Grassel makes history as first girls state champ from Northwest Indiana

Updated: October 17, 2011 7:42PM

Kelly Grassel’s place in history is set. The Chesterton junior is a state champion. And she is the only girl from Northwest Indiana to win a golf state championship since the girls tournament began in the 1973-74 academic year.

In nearly 40 years, nobody from the region has climbed the state mountain and stood atop it. Heck, no area girl has even finished as state runner-up over the years.

But then came Grassel.

Grassel, the 2011 Post-Tribune girls golf player of the year, made history by capturing the girls golf state title on Oct. 1 with a one-stroke victory at Legends of Indiana Golf Course in Franklin.

Yet, as emotional and exciting as the victory was as she celebrated afterward with her family, Grassel views the state title as only a step to greater things.

“It’s cool,” she said. “It’s something I’ve worked really hard at. But it doesn’t stop here. I’m staying grounded and working toward the next thing. I’m very honored and proud. But I’m still working hard and continue to play.”

Grassel has been a star in the making for years. Chesterton girls golf coach Dale Hewitt joked that he would have placed her on varsity as a sixth- or seventh-grader if IHSAA rules had allowed it.

“She’s just a phenomenal player,” Hewitt said. “At state, she didn’t have her best game going. She was grinding it out. She was a couple over after the first three holes the first day, but she kept getting pars and every once in a while a birdie to get it back. She made some clutch two-putts from long distances. She was very businesslike. She never asked where anybody else in the field was. She just played her game.”

That’s what seemingly sets her apart from others. Her game has little to no drama to it. It’s fairway, green, putt, repeat. She rarely gets in trouble on the course.

“If she does get in a little bit of trouble, she’ll take her medicine and punch out,” Hewitt said. “She’s just a smart player. Being a smart player, that’s a biggie.”

Smart play was key at the state tournament. The wind was a major factor during both days. So not only was skill important, but also the ability to make wise decisions in the midst of ever-changing weather conditions.

“The wind gusts were about 40 mph, and there was a stead 20 mph wind,” Grassel said. “Playing in wind is a little work. You have to be thinking constantly about what you’re doing and shot selection. You have to be very patient. You’re not going to be going out there making birdie after birdie and making putts.

“I think it definitely helped me that I had a good attitude that weekend. When you play in tough conditions, you really have to take it one shot at a time more than anything.”

What also helped was having her teammates with her the entire weekend. The Trojans advanced to the second day as a team for the first time in school history, finishing sixth.

“It helped me on the second day that my team was there,” Grassel said. “It was just really cool to know we did something that hadn’t been done before at our school.”

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.