Notre Dame girls golf goes out with a bang with a bittersweet state championship repeat

Notre Dame's Taryn Overstreet hoists the Class 1 state championship trophy as the Bulldogs arrived home to a celebration Tuesday at Notre Dame Regional High School.

Ben Matthews

In a fitting end to an impressive career, Sarah Bell called her shot. Kind of.

When the Notre Dame senior golfer, defending girls state medalist and 2017 Semoball Awards Golfer of the Year stepped up to the tee at No. 18 at Columbia Country Club in Columbia, Missouri, she made a proclamation.

"I went and told the girls I was playing with and I said, 'Hey guys, let's make a birdie on this hole, but if not, let's make an eagle on this hole,'" Bell said.

It was a comment made with tongue at least partially planted in cheek, though birdie remained realistic after a mediocre drive. But Bell and her Bulldogs teammates haven't accomplished what they have during the last two years by settling for realistic.

Notre Dame's Sarah Bell speaks during an assembly celebrating the Bulldogs' Class 1 state championship Tuesday at Notre Dame Regional High School. Bell shot a 2-under-par 69 on Monday and successfully defended her individual title when Tuesday's second round was canceled due to inclement weather.

Bell's next shot from 93 yards out took one hop before holing out for eagle.

"That was the first time I've ever hit it from that far out into the hole, so it was a really big thing for me," Bell said. "Coach (Mark Moore) threw up his hands, I threw up my hands and was just, 'Oh my gosh!' It was so awesome."

It looked like an exclamation point to a great opening round for Bell, as Day 1 of the MSHSAA Class 1 State Championship Tournament came to a close on Monday, but mother nature made sure it punctuated something much bigger.

With Tuesday's second round rained out, the eagle turned out to be Bell's last stroke as a Bulldog as she finished with a 2-under-par 69 to win state for a second straight season, while the Bulldogs successfully defended their team state title with another rollicking victory, besting runner-up Pembroke Hill by 36 strokes with a 319.

Notre Dame's Allison Bray shot a 74 to finish tied for second, while Taryn Overstreet's 83 placed her in the top 5 as well.

Olivia Williams finished 26th after shooting a 93, while Haley Taylor was 31st with a 94.

"I can't even find words right now because there's not many teams that can say they're back-to-back state champions," Bray said. "They can't point to two banners on the wall.

"It's a big legacy. I hope people remember us for being the great golf team that Notre Dame had; for having great coaches and great girls. Our names will always be in this gym, and I'm happy about that because that's not something everyone can say. My name's always going to be on the wall at Notre Dame."

Bray said that title No. 2 felt different than the first because the team was much more confident and, as a result, relaxed on the course. This was exactly how things were supposed to go.

As the team returned to the Notre Dame Regional High School campus Tuesday afternoon, it was greeted by a throng of well-wishers to celebrate the team's accomplishment. Coach Mark Moore called it an "amazing journey," while assistant Emily Obergoenner said it may have been for the best to not have to play a second round -- she wasn't sure she could emotionally handle an 18-hole farewell tour with four outgoing seniors.

Overstreet, a sophomore, will be the only Bulldog who golfed at state to return next year. She also happened to be the highest non-senior on the leaderboard in Columbia.

"So she should be the favorite next year. Not to put any pressure on her," Moore said with a smile.

There were plenty of smiles as the team celebrated its accomplishment with family and friends, but there was also a note of bittersweetness to the proceedings.

There's no better way to go out than on top, but for those saying goodbye, there are other emotions to process.

Members of the Notre Dame girls golf team pose with their trophy after winning their second consecutive state title.

Emily Obergoenner

"I really wanted to play today," Bray said. "Yesterday you're like, 'Are we going to play tomorrow? Are we not going to play tomorrow?' So there's always a chance of having another round and being, 'OK, this one is for sure my last round.' But yesterday, being my last round as a high school golfer with that team, it's kind of sad that I didn't get to walk up to the last hole with my coach and say, 'Wow, this is it.'

"... It's pretty bittersweet. I say it's a bittersweet repeat."

Bell will continue to play golf in college at Oral Roberts, while Bray will hit the course at Missouri State. Taylor and Williams plan to focus on academic pursuits.

But they will always be connected by what they accomplished at Notre Dame.

"I haven't really processed it all yet," Bray said. "I'm not going to until I go to practice tomorrow, and it's just going to be me. Or I just go to hit balls for fun, and it's not serious. And I'm just like, 'OK, I'm just doing this just for something to do until [college].'

"I guess I'm starting to realize it's kind of coming to an end now that everyone's here (at the high school), the balloons are out and celebrations are going to happen. That's it. The only thing that's going to be here to remember our state championships are the banners on the wall. Next year we're not going to be here to talk about it anymore."

But others will remain, and talk they will.