NEW PRAGUE &045; For the first time this season, the Albert Lea High School boys’ golf team failed to bring home a victory.

But the Tigers were only one place away.

The ALHS boys finished second among eight squads in Friday’s New Prague Invitational.

Faribault won it with an outstanding 300 for 18 holes at New Prague Country Club. The Tigers had 311 strokes, followed by Bloomington Jefferson with 315, Redwood Valley 317, Waconia 310, New Prague 327, Orono 327 and Austin 330.

&uot;We just couldn’t compete with Faribault today,&uot; said ALHS coach Doug Christopherson, whose team is unbeaten in Big Nine meets and had won its only other tournament this spring. &uot;We were the defending champs, and it would have been nice to win it again, but it’s awfully tough to repeat with competition like we had today.&uot;

Adam Boelter finished fifth overall, leading the Tigers with a 75. He shot 39 on the front nine and came back with a 36 on the back. Josh Jones was seventh with a 77. Also scoring for the Tigers were Adam Elseth at 79 and Jon Breuer at 80. Missing the scoring cut were Dan Breuer’s 81 and Josh Tubbs’ 90. The medalist, the defending Big Nine champion from Faribault, shot a 71.

&uot;In the Big Nine, you’ve got to shoot awful close to 300 if you’re going to continue to win,&uot; said Christopherson. &uot;But it was a good day. It was good to see some different competition and, although we didn’t win it, at least we kept the championship in the Big Nine. The last four or five years I think Albert Lea, Austin or Faribault has won the tournament.&uot;

The Tigers get another shot at Faribault Monday in a triangular with the Falcons and Rochester John Marshall at Rochester’s Northern Hills Golf Course.