As rain poured onto the course, the golfers waited anxiously.

It had been two and a half hours since the rain began. A little after noon, the announcement was made.

“They pretty much just said, ‘Okay, we’re done. Here’s the champs. Thanks for coming. Bye,’” Head Coach Justin Gerbich said of the Illinois High School Association’s decision to cancel the second day of play at the state tournament due to poor weather.

The cancelation hit junior Nick Hardy by surprise.

“When I saw lightning, I knew it wasn’t good, but I thought we could get back out there for sure,” said Hardy. “We waited for like two and a half hours and I was just thinking maybe they’ll do it tomorrow. But then they said they had to cancel it, and I was like, ‘Wow.’”

The IHSA’s decision was to use the results from the first day of play on Friday. Hinsdale Central was crowned state champion, while Glenbrook North, four strokes behind, received fourth place.

The Spartans were not accustomed to a fourth place finish. In fact, the boys had never finished below third and were the top dogs through each round of the playoffs.

Not only did GBN come away with a first place finish at regionals, but second place Maine South was 30 strokes behind. Senior Harrison Marick led the team at regionals while shooting a two-over-par 72.

Marick’s goal entering the year was to win a tournament. It was at regionals that he achieved his goal.

“I had no idea I was even close until I came off the course and I was told I was the leader in the clubhouse,” said Marick.

The golf team then traveled to Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate. The bus ride was filled with the team’s signature music genre: country.

“This is my 16th year coaching, and I’m from out west, and I’ve listened to country probably since I started college,” said Gerbich through laughter. “Five years ago, if you put country on in the classroom, everyone got so upset. It’s funny to hear [the boys] all singing along to their cowboy songs. Tractors and girls and riding around in trucks.”

With regionals in the rearview mirror, the next stop was sectionals. But not before a memorable practice round on Saturday, according to Marick.

“[Gerbich] has a putt on the 17th hole during our practice round on Saturday for a box of donuts,” said Marick. “It was like a 15-footer. Well Gerb curls it in, drops his putter, double fist pumps and starts screaming at the top of his lungs, ‘I’m [professional golfer] Ian Poulter! I’m Ian Poulter, baby!’ Then he starts running around and screaming with his hands in the air.”

The team’s momentum carried into sectionals, where this time Hardy led the boys to another first place finish, four strokes ahead of New Trier. While most everyone on the team expected to win, Gerbich acknowledged the gravity of the victory.

“Everybody knew that that was where we stumbled last year,” said Gerbich, referring to the team’s exit at sectionals last season. “It’s not like we were going to walk in there and beat everyone and be like, ‘Well what did you expect?’ Since I’ve been coaching, we’ve never won a sectional, so coming out on top was a pretty big deal.”

The team then set its sights on state. Hardy, without hesitating, promised a victory at state. His coach was a little more cautious.

“You just have to remember: you can’t win it on the first day, but you can lose it on the first day,” said Gerbich before heading out to the state tournament in Bloomington, Ill. “We just have to play well and hang around on the first day.”

However, it turned out that you could win it on the first day. After waiting in the clubhouse for over two hours, hoping for the rain to subside, the golfers were told their season was over.

“We kind of knew [it would be canceled], but we were in disbelief,” said senior Jae Lee. “Like it just didn’t seem fair that the state tournament would get canceled. I remember looking at [senior] Nick Jan, who was sitting next to me, and I heard the word ‘cancelation’ and I was just shaken.”

Many members of the team believed they were in prime position to bring home the title. Gerbich echoed their thoughts.

“We were in good position,” said Gerbich. “It’s a two-day tournament, and we were only four strokes back. Just one shot a guy, which is nothing, really. On the second day, some kids had started and we had already moved up a spot. Four strokes…that’s not tough at all.”

In the end, the rain ended the boys’ historical season, which included five tournament victories and a first place finish in conference, regionals and sectionals. The only thing missing, it seemed, was a state title.

“We were going home without a trophy,” said Lee. “Just all the built up feelings from the whole season came crashing down … it’s unbelievable how depressing that feels. How unfair it feels. We couldn’t even get a chance to win.”