As a coach’s daughter, Chadwick’s Kerrigan Guerin naturally has seen more than her share of basketball games. Over the years, she’s been a regular at the Pink & White Lady Classic, even with the Lady Cardinals having no history in the event.
Guerin won’t strictly be a spectator at the next Pink & White in nine months.
Chadwick coach Shawn Guerin announced at the Class 1 Final Four that the Lady Cardinals were extended a Pink & White invitation and they happily accepted the invite.
“That’s a dream come true,” said Kerrigan Guerin, a sophomore point guard. “I’ve been watching the Pink & White ever since I was a little girl. To go into that with my my best friends and my Dad as our coach, it's truly going to be a dream.”
This season’s Pink & White included local entries in Nixa, Ozark and Clever.
The smallest MSHSAA school at this season’s Pink & White was Class 2 Thayer, with 150 students. That’s three times the enrollment at Chadwick.
Chadwick will lose senior starters Maddy Nally, Chloe Burkhart and Cora Michael to graduation from this season’s 25-6 Class 1 runner-up team. The Lady Cardinals will welcome back Guerin, Raeleigh Little, Mildred Burkhart, Ella Herd and Emma Finney.
Guerin and Little combined to average 26 points a game this season.
“It's going to be a tougher route because we won't have our three seniors,” Kerrigan Guerin said. “We rely on them a lot. They're our leaders. We won't really have a leader next year because we don't have any juniors this year. Me and Rae will have to step up and be leaders.”
Guerin added Chadwick’s trip to State provided her plenty of off-season motivation.
“I got to (go to State) my sophomore year, hopefully it's not the end,” she said. “It fuels me more to try to get first place next year.”
Chadwick took part in the Mountain Grove Holiday Tournament following Christmas this season, in addition to winning the Fordland Tournament and Pleasant Hope Tournament championships.
The Lady Cardinals' post-Christmas tourney from 2008-2013 was the Walnut Grove Holiday Tournament, but they haven’t returned.
