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NSC Meet at Baker National

The North Branch girls golf team began their late season round up with a trip to Baker National Golf Course in west Hennepin County.

The girls finally got the weather to cooperate with them, as it was warm with only moderate wind blowing. Unfortunately, the rest of the girls in the field had the same advantages and North Branch ended up finishing seventh out of eight complete teams.

"I told the girls to enjoy the beauty of their surroundings in between shots. There are some beautiful views of hills and lakes at Baker," Head Coach Dave Ambers said. "However, with all the hills and water, there are many opportunites to get in trouble on the golf course."

The Vikes top three golfers on the day were junior Lauren Ibinger, eighth grader Janice Elkerton and sophomore Mallory Olson.

With the difficult course surrounding them, Ambers noted that the more experienced teams fared much better than the young teams. "As usual, the more experienced teams and players fared better on this difficult track," he said. "This was a place that really penalizes poor shots from the tees. Our young girls learned a lot and it should help them in future play."

Irondale won the meet easily, carding a 186. St. Francis came in second with a 199 and Benilde-St. Margaret's was in third with a 202. The Vikings carded a 243, beating out Fridley by five strokes.

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