Tarazona Ends Perfect Season with Class A Victory; MPA Laps Field

BECKER -- Anna Maria Tarazona, the mystery guest in the Class A girls portion of this year's state tournament, made quite a splash.

Not many people outside of Madelia, where she's been going to school, knew who she was. That's because Tarazone is a Foreign Exchange student from Columbia, and she's been in Minnesota for only about six months. She will head back to Columbia next week, but she will take with her the A girls individual medal, after shooting a pair of 77's at Pebble Creek GC. 

Her tournament total of 154 gave her a three-shot victory over Sarah Utz of Providence Academy. The victory completed a perfect season for Tarazona, who never lost in any tournament that Medelia entered. 

For Utz, who closed with a 79 for her 157, the second-place finish is one better than her third-place finish last year, in the first year of the current three-class format for golf. 

Natalie Lansing, the defending Class A champ, ended up eight shots behind Utz. The senior from Mounds Park Academy simply dug too big a hole for herself when she opened with an 89 on Wednesday. She came back with a 76 on Friday, but it wasn't nearly enough, and she had to settle for a 165 -- and third place.

 Lansing did have the satisfaction of being on the winning team for the second year in a row, and MPA didn't exactly just squeak through. The Panthers tacked a 344 onto the 356 they produced the first day, and their overall score of 700 left them 78 shots clear of the second-place team, Mahnomen (397-381--778).  

State High School Tournament

Class A Girls

At Pebble Creek

Par 72, 5,811 yards

Becker

Final results

1. Mounds Park Academy         356-344--700

2. Mahnomen                            397-381--778

3. Lanesboro                             398-401--799

4. Fosston                                 420-392--812

5. Lincoln HI                             424-404--828

6. BEST                                     423-418--841

7. Madelia                                   422-429--851

8. Ortonville                                428-430--858

Individuals