Rochelle senior Reese Kirk has signed to continue his academics and his athletic career with the Kishwaukee College men’s golf program, becoming the second Hub student-athlete in two years to commit to playing for the Kougars and head coach Thomas Brennan, an RTHS alum.

Kirk spent four seasons with the Rochelle golf team including three seasons on the varsity team. Kirk was named the Most Improved Player Award winner as a sophomore and has been Rochelle’s No. 2 varsity player over the last three seasons under head coach Glen Mehrings.

“I chose Kishwaukee College because it’s close to home and I can be with my family and friends,” Kirk said. “Kishwaukee College was interested in having me join the golf team and I think moving from RTHS to Kishwaukee College will be a perfect fit for me because I know I can compete at the collegiate level with others who want to compete as much as I do.”

“It still seems like yesterday that I saw Reese as an eighth-grader hitting balls at the driving range with a mixed bag of clubs and trying to figure out how to get the ball from one point to another,” Mehrings said. “He’s a good athlete with great hand-eye coordination and he loves the game of golf. That’s what truly made him a better player throughout his four years on the team.”

Kirk has helped the Hubs to six victories in each of the last two seasons. His senior season saw highlights including a personal-best, nine-hole score of 39 during Rochelle’s win against the Plano Reapers at Fairways Golf Course, Kishwaukee College’s home course. Kirk also recorded a top-16 finish at the Sterling Invitational with an 18-hole score of 88. Kirk will reunite with RTHS graduate Hayden Jones, who was a junior when Kirk was a JV freshman.

“I’m hoping to make new friends and make a great impact on the team by putting up low scores and making the team better,” Kirk said. “I plan on studying business in order to pursue a career in the business field. I want to thank my family and friends for helping me reach this level of my golf career because I couldn’t have done this without their support.”

“Reese never missed practice and he always wanted to face the top players from the opposing team during matches,” Mehrings said. “He’s made some of the greatest improvements I’ve seen in a player over my last 25-plus years coaching golf. It will be great for Reese to play under coach Brennan because Thomas is a great coach and a student of the game. I can’t wait to see how he does at Kishwaukee College over the next few years.”