Rebels cut strokes at state
Published 10:55 pm Thursday, June 16, 2011
United South Central girls’ golfer Veronica Schindler watches her tee shot Thursday on Hole 1 in the Class A state tournament at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker. The USC team finished sixth overall. -- Andrew Dyrdal/Albert Lea Tribune
BECKER — The United South Central Rebels girls’ golf team cut 100 strokes off last season’s total team score at the state tournament to finish sixth Friday in the Class A tournament at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker.
United South Central golfer Sam Gackstetter watches his tee shot Thursday on Hole 6 in the Class A state tournament.
Ali Wood led the Rebels with a two-day score of 177 and finished tied for 13th individually. Wood finished 20th last season.
“We were certainly more confident this year,” Rebels coach Randy Halvorson said, of the team’s second consecutive trip to state. “Nervousness was very evident last year, and this year they were just excited to get started.”
Ninth-grader Claire Christian shot 191 for the Rebels and finished 37th overall. Kyley Bullerman, an eighth-grader, shot 202 and finished 53rd in the field of 88 golfers.
The Rebels shot 776 and beat seventh-place Barnesville by 28 strokes. Lewiston-Altura won the girls’ tournament with a 671.
“All six golfers really put up great effort both days,” Halvorson said. “They put themselves into position to move up the leaderboard.”
Rebels boys’ golfer Sam Gackstetter shot 159 for two rounds and finished 13th.
Gackstetter improved on a 20th place finish from last season and shot 79 on Wednesday and 80 Thursday.
“He played really well,” Halvorson said of Gackstetter. “He just wasn’t sinking many putts.”
The Rebels graduate Gackstetter and Erinn Hotzler, the girls’ team’s lone senior.
