The Bloomington North girls golf team had the upper hand against rival South for the first time in many years when they met at Cascades’ Ridge Course on Sept. 3.
The Cougars won 190-205 over the rebuilding Panthers and the celebration was rather subdued if not absent as they gathered around head coach Harrison Carmichael for the post-mortem. They won, but they didn’t play up to the new standard they’ve set for themselves this year.
It was a huge turnaround from last year when North had just two scores under 60 in their first rounds ever at Bloomington Country Club in a 199-226 loss. Another year older, the Cougars started off the year playing like a team that will be in contention for a top-three team spot at sectional, keeping their scores well away from the 200/400 range.
“They’ve been kind of slumping lately,” Carmichael said. “Today, they did not play the way they wanted to. But as a team, that kind of goes back to, What’s our process?
“Are we doing the things we need to do? Am I as coach doing things need to do to get them ready?”
Juniors Mira Bruce and Kate Johnson have been leading the way, but had a 46 and 51 respectively, as Kendon Gallagher was low at 45, trailing medalist Kirin Bowden from South, while Evie Chitwood had a 48. Still, Bruce and Johnson have earned their spots at the top of the order.
Both played in the City Golf Tournament for the first time and other tournaments, “teeing it up for real,” Carmichael called it, picking up more experience in playing meaningful rounds where nerves can be a factor.
“I would say those two definitely put in the time and deserve any accolades that come their way,” Carmichael said. “They’ve made a significant jump. Mira and Kate virtually lived out here all summer, as well as many of the boys golfers.
“Just putting in the time more often than not, golf is one of those sports where it takes 10,000 reps and they’ve put in those reps.”
Now, they want more out of themselves but there is an important balance they need to find as they grow and they worked through it in that post-match get-together. The message: try your best but if it doesn’t happen, you have to move on.
“Unfortunately, girls are extremely hard on themselves,” Carmichael said. “It may be boys keep it more internal, but girls are hard on themselves as far as their performance, whether they played good or played bad.
“I’m sure I can be difficult at times, but I always tell them, ‘Be easy on yourself because life and golf can be hard. I know their mannerisms. Not a single girl tonight on our roster was happy with their performance. They all played poorly, top to bottom. They’re frustrated. Very frustrated.”
But there will be more rounds to work that out. The North Invitational will take place on Sept. 13, then Conference Indiana the following Monday. If the progression continues, the Cougars should be on the front foot when Sept. 22nd’s sectional comes around.
‘Each time we play it feels like the team gets a little better and a little closer,” Carmichael said. “The only day it matters is sectional when we have to be ready to go.”
South making strides
South went into the season knowing it was to be rough team wise to start. Bowden and Lyla Haugh, who has worked her way into the No. 1 spot, are both regularly in the mid to low 40s of late. Bowden recently had a career best 41 at Stone Crest, their temporary home this season.
Haugh worked hard in the off-season to move five spots up the ladder.
“Last year, she had a hard time getting the ball in the air,” South coach Jim Southern said. “It was even hard to do a practice round. But she looked me in the eyes after regionals and said, ‘When I come back, I’m going to be a totally different player.’ And she did.”
But the Panthers are still counting scores in the upper 50s and lower 60s as the younger players come along. Junior Sylvia Walker had a 55 in the match vs. North and Addison Howell a 63.
The whole season is a process to get better, but time is running out. The Conference Indiana Tournament is next Monday (Sept. 15) and then sectional a week later, where Martinsville and Edgewood figure to be right there.
“We have a 1-2 punch with Kirin and Lyla,” Southern said. “Kirin has stepped up the last couple of nine-hole meets, as the medalist. She’s been really good and I hope that continues. Lyla’s been shooting in the 40s which is big for us.
“Sylvia (Walker), a junior at No. 3 has been working hard to get into the 40s. It’s a 4-5 where you see our inexperience and we knew that going in. It’s sort of a rebuild year for us but I never set limits.”
That’s because he never knows when it might ‘click’ with a given player.
“Every good player has a big turning point, where you start getting over the hump and exponentially better,” Southern said. “That day could be today. Lizy Yaley is our No. 5, with Ellie (Shipley) 6, and Lizy is starting to click.
“There are also a couple of JV kids getting my attention (sophomore) Vera Kavgian. She’s shooting in the mid-50s, and (freshman) Jackie Lee who had a 52. We’re excited for the future.”
One reason is they are becoming less focused on the past and letting bad shots bother the next one less often. And the way Bowden and Haugh are scoring has be encourging to the others to improve. That duo is showing better course management, more consistency off the tee and improved chipping and putting.
“When you putt better, that’s when you break 40,” Southern said. “And they’re learning to have fun out there.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington North, South girls golf working through growing pains