Anderson golf coach Chuck Graybiel and his counterpart from Alexandria Bruce Johnson conspired to bring a little more spice to their regular season finale this season, a plan hatched at last year’s Madison County tournament.
“Our girls were all playing well, but they get frustrated that sometimes they can’t compete with all the teams,” Graybiel said. “Last year (at County) Alexandria beat us by two or three strokes, so we came up with the Battle for the A.”
The inaugural ‘Battle for the A’, as this budding rivalry has come to be known, was taken by the home team as Anderson, led by medalist Addison Goen’s 40 and a 41 from Adelyn Swain, defeated the Tigers 174-203 at Grandview Golf Course in Anderson Thursday.
The Tigers were led by junior Alexis Barrett, who fired a 44 as Alexandria’s No. 3 player, a round that included consecutive pars on the sixth and seventh holes.
Both Barrett and Goen are excited about the new traveling trophy — appropriately enough, a wooden carved A — that will be on the line in future meetings. Each year, the winner will get to paint the trophy and the players will be able to add their signatures as well.
More importantly than the trophy, the players enjoy competing against one another.
“I absolutely loved the idea because I just love (Anderson’s) team,” Barrett said. “I knew it was going to be a fun, light-hearted thing because we can all be competitive, but also have fun with each other. We’re both really nice teams.”
“(Graybiel) has been having a lot of fun with it,” Goen added. “My thing is, before it’s a big fun thing, but we get into and it’s still a match and I played it the way I would any other match. Overall, it was just really fun and I had a lot of fun.”
Although he laments the absence of Amberlee Ross due to injury, Alexandria coach Johnson likes the new tradition.
“This is good. We had fun out there and it was good for the girls,” he said. “I didn’t want it to get super-competitive, I wanted it to be fun.”
On the course, Anderson capped a busy week that included a North Central Conference runner-up finish Tuesday and a new Graybiel-era team best at Lapel Wednesday.
That was a mark that lasted just one day.
After a frustrating four-putt bogey on the par-five first, Goen settled in and, while she was unable to make a birdie, avoided the big numbers and made par on five holes, including the last three in succession.
Her effort was good enough to edge Swain — who bogeyed her final two holes — by one stroke. Swain was coming off a 37 the previous day at Edgewood against Lapel when the Indians shot a team score of 178.
With Brielle Schott adding a 46 and Siri Loennehed’s 47 added, the Indians were four shots better Thursday as the program, reborn with five freshmen year ago, continues its sharp improvement.
“I think every kid is averaging way better,” Graybiel said. “On 18 holes, Adelyn was averaging 12 shots better…and Addison was averaging 17.5 shots better, a shot a hole better. It’s unreal how much better they’re getting.”
He gave special credit to Loennehed for joining the team during the season. The Swedish foreign exchange student came aboard after a pair of Graybiel’s sophomores, Kieara Evans and Shaelyn Coon, were lost to injury.
With Loennehed — Anderson’s lone player to be celebrated on Senior Night — the Indians were able to post team scores with the required minimum of four players.
Shy about playing at first because it had been a number of years since she last played, Loennehed was convinced by the other players to join the team.
“We wouldn’t have a team without her,” Graybiel said. “I think she shot 113 at conference, which was better than our girls did last year and she’s decided she is going to play in sectional.”
Alexandria’s No. 1 Kendall Long and No. 2 Brynley Dowden turned in matching rounds of 50 and Abby Kettery shot a 59 to complete the Tigers scoring. Olivia Bohlender was unable to finish due to an injury.
Now both coaches will turn their attention to the always tough Noblesville Sectional, to be held Monday at Harbour Trees Golf Club.
And all friendliness aside, Barrett is already thinking about taking the ‘A’ back from their rivals from Anderson.
“I love your team, but I am coming for you,” Barrett told Goen. “It’s at my home course, there’s definitely going to be a rematch, and I’m excited for it.”
“I love you guys, but we’re going to keep it until we graduate,” Goen answered.
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.