By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – As certain as death and taxes, with apologies to founding father Benjamin Franklin, Bedford North Lawrence is running out of room in the trophy case.
Bearing down on a state record, the Stars kept another date with destiny, extending their streak of IHSAA sectional championships to a fortnight – that’s 14 in a row, each one heavier than the next as history and expectations add to the stress. If they felt that, they didn’t show it much as the Stars cruised to another triumph at Otis Park.
With Emma Voris earning medalist honors, BNL cruised without challenge to the crown with a team score of 357. Seymour (393) and West Washington (460) also earned tickets to the regional, with the top three teams in the nine-team field (and the top three individuals who are not members of qualifying teams) advancing to the second stage of the state tournament series.
Voris carded a smooth 79, a round that included four birdies, while Sammie Nusbaum posted 83, powering BNL in the chase for Penn’s record of 16 straight (a run that ended in 2023). That’s a story for the next two years. The Stars also won their 21st overall title, which ranks 10th in state history.
”I’m very proud of these kids,” BNL coach Carly Stigall said. “They know I don’t like to lose, and I definitely don’t want to lose the sectional streak. There’s a lot of history with it, going back to the people who started it. Being a part of so many is pretty cool.”
“The streak is awesome,” Voris said. “I love this team and being a part of it, I’m thankful.”
Voris was cool on a hot Saturday. She got off to a great start with three birdies on the front nine, and she avoided the temptation (as she always does) to mentally track her progress and project her final score. So she had no idea of her frontrunner status until the numbers were posted on the scoreboard.
“I guess I’m happily surprised,” she said. “I thought I played well, but there were a couple of holes. Of course, I don’t keep track of my score, so I had a vague idea. But I did not know I would get a 79, let alone the medalist.
“I just try to focus on my game, not what is happening around me. It’s what I can do to get the best score. That definitely helped with my confidence, knowing I could do well.”
Her best was three straight birdies on holes 4-6, plus a finishing birdie on the par-5 17th.
”She played with so much confidence,” Stigall said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her like that. She really set the tone.”
Nusbaum overcome a couple of trouble holes to finish third overall. Kadynn Canada (91) and Bella Warren (104 while battling a stiff neck) capped the team scoring.
“There Is so much potential with this team,” Stigall said. “We have to start coming up some time. I think today was a good start.”
Paoli’s Camley Whitfield advanced as an individual with an 82. Trinity Lutheran’s Ava Hien and Eastern Greene’s Madelyn Sylvester also qualified for the regional, which has been moved to Hulman Links in Terre Haute because of the unplayable conditions at Country Oaks.
BNL will defend its regional title on Friday. The top three teams in the regional will advance to the state finals at Battle Ground in Lafayette (another venue change) on Oct. 2-3.
