Lauren Bell is a Valley Central seventh grader, and she is playing her first varsity golf season this spring with her sister, Lainey, a freshman, who joined the team two years ago.

Last week during a victory over Monroe-Woodbury, Lauren Bell shot a 51 after teeing off with her sister, who led the field with a 43.
“We’ll see what she can do down the stretch,” said Scott Warner, Valley Central’s coach, of Lauren Bell.

Lainey was the team’s best finisher last season, and she reached the state tournament. Reaching the sectional tournament requires six rounds of a 54 or better, and Lauren has five rounds to go to reach the postseason.

“If she stays on target,” said Warner, “she should qualify for sectional play.”

Lauren Bell started playing golf as a seven-year-old, and during her first spring with Valley Central, she started hitting the ball well to get ready for the regular season matches.

She is also from a golf family, and her grandfather, father, sister and twin brother, Andrew, play the game.

“It was mostly my grandpa,” said Lauren, who has influenced the family with golf. “Because he enjoyed the sport himself, so he got us into it. We started taking up the game and enjoying it.”

And now she is playing for her community and with her sister, who is helping her with the game and with her role on the team. In the field, Lauren Bell said her sister is helping at assisting her with judging the yardage and how to conquer those distances.

“I look up to my sister, too,” she said. “She is really helpful when I play my game, too.”

Lauren Bell has to own her game, and she does that with hard work to help compete and win.

“I have to push myself and get better at every practice,” she said.