Lafayette area top plays of the week Harrison volleyball, Lafayette Jeff soccer, Central Catholic football
McCutcheon volleyball players Dylan Bryan and Brianna Allen host the Lafayette area plays of the week.
WEST LAFAYETTE ― Harrison senior Bri Sheldon had her eyes focused on the ball, a putter in hand on the third hole during the IHSAA girls golf sectional championship at Coyote Crossing Monday, Sept. 22.
As the No. 5 golfer, all Sheldon can do is play her game and not worry about the players in front or behind her are doing.
Zero expectations, zero stress. A calm walk in the woods through the sloping fairways and lush putting greens.
An escape in a lot of ways from the high intensity situations Sheldon has put herself in as a varsity gymnast.
“I just came in wanting to have fun,” Sheldon said.
Sheldon shot an 87, the best round of her career and anchored Harrison to its second straight IHSAA girls golf sectional championship. The vaulting specialist found consistency hitting fairways and greens on a morning and afternoon where grass was moist due to rain over the weekend.
Large puddles made bunkers feels like wet sandcastles, but Sheldon never found trouble.
“I just told myself at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how I do,” Sheldon said. “I took the pressure off myself, I locked in, and I did good.”
Sheldon sank a 50-foot par on the third hole to take an early lead. She never looked flustered and kept driving the ball with accuracy. Her strength never waned either, having to walk all 18 holes on a chronically injured right ankle.
Sheldon sustained the injury as a freshman, and it’s been a reoccurring theme throughout her athletic career.
This season, she’ll only vault during gymnastics to reduce risking further injury.
With a clear mind, Sheldon’s performance was a welcomed sign for Harrison, which finished with three of the top five overall finishers. Freshman Sydney Gehlsen shot an 82 to finish second while her sister Grace Gehlsen finished fourth after a round of 89.
West Lafayette freshman Avery Boaz won first overall and advanced as the lone qualifier for the Red Devils after Harrison took first with an overall score of 349.
McCutcheon finished second with a score of 377 and Central Catholic became the third advancing team after shooting 397 collectively.
Marissa Kennedy of Lafayette Jeff finished second for non-qualifying schools with a round of 102 and Faith Christian Addy Brown joined her sister, senior Aley Brown of McCutcheon, as the third non-qualifying player and shot 106 to advance to the regional round this Saturday at Battle Ground Golf Club.
Addy Brown became the first female golfer in Faith Christian history to reach an IHSAA regional.
IHSAA girls golf sectional qualifiers:
- Emily Boaz (82) – West Lafayette.
- Grace Gehlsen (89), Nola Painter (91), Sydney Gehlsen (83), Avery Wills (92), Bri Sheldon (86) – Harrison.
- Jaylee Gibb (95), Aley Brown (94), Chloe Bell (95), Marley O’Brien (110), Gwen Masters (93) – McCutcheon.
- Halle Bogan (90), Claire Lewis (97), Lilly Frey (100), Mia Thompson and Caroline Schwartz (110) – Central Catholic.
- Marissa Kennedy (102) – Lafayette Jeff
- Addy Brown (106) – Faith Christian.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
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