By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Pretty in pink, all glammed up and only one place to go, Bedford North Lawrence seniors Chloe McFaddin and Kenley Craig made that dreaded walk down the ninth fairway together. Hands shaking, tears streaming as memories flooded their minds, they closed out a chapter of their lives.
Playing Otis Park for the final time in the regular season, BNL’s two seniors went out together. They didn’t choose the Barbie theme and the pink color scheme, but they’ll never forget their farewell as the No.14 Stars celebrated their careers with wins over Brownstown and Springs Valley on Thursday afternoon.
The emotions of Senior Night can be difficult to navigate. Everyone wants to go out with their best. Some handle it well, some get overwhelmed. McFaddin managed to battle through all the anxiety and raw intensity with a 2-over 39 on the front nine, powering the Stars to a team total of 170. Brownstown posted 194, while the Blackhawks were short one player and did not record a team score.
Perhaps the Barbie theme was appropriate, because Otis was as hard as plastic and as inflexible as one of the dolls, especially the greens. And when McFaddin, showing her nerves, yanked her first tee shot out of bounds, she didn’t look like someone destined for a quality number on her scorecard. But after that disaster swing, she was rock solid with two birdies.
“It doesn’t matter how well you hit the ball, it matters how quickly you get it to the hole,” McFaddin said. “You have to know how to recover.”
McFaddin may smile and joke during a round, but beneath the pink facade lurks the snarl of a competitor. She erased the penalty swing with birdies on both par-fives, overpowering the fifth and sixth holes with tremendous length off the tee. And she was deadly serious with the putter, making mid-range putts with deadly accuracy.
“That was rare,” McFaddin laughed. “I started lining up my putts for the first time in four years and started making them, so I’m more confident.”
Her toughest moment after the opening tee shot was the last one. Hard to swing a club when the hands are trembling. Somehow she made it down the hill to the clubhouse for a final par.
“I knew I had to hold it together,” McFaddin said. “It’s been emotional, knowing this won’t be my team next year. I’ve always known to be happy during the round. If you stay happy, the round stays consistent.”
“She’s one of the only players I’ve had, where I can watch her crank one out of bounds, and I don’t have a drop of sweat,” BNL coach Kori Johnston said. “I’m not concerned at all, I know she will recover.”
Craig, on the flip side, did not go out with her intended flair. That happens a lot to seniors who overhype the farewell while a huge entourage follows every shot. She’ll have a chance to make amends when BNL hosts the IHSAA sectional on Saturday.
“I was very stressed, I wanted to play well,” she said. “It makes the end of the season feel real. One shot can really make or break your round, You have to let stuff go. You can’t change it.”
“It’s tough,” Johnston said. “I go into Senior Night with a grain of salt. If they play well, it’s fantastic. But sometimes it gets a little crazy, everybody is excited and emotions are high.”
Lost in the senior moments was the round posted by Ellie Horton, who birdied the fifth and fired a 40. Lost in the pink cloud and celebration was the fact this was the final tune-up for the postseason. The Stars will be chasing their 11th consecutive sectional championship, so the Horton score was a welcome number.
“I’m really proud of her,” Johnston said. “She’s been battling her swing all season. She’s finally getting it down and her mental game is improving so much. It’s coming at the perfect time.
“We feel good. State has been our goal from the beginning. We’ll try to post a good score on Saturday.”
BNL will tee off in the sectional at 9 a.m. The top three teams, and the top three individuals who are not members of advancing teams, will advance to the regional at Country Oaks on Sept. 23.
BNL 170, Brownstown 194, BNL B 196
BNL – Chloe McFaddin 39, Kinleigh Root 45, Kenley Craig 48, Ellie Horton 40, Sammie Nusbaum 46
Brownstown – Gracie Reynolds 46, Megan VonDielingen 49, Kylie Lingenfelter 52, Abby Schroer 47, Jayda Clodfelder 58
BNL B – Jasmine Nguyen 55, Jaylee Huffman 56, Kadynn Canada 50, Madi Crane 46, Jayla Brewer 45
Springs Valley – Mia Cruz 46, Dallas Hendrix 50, Carmen Hall 57
