The Saint Patrick golf team made history on Tuesday October 9, 2007, earning the Shamrocks their first trip downstate a berth in the Illinois High School Association’s Class 3A Boy’s Golf Championships.  The Shamrocks finished second in the Arlington Heights (Hersey) Sectional, nine shots behind their East Suburban Catholic Conference rivals, the Lions of St. Viator, but six strokes ahead of perennial powerhouse New Trier, which won the state championship in 2003 and finished second in 2005.

Senior Kevin Lang paced the Shamrocks with a six-over-par round of 76.  Freshman Patrick Cermak shot a solid 77.  Senior Michael Cermak, who has enjoyed an incredible season, struggled with the windy conditions and tight fairways, carding a 79.  Michael Cermak’s nine-over-par round was out of character for a golfer who is under par for the season, winning medallist honors in every dual match that he played this year. Senior Dan Kasperek posted an 83 to help the Shamrocks hold off the Trevians of New Trier to punch their ticket downstate. Joe Macchione, who shot 91, and Nick Cannella, who posted a 98, rounded out the Shamrock lineup.

The Shamrocks send a team of six golfers downstate, attempting to break a Chicago championship drought nearly as long as that of the Chicago Cubs. No Chicago team has won the state championship since team play began in 1938, and no individual golfer from Chicago has claimed the state championship since 1930.  The state championships will be held at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington on October 12 and 13, with tee times starting at 8:30am off of both the first and tenth tees.  Lang will tee off of the first tee at 9:42am, with Patrick Cermak following at 10:00am.  Michael Cermak will be in the first group off of the tenth tee, with Kasperek teeing off at 9:24am, Macchione at 10:09am, and Cannella in the final group at 10:18am.

Michael Cermak is making his third trip to the IHSA State Championships, having finished 38th in 2004 and 42nd last year.  Patrick Cermak is the youngest of four Cermak brothers, following in his brother’s footsteps.  By qualifying as a freshman, Patrick has the opportunity to match his oldest brother, Joe, who earned four trips downstate.

The Cermak family is in the midst of an amazing run at Saint Patrick.  This year marks the eighth straight year that there has been at least one Cermak competing at the IHSA State Golf Championships.  Joe Cermak finished second in the in both 2000 and 2003, fifth in 2002, and 74th in a rain-shortened 2001 tournament.  Matthew Cermak qualified for the state tournament three times.  Matthew never cracked the top ten, finishing 25th in 2003, 27th in 2005, and 50th in 2004, but he was the last player to record a hole-in-one at the state tournament, carding an ace on the 152-yard 4th hole in 2005.