PARK RAPIDS — Putting was the key and it turned a four-stroke lead into a four-stroke deficit Friday, June 4.
That was the difference during the final round of the Section 8-3A tournament as Alexandria knocked off the Brainerd Warriors for the section title. Brainerd will, however, send half of its team to the Class 3A state tournament as individuals.
Izzy Olson finished third followed by Katie Foley in fifth and Anna Krieger in seventh place.
The winning team and the top five individuals not on that team advance to the state tournament June 15-16 at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids.
“We hit the ball really well today and tee-to-green played well,” Warriors head coach Todd Person said. “We just got beat on the greens. Alexandria just rolled absolutely everything in today and we had some that lipped out and tough breaks that way, but overall, I was proud of how our girls played.”
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Olson followed her first-round leading 70 with an 82 Friday. The sophomore shot matching 41s on her nines. She managed just one birdie compared to her four Thursday.
“She struggled with some short game stuff she said and yesterday some of those things that were working out didn’t today,” Person said. “All-in-all she was still positive on how the experience was for her over the last two days so that was good.
“She’s playing well and she’s just hitting the ball so solid. It’s been great.”
Foley carded the Warriors’ best round Friday with her 3-over 75. That gave her a two-day 157. Foley finished with two birdies, including the par 4 13th which helped her shoot even par on the back nine.
“I’m just proud of Katie’s ability to bounce back,” Person said. “She did that last weekend when we were at Bunker Hills as well. She struggled the first day and then bounced back and really played well. I’m really proud of her that she qualified.”
Krieger, the lone senior on the Warriors’ section roster, fired a second-round 83 with nines of 40-43. She finished with a two-day 162 for the fourth qualifier spot.
“She was thinking about it and not thinking about it,” Person said. “When the day started she didn’t want to think about state, but her parents, who pretty much come to every meet with her, were looking at the scoreboard down the stretch because she was right on that cut line. When she got that score posted in the clubhouse, she was one of the earlier finishers and it held up.”
Junior Anna Angland shot an 88 Friday for a 10th-place 167. She was two strokes away from a playoff for the fifth qualifying spot. Sophia Karsnia placed 12th with her two-day 171.
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“This has been a great experience all year and one of the best teams to ever come through,” Person said. “We’re going to miss Anna Krieger just as that anchor at No. 1, but we’ve got a lot of good players coming up and the eighth-grade group we had will continue to work.”
Team scores: 1-Alexandria 314-316 -- 630, 2-Brainerd 310-324 -- 634, 3-Detroit Lakes 319-333 -- 652, 4-Becker 363-365 -- 728, 5-Sartell 374-372 -- 746, 6-Buffalo 381-378 -- 759, 7-Moorhead 374-389 -- 763
Section champion: Cora Larson, Hannah Boraas (Alexandria) 147
Brainerd results: 3-Izzy Olson 70-82 -- 152, 5-Katie Foley 82-75 -- 157, 7-Anna Krieger 79-83 -- 162, 10-Anna Angland 79-88 -- 167, 12t-Sophia Karsnia 87-84 -- 171, 43-Madelyn Holmstrom 107-96 -- 203
Next: Class 3A state tournament at Bunker Hills Golf Club, Coon Rapids, June 15-16.
