LAPEL — For the Lapel girls golf team, junior Kristen Hobbs is the undisputed leader, both on and off the course. She is the best player and works with younger players on their game.
But in team sports, there are times when the players need to be picked up or cheered up — when a laugh is what a teammate needs.
The Bulldogs golf team has a duo who is a perfect fit for that need.
Seniors Makena Mason and Bridget Mudd describe themselves as “best friend goals.” They met in fourth grade on a field trip to Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, solidified their friendship when playing for the golf team in sixth grade, and sealed that friendship during a sleepover that year.
Mason and Mudd still assume a portion of the leadership role. They want the younger players on the team to always feel included. They are seniors, but they see themselves as no better than anyone else on the team.
“I just try to make sure everyone is involved and not left out,” Mason said. “And be friendly to everyone. We just treat them like everyone else, not like they’re below us.”
“They get to watch us sing on the bus rides,” Mudd added. “Whatever today’s hits are. Last year it was, ‘Don’t Let Me Down,’ and we’d just scream it.”
Not surprisingly, two players who are rarely seen apart from one another are planning on rooming together at college next year at Indiana University. Their areas of interest differ somewhat.
“I plan to go to IU and go into law,” Mason said. “I don’t really know (what area) — I’ll have to explore it a little more.”
“I also want to go to IU, and I want to go for zoology,” Mudd said. “I like animals. I have a lot: I have two dogs, a bird, hermit crabs and fish.”
Mudd’s hermit crabs are named Banana, Raspberry and Strawberry.
“I like to keep a theme with my hermit crabs,” she said. “My last ones, I gave them all Russian names, like Dmitri, Anastasia and Igor.”
She said it doesn’t matter where she works, as long as the career fits two key criteria.
“I’d love to wear khakis and tell kids about zoo animals,” she said.
IU was not necessarily the original destination for both, but the friendship helped steer them back onto the same path.
“She used to want to go Purdue,” Mason said. “Then we both realized that we like IU, so we said, ‘Hey, let’s room together.’”