By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

GRANITE QUARRY — Girls golf coach Tinsley Merrell started rattling off Hannah Waddell’s career accomplishments at East Rowan, and it’s a good thing she was texting, not talking.

She would have run out of breath before she got halfway through the list.

“I don’t know all the school history, but Hannah probably holds records for girls golf accolades at East,” Merrell said. “Four times all-county, four times all-conference, three-time county champion, three-time conference player of the year, four-time state qualifier. That’s a hard order to fill. That’s hard to top.”

Add four-time Rowan County Player of the Year to the list.

Waddell’s teammate, Addison Queen, was county champion — she also tied Waddell for first place in the 2022 county tournament — but there wasn’t any doubt Waddell had the stronger finish and the stronger overall season.

“Hannah had a consistent senior year,” Merrell said. “She was medalist in six matches and led our team in every match except two. She was one stroke behind Addison at Rocky River and at Corbin Hills (in the county tournament).

Waddell always has been a perfectionist. If she shoots 76, she wonders how in the world she didn’t shoot 75, but her shoulders got lighter as the years went by. Each year she stressed less and enjoyed her talent and her success more.

“My senior season definitely was the most fun I’ve had in golf,” Waddell said. “Senior year, you try to make every match memorable, but you also want to have some fun doing it.”

Merrell asked Waddell after the last leg of their journey together at the 3A State Championships, if it had gone by fast, and Waddell smiled and agreed that it had been a whirlwind. Sometimes the scores weren’t what she wanted, but her high school golf memories will all be good ones.

“Winning is fun, but the opportunity to create lasting relationships with young players is what it’s all about,” Merrell said. “When a player comes up to you 15 years later and still has a twinkle in their eye from when they played high school golf, that’s the good stuff. That’s when you know you left a mark on their heart. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”

Waddell shot a 35 on the front nine at McCanless for her best scorecard of the year.

Her shot of the year was when she chipped in for a scrambling par on a chilly day in the mountains in the West Regional.

But the highlights for Merrell were more about personal growth than pars and birdies.

“We got called down at a tournament for making too much noise and being a distraction — and I take full responsibility for that,” Merrell said cheerfully. “But making too much noise cheering for a teammate, I can live with that. That made my heart happy and I still smile when I think about it. The chemistry on this team was the best we’ve ever had. We had so much fun. Hannah had fun. She let loose some. She added a smile to her very solid golf game. She and her teammates shared so much laughter on and off the course.”

Waddell was shooting for a fourth straight county championship (or co-championship) when the Mustangs teed off in ideal conditions on a Monday at McCanless, but it was Queen’s day. Queen made a birdie down the stretch and shot 79, while Waddell shot 80.

Waddell still left the course feeling content. She had shot 11 strokes better than she had done in the 2022 county tournament. East had won its seventh straight team title and had won by 28 strokes over South Rowan. The Mustangs had the best team score any school has posted in the event since 2014 when Salisbury had a team led by Grace Yatawara, one of the county’s all-time greats.

“I knew I played about as well as I can play, so I couldn’t be unhappy,” Waddell said. “I did miss a few putts I could’ve made, but I couldn’t have hit the ball much better than I did. Addison just played great that day.”

It was a tough day for the East Rowan golfers at the West Regional played at mountainous Springdale Resort in Canton. Waddell shot 91, while Queen shot 96. They advanced to the state tournament as individuals, but the Mustangs finished sixth in the team scoring and didn’t qualify for the state as a team.

“It was so cold early, although it warmed up some later,” Waddell said. “That course played very long and challenging.”

At the 36-hole state event, Waddell shot 92 and 94. The 94 she managed in much tougher weather conditions on the second day probably was her stronger round. It was a tough course. Queen shot 103 and 101.

“It was fun getting back to state for the fourth time, but it also was kind of sad, knowing it would be the last one,” Waddell said.

The goal for all high school golfers is to be playing on the last day.

Seniors Waddell, Queen and South Rowan’s Kassidy Sechler accomplished that feat.

It was a great way to close careers to be proud of.

“You never had to worry about Hannah putting in the time and the work and you never had to worry about her effort on the course,” Merrell said. “She probably didn’t realize how much our younger players looked up to her and admired her. She had a great career, while still playing basketball, still making good grades and still being active in school clubs. She’s a talented young lady, and I’m thankful I’ve had a front row seat to watch her for four years.”

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Sechler, who shot 85 for third place in the county tourney, was a remarkable story for the second straight season.

Back in the hospital for another heart operation, she recovered in time for the regional and qualified for the state event. She didn’t feel well enough to finish on the second day at the state tournament, withdrawing on the fifth hole, but she and coach Jeremy Boice will never forget the birdie that she made on the first day on No. 12 on the Red Course at Foxfire Resort.

• • •

East Rowan’s Izzy Stepp also registered a precious memory during the season, as she made a hole-in-one on No. 3 at McCanless.

• • •

Salisbury’s Xaniyah Price shot some 51s and finished third in the final Central Carolina Conference standings to make All-CCC.

• • •

North Hills golfer Reese Merrell shot a 35 for nine holes at McCanless.

She played in the NCISAA state tournament and shot 183 for 36 holes. She was ranked 16th in the state in NCISAA Division II.

• • •

Gray Stone’s Hannah Lineberry shot 81-84 — 165 and placed seventh in the 1A/2A State Championships at Stonebridge in Monroe.

• • •

The All-Rowan County team is determined by the top eight finishers in the county tournament.

All-Rowan County:

• East Rowan — Hannah Waddell, Addison Queen, Kaley Pfister, Jaelyn Earnhardt, Izzy Stepp

• South Rowan — Kassidy Sechler, Ella Carden, Ava Blume

• Player of the Year — Waddell

• County champion — Queen

• Coach of the Year — Tinsley Merrell, East