There was a point during the La Grange Park Girls Golf Regional on Oct. 7 where Katie Ellis could have imploded.

The Lyons Township sophomore had just hit back-to-back double bogeys on the Links of Carillon course and was on pace to have her season end on a not-so-bright note.

Many in her situation could have beat themselves up about the poor play. Some would curse themselves. Others might just get too frazzled to recover.

Ellis did none of those things. Instead, the LT sophomore channeled her inner Lion King.

“My dad always tells me,  ‘Hakuna Matata,’” Ellis said, referring to the movie’s song about having no worries and being problem free. “If you have a rough hole, you don’t want that to ruin your whole round.

“Just relax. And it helps. It definitely helps.”

Ellis’ problem-free philosophy worked to her advantage at the regional, where she bounced back from the double bogeys to make par on the last four holes and finish in a tie for fourth overall with an 83, good enough to qualify her for Tuesday’s Chicago Sectional. Ellis shot an 81 Tuesday to advance to the Class 2A state tournament.

Ellis was not the only LT golfer to earn a spot in the sectional, which ended after press time. Senior Kyle Hopwood (95), junior Lindsay Purpura (96) and freshman Rachael Johnson (96) also advanced from the regional, where LT finished fourth overall (370).

“It’s exciting to go as an individual, but we have four individuals going, and that is insane,” Ellis said. “We basically have a whole team going, so I’m excited to be able to go with my teammates.”

While Ellis is excited about the companionship this year, LT coach Brad Anderson is thrilled about the possibilities for his young Lions team. At the regional, LT was five strokes away from a third-place finish and a team berth at sectionals, but with all but five of his players tentatively returning next season, Anderson wants them thinking about more than just third place.

“We missed it by five strokes. I want the girls to think about it as we missed it by 40 strokes behind (first-place) Hinsdale Central,” Anderson said. “That’s a long way, but with a group that’s dedicated and young, I think you can get there.”

Leading the LT youth movement is Ellis, who had a breakout year this season as the Lions’ No. 1 golfer. She consistently scored in the low 80s this season, a remarkable accomplishment after being all over the map with her scores as a freshman.

“She’s just improved leaps and bounds,” Anderson said. “I hate to say the sky is the limit because you never want to project anything out too far.

“As long as she stays healthy and just has her focus where it needs to be, I think that she can basically do whatever she wants to do.”

The sophomore’s biggest strength, according to Anderson, is her tireless work ethic. Ellis plays golf in the spring, summer and fall, and practices her swing on Sundays during the winter. But she is also a good learner, picking up tips from the opposition’s top golfers, who she frequently played alongside this season.

“On certain holes, you kind of watch how they play or how they react, and definitely their putting,” Ellis said. “Their game overall is at a high level, and I’ve been trying to get there with them.”

With a few more “Hakuna Matata’s,” Ellis may be closer than she realizes.