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Men's Golf Sam Brief

Cougar Spotlight: Isaac Boore

Golf senior is serving his country with Illinois National Guard

Before plunging into his senior year of high school, Isaac Boore (East Moline, IL/United Township High School) hoped to leave the cross country team to focus on golf.

Just one roadblock: His dad was coaching cross country.

"We didn't see eye-to-eye on that one," Boore said. "He definitely wanted me to keep running."

Boore, then a junior at United Township High School in East Moline, Illinois, had flip-flopped between running and golf throughout high school. His dad, Russell Boore, was the school's cross country coach and a former professional marathoner who placed sixth at the 2006 Boston Marathon.

"I had run my entire life, and I was burned out," Boore said. "[My dad] could finally tell, and he could see how much I loved golf. I'd wake up every morning and have butterflies if I knew I was going golfing. I'm not a morning person at all, but I'd wake up at 6 a.m. ready to go. He wanted me to choose what made me happiest."

So after missing out on golf as a junior, Boore stormed back to the links senior year. A golf maven, he had crushed on golf since first gripping a club in eighth grade.

"When I first started playing, I would hit some really bad shots, but I got hooked because of how tough it is," Boore said. "Then, 110 becomes 105. You see the scores go down and think, 'Man, this is pretty awesome. I want to see how good I can get.'"

While tending to his golf itch, Boore developed a hankering to serve his country. In the midst of his senior year, at age 17, he enlisted in the Illinois National Guard.

"Nobody else in my immediate family was in the military," Boore said. "I wanted to be different. I always looked up to military men. I felt it was something I needed to do with my life. I talked to my family, and they signed off on it for me."
 
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Boore's tenure with the Illinois National Guard started before his 18th birthday.

Upon graduating from high school, Boore shipped off to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for basic training. In the midsummer heat, where local high temperatures average 95 degrees, Boore completed his first step as a part-time soldier.

"I've seen some different places in the U.S. and done some cool training," Boore said. "I've fired M16s and stuff that a regular person wouldn't even know exists. It's been a life-changing event that I've gotten a lot out of, and I'm serving my country."

While fulfilling his commitment, golf has continued to track each of Boore's moves, refusing to vanish. But when he first signed on with the National Guard, Boore thought he was setting golf aside.

"I thought I'd never play college golf," Boore said.

Sure enough, Boore walked on at Black Hawk College in his hometown, where he played for two seasons. After year two, Boore again considered his future.

"I thought I was going to be done with golf," Boore said.

But when Mark Haines accepted the Chicago State head men's golf coach job, he called on Boore.

"I said, 'Do you want to play some Division I golf?'" Haines said.

Boore was all-in.

"It was two weeks before classes started," Boore said. "I saw a great opportunity."

Boore enrolled at Chicago State and competed in five tournaments last season for the Cougars.
 
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"He has an always-grind and never-give-up attitude," Haines said. "I tend to recruit players who play multiple sports, so they understand the key team concept of golf, instead of, 'me, me, me, me, me.' He'll do anything a teammate asks."

While maintaining his part-time role with the National Guard, Boore is studying for a criminal justice degree. He plans on graduating this spring and is considering the police route, while also remaining open to pursuing active duty military service through Officer Candidate School.

"The older I've gotten, the more I've figured out that what makes me happy is seeing other people happy," Boore said. "I want to do my part to make a difference in people's lives that are struggling. You never know someone's story and what they've been through."
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Players Mentioned

Isaac Boore

Isaac Boore

Senior

Players Mentioned

Isaac Boore

Isaac Boore

Senior