By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

Last spring, the Burnsville girls golf team finished second in the Lake Conference and then went on to win the Class AA state team title.

Could history repeat itself?

This spring, the Blaze came up short in its bid to reclaim its conference title, a crown it held for 11 straight seasons prior to last year.

The Blaze finished third at the Lake Conference Championships on May 12 at Phalen Golf Course in St. Paul with a team score of 336. That’s five shots behind champion Lakeville North, while Eagan was second (335) and Rosemount was fourth (346).

In the overall conference standings (which includes all conference quadrangular and triangular meets during the spring), the Blaze finished second behind Lakeville North for the conference crown.

“Our team score (at Phalen) was the best we’ve shot for 18 holes all season,” said Blaze coach Alan Vanwyngarden. “So it’s a step in the right direction. Lakeville North and Eagan shot a little better.”

Juniors Natalie Samb and Gretchen Huhnerkoch finished second and third, respectively with both shooting 77s. (Samb won the tiebreaker for individual runner-up honors).

Senior Ariel Mackley had 88 for the Blaze, while senior Kristine Connell and ninth-grader Chloe Westlund each had 94.

“We had all our scores under a 100, so that was good to see,” said Vanwyngarden.

The Blaze headed into the conference championships winning a nine-hole conference quadrangular at Chaska Town Course on May 8.

The Blaze had a team score of 175, seven shots better than runner-up Eden Prairie. Bloomington Kennedy was third (206) and Chaska was fourth (212).

Huhnerkoch was the medalist with a 2-over par 38. Samb shot 40, while Connell had 48 and Mackley had 49. Westlund and sophomore Emily Herkenhoff rounded out the Blaze’s top six with 55 and 60, respectively.

The Blaze also competed in the 10-team Red Wing Invitational on May 14 at Mississippi National and took fourth with a team score of 348.

Minnewaska, the top-ranked team in Class AA, had the winning score of 326. Red Wing was second (345), while Woodbury was third (346). Forest Lake took fifth (352).

Huhnerkoch finished third overall and led the Blaze with a 5-over par 77. Samb was sixth with a 78, while Connell shot her best round of the spring, posting a 93.

Mackley and Westlund each had 100.

“It was a good showing against top competition,” said Vanwyngarden. “Woodbury, Irondale and Forest Lake could all be state qualifiers, so it was good to see we could compete with them.”

Up next for the Blaze is the 36-hole Section 2AAA tournament, which starts Thursday, May 22 and ends May 27 at Oakdale Golf Club.