UPDATED: Girls golf: Red Wing wins Class AA title

JORDAN, Minn. -- Red Wing won the Class AA team title by shooting a 311 Thursday at the Ridges at Sand Creek and finishing with a two-day total of 641. Detroit Lakes, which began the day one stroke ahead of the Wingers, finished second with a 658.

For the Wingers, who won their fourth state title and first since 2003, it was their best one-day and two-day team score at state in program history.

Junior Marisa Toivonen fired Red Wing's lowest score of the day, finishing with a 3-over-par 75. It was the low round of her career and helped Toivonen finish fourth in the individual competition with a total of 158.

"She hit the ball unbelievable both days," Wingers coach Mark Herzog said. "Yesterday (Wednesday) just as easily could have been a 78."

Nikki Pasch came within two strokes of matching her career low as she shot a 76.

"They're going low and they're later into their round, everybody gets a little bit more relaxed," Herzog said. "There's not quite as much pressure because you've got a couple scores that are looking like they're gonna give you a little bit of a cushion."

Pasch, along with fellow Red Wing senior Danielle Brooks, registered a two-day total of 162 and tied for ninth. Brooks shot an 80 Thursday.

Wingers junior Katie Kesti recovered from a 43 on the front nine to also fire an 80. Like Toivonen, she earned an individual medal by tying for fifth place.

Even if Red Wing's two best scores weren't counted, the Wingers still would have prevailed because senior Ashley Brooks shot an 83 and classmate Anna Bush registered an 84.

With the victory, Red Wing snapped a string of three straight runner-up finishes. The win also meant the team got to take the ceremonial plunge into the pond behind the clubhouse.

"I've seen every year people jump in the pond and I was like, 'I want to do that some time,'" Toivonen said. "So doing it was actually awesome."

Lake City's Abby Gruber shot an 84 on the second day of state and finished tied for 34th with a 177.

To read more about the state title, pick up Saturday's newspaper.

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