OWATONNA &045; Three days after squandering a golden opportunity to win the Big Nine Conference championship, the Albert Lea High School boys’ golf team teed it up again in a high-stakes venue.

This time was different.

The Tigers shot 302 on day one of the Section 1AA tournament at Owatonna Country Club Thursday, putting them six strokes off the pace with 18 holes remaining.

&uot;It was a solid round for us,&uot; said coach Matt Addington, whose Tigers finished a disappointing seventh in Monday’s Big Nine tournament. &uot;We had three good scores, and it puts us within striking distance of the teams ahead of us going into Tuesday. The team that plays consistent two days in a row goes to state.&uot;

Red Wing was the first-round leader with 296, followed by Faribault at 297, Owatonna 300, Albert Lea 302, Eagan 304, Rochester Century 311, Northfield 312 and Rochester John Marshall 316. Sixteen teams competed Thursday and eight advanced.

Dan Breuer led the Tigers with 1-under-par 70, firing a 32 on his second nine. He’s one stroke behind the leader, University of Minnesota-bound Mike Fiedler of Faribault. Three players shot 72.

The rest of the Tigers’ scores: Josh Jones, 73; Ben Jones, 76; Adam Elseth, 83; Ross Stadheim, 85; and Matt Bennett, 93.

&uot;I was pleased with the way we approached the round today,&uot; said Addington. &uot;The kids played very intelligent and very confident, which is exactly what we needed after a poor showing Monday. I’m proud of the kids and the mental toughness they had on a tough course against tough competition under the pressure of a section tournament.&uot;

The final 18 holes are Tuesday at Bellwood Oaks near Hastings. The first-place team and top five individuals from the non-winning team advance to state.