The Albert Lea boys’ golf team headed into Day 2 with a commanding lead over Jordan and the rest of the field.

After shooting a team score of 319, the Tigers kept the pressure on at New Prague Golf Club Monday afternoon.

The Tigers didn’t shoot their best round of the day, but it was good enough in the end. They shot a 335 on the second day, bringing their total to 654 and giving them first place by 26 strokes and sending them to the state tournament.

Alex Syverson was the best golfer on the entire course, as he finished with the lowest two-day score (75-78), and Brock Carstens took fifth overall (79-86).

Jack Pulley shot an 89, Sam Chalmers finished with an 82, a four-stroke improvement over day one, and Danny Chalmers finished with a 90.

Bergan Lundak shot a 94.

On the girls’ side, the Tigers entered the second round nine shots back of Waseca.

They made a valiant run over the final 18 holes, but fell three shots short of returning to the state tournament.

“We kind of put ourselves behind the 8-ball last week,” said Tigers coach Shawn Riebe. “We improved by three strokes, but it just wasn’t enough.”

The Tigers shot a two-day total of 755, while Jordan won the section by shooting a 752.

The Tigers were led by Emma Loch, who missed the state cut by one stroke. She shot a two-day total of 186. Bailey Sandon finished with 191, Maddy Carstens 194 and Sam Nielsen with a 195. Natalie Nafzger shot a 198 and Sara Rasmussen finished with a 214.

The boys’ golf team will be in action June 14-15 at Sand Creek Golf Course in Jordan.