in check while not only going forward with their play but also by regularly honoring Daley.

In conjunction with the East girls volleyball team, the golf team has conducted fundraisers—primarily through T-shirt sales—this fall. In addition, the East girls have ‘Anna’ stitched on the right sleeves of their golf shirts.

Jane Noelker and Corey Guckien also wear hair ribbons to every match or tournament which are inscribed with a message of courage and hope.

“We’re always thinking about her,” said Noelker, a junior. “We haven’t let (her illness) affect us.”

The news was particularly difficult for Noelker, who lives in the same neighborhood as Daley—Fox Mill.

“It’s not the best feeling (playing against other schools),” Guckien said. “The whole mindset (of our opponents once they realize the significance of our shirts) switches everything up. They keep asking us, ‘Is your name Anna?’ It’s just kind of messy.”

Despite the challenges, the Saints have soldiered on this fall.

The squad, led by Paige Jordan and Darby Crane, was third in the Upstate Eight Conference regular-season dual matches.

At the conference tournament on Sept. 27, the Saints finished fourth behind the twin 84s from Jordan and Crane.

Jordan Thomas and Meenakshhi Bhatia make up the rest of the Saints' starting lineup. The team will seek to extend its season at the Class AA Burlington Central regional in Sycamore on Wednesday.

Since the former St. Charles High School split into East and North high schools, the schools’ girls golf teams have had a unique affection for one another.

“We wore special T-shirts for the North-East (dual) match (a triangular with Batavia on Sept. 22),” St. Charles North standout  Ariana Furrie said.

East golfers’ mothers Amy Crane and  Caroline Cayton have organized a bone marrow drive for Daley to coincide with the North-East football game on Oct. 21.

“We’re looking for donors,” Amy Crane said.

Osborne, meanwhile, is optimistic Daley can make a full recovery.
“We’re hoping to have her back next year,” he said.

Guckien said the silver lining in this difficult situation is increased awareness.

“The whole school knows about (Anna),” Guckien said.