DAILY GLOBE
BUFFALO LAKE - Abby Brinkman’s par-72 vaulted her Jackson County Central golf team to second place in team standings Wednesday on the first day of the Section 3AA girls tournament at Oakdale Country Club.
The Huskies will advance as a team to Day Two of the section tournament Tuesday at Oakdale along with two other area teams - Luverne and Worthington. Minnewaska finished atop Wednesday’s team standings with 338 strokes. JCC had 344, Marshall 356, Luverne 372 and Worthington 376.
The top five squads qualify for Tuesday’s competition, along with about a dozen additional individuals. State tournament team and individual berths will be on the line.
Brinkman, a senior, was remarkable on Wednesday, carding a 39 on the first nine holes and a 33 (three under par) on the second nine. Teammate Abby Benson had an 84 while Emmalie Benson and Molly Brinkman both came in at 94.
Worthington sophomore Anneke Weg and senior Rachel Koller both had 89 strokes for the 18 holes. The Trojans’ Bailey Weg had a 95 while Ashley Hoefker and McKenna Prunty had 103 apiece and Kelicy Anderson a 104.
WHS head coach Ben DeRynck was ecstatic at the Trojans’ performances.
“All the potential we’d been talking about all year - everything clicked today,” he said.
Weg, a long hitter, was consistent tee to green on Wednesday, DeRynck said, and Koller exhibited a very good short game. Both of them, said the coach, have “a realistic chance” to qualify as individuals for the state Class AA tournament.
Leading Luverne to the second day were senior Makayla Sterrett and junior Hailey Remme, both with 91 strokes. Madison Crabtree was close behind with a 93. Hannah VerSteeg (97) and Jenna Zewiske (99) weren’t far behind.
Though Pipestone Area didn’t qualify as a team, the Arrows’ Anneka Bucher did. She had a 94.
Other Day Two individual qualifiers include: Bailey Klause of Redwood Valley (87), Viada Behnke of Litchfield (88), Abby Frauenholtz of New Ulm (91), Kellie Enderson of Benson (93), Maddie Hennen of Morris (93), Addie Lokken of Litchfield (93), Alexandra Wolner of Montevideo (94), Sara Guymon of New Ulm (95), Livia Behnke of Litchfield (96), Sara Johnson of Montevideo (96), Megan Kirkeide of Morris (97), Rachel Lee of Benson (99) and Hannah Zimmel of Morris (99).
