Chase Hahne, Elk sophomore, is tied for the No 3 ranking in Class AAA heading into the state golf tournament. Also headed to state are John Butler, Alex Kline, Laura Bebeau and Sadie Martin of Elk River, and Hannah Wallesen and Cory Muenzhuber of Rogers.
Elk River state qualifiers posed at The Links in Northfork, where most of them are members, last week. Laura Bebeau sits in front. From the left, standing, are John Butler, Alex Kline, Chase Hahne and Sadie Martin. (Photo by Bruce Strand)
Elk River sophomore Chase Hahne ranked third in the state in Class AAA heading into the state golf tournament.
Jake Erickson of Chaska is top-ranked with a 72.6 average, followed by Anoka's Devin Holmes with 72.9. Tied for third are Hahne, Alexandria's Casey Vangsness, and Moorhead's Nick Olsgaard with 73.4 each.
Hahne is one of five Elk River players who qualified for the tournament coming up Tuesday at Wednesday with Class AAA playing at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids. The others are sophomore John Butler and freshman Alex Kline in the boys tournament, and senior Laura Bebeau and freshman Sadie Martin in the girls tournament.
Rogers has two state qualifiers, senior Hannah Wallesen and freshman Cory Muenzhueber, also playing in Class AAA.
Hahne is slated to tee off 7:48 a.m., Butler 8:06, Kline 8:15 and Muenzhuber 8:42. In the girls competition, Bebeau is slated for 11:58, Wallesen 12:07 and Martin 12:43.
The top-ranked Class AAA girl is New Prague's Steffi Nielsen with 74.3, followed by two Burnsville players, Gretchen Huhnerkoch and Natalie Samb, each 75.0.
{snippet instory}
Seven of the top ten in last year's girls tournament return, headed by Austin junior Catherine Wagner, who placed second. Others are Nielsen, Samb and Huhnerkoch; Maple Grove's Kellie O'Brien, Edina's Aubrey Nelson; and Forest Lake's Betsy Kelly.
In the boys field, only one top-ten finisher from 2008 made it back: Joe Pavelko, Chaska senior who tied for eighth place.
