Epic Senior Serves Up Success In Professional Cornhole

Photo Provided

Story by Harrison Favero and Joshlyn McKey

For most high-schoolers, extracurricular activities might include sports like football or basketball, debate club or volunteering. But Isabella "Bella" Surprenant’s after-school hours are spent on the professional cornhole circuit, traveling the nation and competing at an elite level in a sport that's rapidly gaining recognition.

The Lawton-based Epic senior’s entry into the world of competitive cornhole was almost accidental. 

"My sister's husband and his family have always played it at the lake," Surprenant recounted. 

It was during one of these casual lakeside gatherings that she was coaxed into playing. 

"They needed one more person to make it even. And so they kind of forced me to play," she laughed. 

Despite a less-than-stellar first outing, her innate competitive nature took over. 

"I got beat, like, so bad. And I've always been super competitive. So I was just, like, okay, I want to get better at this,” she recalled.

That desire to improve fueled countless hours of practice. "Every single weekend and during the summer, I'd always go out there, and I just got better and better," she said. This dedication quickly elevated her game, leading her to discover a thriving competitive scene far beyond the recreational boards she first encountered.

At 17, Surprenant is a seasoned professional, having competed in 45 states. She participates in roughly two to three tournaments each month. 

When asked what sets professional players apart, she emphasized the mental aspect. "Definitely your mindset," she said. "Because there's a lot of people that are really good. And it's, like, it's kind of hard not to get down on yourself, and I feel, like, for professionals, they're more composed, I would say, and like to keep themselves calm … It's easier for them to, like, pick themselves back up than a regular player, I would say."

Her training involves repetition to develop the crucial muscle memory required for accuracy. This involves working on her throw for two to three hours a day.

Surprenant competes in the National Cornhole League, a structured organization with rankings and a qualification process. This is a long way from summertime backyard tossing. 

"There's 250 pros, and then they have an elite division where people can pay to play with the pros, and then they can qualify to be a pro next year," she explained. 

Maintaining her professional status requires consistent performance, with the top players in singles and doubles earning their spots each year.

Balancing a demanding travel and competition schedule with her education is made possible by the flexibility of Epic Charter Schools. 

"The tournaments usually are Friday through Sunday," she explained. "I feel like with Epic ... I don't have to miss, like, a Friday or a Monday for traveling like people in public school would have to."

She emphasized how Epic’s flexibility allows her to manage her schoolwork while on the road. "I feel like I don't ever have to do that (make up schoolwork) ,.. it's just very flexible," she said.

The equipment used in professional cornhole also differs significantly from casual sets. 

"The boards are 3 feet long, and then they're measured 27 feet apart, front to front," she described, showcasing a professional-grade bag filled with resin pellets. "And then the bags have to be a certain material and resin … It's not like corn in them. It's like little plastic pellets." 

She even has her own sponsored gear, featuring her name and logos of her sponsors, which include bag companies and apparel brands.

Surprenant intends to continue her professional cornhole career after graduation. Her proudest achievements include winning the Women's Doubles National Championship and a Co-ed World Championship. She went pro in 2021. 

Epic teacher Shayla Chaplin spoke highly of Surprenant’s dedication and character. 

"Bella's super sweet. She's very sweet. Oh, she's a hard worker," Chaplin said. "It's really neat to see her focus and her concentration and stuff … She makes it work whenever she can, wherever she can, and she works a lot. And so the kind of dedication that she has to all of that as well is just tremendous. And I'm so impressed. And she's maintained good grades every year, too, which is also really, really hard. So, yeah, I just think the world of her. Yeah, she's super smart." 

Surprenant shared a common tip used by many professionals. "You want your pinky to point at the hole," she explained. 

Throwing a bag palm-up and pointing a pinky can be the difference between making a throw and missing one. And then there’s the strategy involved, such as using expertly placed shots to block an opponent from completing a throw in the hole. 

It’s all a part of growing as a professional athlete. Because that’s what Surprenant is. From Oklahoma lakesides to courts across the nations and even overseas, she is riding the wave of cornhole’s expanding popularity. 

“It’s only getting bigger,” she noted, with obvious excitement. “We have players in Europe, Switzerland, Australia, it's just (becoming) a worldwide thing, and it's getting bigger. So I plan to keep playing.”