VIRGINIA- The North Woods girls’ golf team is headed to the state Class A tournament after claiming the Section 7A championship last week on May 25-26 in Virginia.
North Woods sophomore Tori Olson made a solo trip to state last year as a freshman, but this year she’ll have plenty of company as the first-place Grizzlies’ two-day total of 780 strokes was 52 better than runner-up Pine River-Backhus.
Olson placed second in the tourney, firing 86-87 for a 173 total, just two more than top medalist Kianna Johnson of Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, who was trying to qualify individually.
While Olson has been a consistent low scorer for the team this season it was the Grizzlies’ strength down the lineup that set them up for the championship. Senior Morgan Burnett claimed fifth place with a two-day total of 186. Sophomore Madison Dantes was 20 strokes back in tenth place with 206, and senior Haley Bogdan was right on her heels in 12th with a 213. Abbigail Shuster rounded out the scoring for North Woods with a 231, placing 17th.
Boys field
With a realigned sectional featuring powerhouse Duluth-Marshall, which won the team title by 57 strokes over Waler-Hackensack-Akeley, sixth-place North Woods still came through with a state qualifier, Davis Kleppe.
Kleppe led the East Range Conference in scoring average this season, and he came through with rounds of 79 and 78 in the sectional tourney for a 157 total, placing fourth in the 53-man field.
The Class A tournament will be contested June 14-15 at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker.