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Fairmont girls golfers set to tee off state meet

STATE QUALIFIERS — Members of the Section 2 champion Fairmont girls golf team teeing off the two-day Class AA state meet at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Ridge at Sand Creek in Jordan include, front row (l-r): Bailey Martinson, Maggy Totzke and Lauren Davis. Back row: Brynn Gustafson, Anika Haugen and Solveig Senf. (Photo by Greg Abel)

JORDAN — After eight years of individual competitors going on their own, the Fairmont girls broke through as a team.

After holding on for a three-stroke win at the Section 2 tournament, the Cardinals are headed to the Class AA state golf meet at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We had a nice run with with Bergen (Senf) that actually started with Cassidy Krusemark when I came back and took over on the girls side,” Fairmont head coach Brad Haugen said of the Cardinals’ recent state experience. “We had a great run with Bergen just interrupted by last year, and, you know, being able to get the whole team there is always a great accomplishment.”

Fairmont enters with the sixth-best sectional score, shooting a 721 over the two-day event.

The Cardinals will tee off at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, starting on the 10th hole of the Jordan course alongside Hermantown, Pequot Lakes and Providence Academy.

After missing last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, no members of the Cardinal roster have experience at the state meet. Haugen said that inexperience will make the meet a fun time to prepare for the future.

“I think the great thing about the state experience is that eye-opening first time,” Haugen said. “That’s the cool thing about having all these girls as underclassmen and being able to return next year. Hoping it kind of spurs a little bit of the fire to get back there and to repeat. But it’s also that, hey, this time around, we’re just going to enjoy the experience.

“It’s our first time and we want you to have fun. We want you to not worry about trying to win the state tournament. Because we’re a long shot to do that. Not to say that we can’t, but that’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to have fun, we’re here to just take it all in and, and be a part of the state tournament when we weren’t sure three months ago, they were even going to have state tournaments. Knowing that, like I said, hopefully that builds next year to, ‘Hey, let’s try to get back there. And now let’s go for it.'”

Haugen said because there was no season in 2020 and no major tournaments this season, it’s hard to know much about any of the competing teams at state.

He said one of the best aspects of the state tournament is meeting and playing alongside new competitors.

“It’s just great for these kids to get the chance to play with them,” Haugen said. “And the opportunity to hopefully come back next year and play with them or see them again and be like, ‘Hey, how are you doing? I saw your scores.’ It’s just a pretty neat experience for these kids to get out of southern Minnesota and to meet all these kids from these other schools.”

Haugen said Jordan reduced its invite this year, so the Cardinals missed the chance to see the course during the season, which is why Monday’s practice round will make a big difference.

He said the chance to read the course and plan how each golfer wants to play it will be a key opportunity.

Maggy Totzke, Anika Haugen, Solveig Senf, Brynn Gustafson, Bailey Martinson and Lauren Davis will take that opportunity Monday to build their individual plans for Tuesday and Wednesday, with Wednesday’s tee times and starting holes determined by Tuesday’s success.

“Bergen didn’t getting her shot last year to play for that state title individually, but just her focus for that entire upcoming year last year was to get the team to state,” Haugen said. “She was just bummed that she wasn’t able to get Maggy Totzke to a state tournament or a Solveig, her sister and just the rest of the group there.

“It’s exciting that these girls followed in Bergen’s footsteps and put in the work that they needed to in order to get there without Bergen. So this is one for you.”

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