By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Streaks in sports never cease to fascinate. How long can it last? UConn women’s basketball (145 straight wins), Joe DiMaggio (56-game hitting streak), and Oklahoma football (47 consecutive victories) are just a few of the remarkable benchmarks that bear the weight of history.
Bedford North Lawrence golf is approaching another noteworthy record. The Stars have won 13 straight sectional championships, and the state record is 16 (held by Penn, which is no longer adding to that total since 2023). How long can BNL’s run last? The Stars are only worried about one – the next one.
The goal remains the same as BNL starts the 2026 season. Keep the sectional streak alive, and add to other impressive numbers (four straight trips to the IHSAA state finals, defend a regional title) when the postseason begins. The Stars have the talent to do all of that.
With four returning starters from last year’s state squad, BNL is poised for another campaign of trophy collecting. Carly Stigall, starting her second season in charge of her alma-mater program, already knows most of her lineup. She just needs for a fifth player to step forward and fill the graduation void of sectional medalist Kinleigh Root, now at IU Kokomo.
“Those girls know I don’t like to lose,” Stigall said. “And they don’t either. Those girls don’t like the taste of a loss. I think they know Kinleigh left a big hole to fill, it will take everyone to step up.
“It was a crazy first year. It’s a little bit of a confidence boost. We have a lot of fresh faces this year, who are new to the game, so there’s a little unknown territory. But I’m excited to have four returning, to see how those four are able to lead this team.”
BNL’s veteran roster will feature senior Sammie Nusbaum, who was the regional medalist last season and an All-Hoosier Hills Conference award winner. She will be joined by the solid cast of Emma Voris, Kadynn Canada and Bella Warren. They will be expected to move up in the lineup order and shoulder more scoring responsibility.
“Sammie plays all the time,” Stigall said. “Emma has been working on her swing. Kadynn and Bella have been at Otis Park, asking more strategic questions, growing their golf knowledge. It’s been cool to see.”
The fifth scorer will come from an unproven cast. Freshman Bella Montgomery, fresh from the middle school program, will start there as she works on her competition mindset.
BNL, which started official practice sessions on Friday, will get tested quickly during the first week of the regular season. The Stars will compete in the Bloomington South Invitational (at Stonecrest) on Monday, visit Shadowood for the Seymour Invitational on Tuesday, then travel to Country Oaks (the regional host) for the Washington Invitational on Saturday. That busy week leads into a tough assignment in the State Preview at Prairie View (the state finals site) on Aug. 10.
