Berning finishes her golf career in style

What an incredible way to wrap up a great high school golf career. 

For Ella Berning, she’s a three-time all conference golfer at Tippecanoe, and recently was just named MVL golfer of the year. But she had much bigger goals, and she accomplished them just a couple of weeks ago.

Berning advanced to the state golf championships with a very thrilling district tournament, then ended up placing in the top 40 in the state of Ohio at Firestone in Akron. 

For the senior golfer, it capped off an incredible season as she reached the pinnacle of her high high school career…. the state tournament.

“It was a little surreal because that is a course that professionals play on, so it was weird walking into the clubhouse and thinking that Tiger Woods has been in here,” she said. “I was just excited to go and do that, it was a great way for me to end my senior year.”

To get there, she had to survive quite a day at the district tournament at Pipestone Golf Course in Miamisburg. Berning started her day on fire, through her first eight holes. She was in great shape to be one of the players to advance to state. She felt comfortable after those first eight holes and what it could lead to.

“I felt great and just tried to keep myself feeling positive because the second other bad thoughts come in, that's when you start doing poorly,” Berning said. “If that was going to be my last time playing, I was going to make it a good time.”

Then the Tipp senior ran into trouble, bogeying her next four holes and putting her in jeopardy of making the state finals. For the senior, it was just staying calm and getting through those tough holes.

“I was frustrated at that point, so I just took deep breaths and told myself I could do this, I was capable,” she said. “I told myself those four holes are over, and I was playing one shot at a time.”

After regaining her composure, she parred the next couple of holes only to then record a double bogey before completing the round in a three-way tie for the final qualifying spot for state. What did the senior do at that point? She took care of business on the first playoff hole. 

“On the double bogey, my drive was great but my second shot went into this little ravine so I had to take an extra stroke for a lost ball and that was frustrating,” Berning said. “It got in my head that I had to keep up the par streak and I didn’t.”

On her playoff hole, Berning had a great approach shot to the green, which landed right next to the hole, where she tapped in for a birdie. She won the playoff to advance to the Firestone golf course. 

“I wasn’t looking at them as competition really, I was looking at them as someone who wanted the same thing that I did,” she said. “However it was going to play out, I would be happy for whoever went.”

“I told myself I wasn’t done yet and I birdied it.”

At the state tournament, Berning shot 86–84 to land in the top 40 in the state of Ohio. It was an incredible way to end a great senior year for the golfer who at this point, is unsure where her future in golf will be after high school. 

“I wasn’t really nervous, but I wouldn’t say I had no nerves,” she said. “The first tee box is always a little nerve-racking because it’s the first shot of the day, and you hope it’s good. But I was just going to go and have fun. I wasn’t really trying to shoot a really super low score, I just wanted to have a good time, and I did.”

“I played well and it was a difficult course. I had never played greens like that, so it was really difficult to practice when there are no greens like that where I live. I was happy to just be there.”

Berning credits her coaches Scott and Tracy Murray for helping her achieve a great career and trip to state as a senior. She plans to major in elementary education.