COLUMBUS - Two Chadron girls placed in the top 15 on Tuesday, helping the Cardinal girls golf team register a sixth-place finish in the Class C state tour-nament at Quail Run Golf Course.

Chadron finished the two-day event with a 787 - 12 shots behind the fifth-place finisher, Grand Island Central Catholic. Entering the tournament, Chadron was hoping for a top-five finish. Chadron shot a 395 on Monday and then re-corded a 392 on Tuesday.

"We came close to the goal that we set. Just a few better breaks here or there, and we would have achieved that goal," Chadron coach Curt Holm-quist said.

Kelli Haynes, a junior, led the Cardinals, earning third place with a 164. She shot an 82 both days of the event. She was just two strokes shy of the runner-up finisher, Boone Central senior Britany Seda. The champion was Doniphan-Trumbull senior Danielle Lemek, who cruised to the win with a 144.

Holmquist said he was proud of the way Haynes competed.

"It was a great tourna-ment for her," he said. "She competed really well. She dropped some nice, long putts and on other holes she was great off the tee box. I was real proud of her."

Holmquist also lauded the performance of his lone senior, Kaitlin Stevens, who was competing in her fourth state tournament. She came home with her first-ever medal, tying for 15th place with a 188. After firing a 95 on Monday, she came back with a 93 on Tuesday. She made a big shot on the 18th hole that kept her in position to bring home a medal.

"I'm really happy for her," Holmquist said. "This was her fourth state tour-nament. Only two other girls from Chadron High have ever been to four state tournaments, so it was nice for her to achieve that goal. And then to medal in her last state tournament was the icing on the cake for her. She's meant a lot to our program. She's been a good leader. It was great to see her go out that way."

Chadron junior Taylor Strotheide posted a two-day score of 221 (106-115), and sophomore Kortney Hage-man shot a 224 (112-112). Also for the Cardinals, sophomore Haleigh Shuck finished with a 226 (121-105). Shuck fired a career-best 105 on Tuesday, knocking nearly 15 shots off her previous-best score.

Holmquist said he was proud of everything his golfers accomplished this season.

"It was a good season," he said. "The girls im-proved a lot."

With all but one golfer returning next season, the Cardinals will have high expectations again next year, Holmquist said.

"We feel like we can - with a little work in the summer - improve and give it another go next year," he said.

Bridgeport, meanwhile, wrapped up the Class C state tournament in 10th place with an 881. The Bulldogs, who shot a 439 on Monday, carded a 442 on Tuesday.

Jada Huck, a junior, led Bridgeport with a 10th-place finish with a 180 (92-88). Also for the Bulldogs, jun-ior Tara Harding finished with a 216 (105-111); senior Kaytlen Hernandez shot a 244 (122-122); senior Molly Schmunk shot a 246 (120-126); and sophomore Bre-anne Franklin shot a 253 (132-121).

Kimball sophomore Brooke Hager came close to medaling, placing 18th with a 191 (93-98). Bayard sophomore JaLee Pilking-ton shot a 196 (108-88). Garden County senior Shawna Lightfritz finished with a 225 (106-119).

Boone Central won the team championship with a 732 (373-359). Wayne was second with a 757 (375-382).

Team Scoring

Boone Central 732, Wayne 757, Valen-tine 772, Omaha Brownell-Talbot 773, Grand Island Central Catholic 775, Chadron 787, Norfolk Catholic 791, Min-den 839, Central City 852, Bridgeport 881, Plainview 893, Wahoo 899, Dundy County-Stratton 900, Hastings St. Cecilia 900, Lincoln Lutheran 906.

Individual Top 15

1, Danielle Lemek, Doniphan-Trumbull, 144. 2, Britany Seda, Boone Central, 162. 3, Kelli Haynes, Chadron, 164. 4, Emma Harris, Wahoo, 165. 5, Amy Ahlers, Boone Central, 173. 6, McKenna Kime, GICC, 174. 7, Samantha Bray, Omaha Brownell-Talbot, 176. 8, Alexandra Bauer, Valen-tine, 177. 9, Alison Depko, O'Neill, 178. 10, Jada Huck, Bridgeport, 180. 11, Alexia Henschke, Pender, 182. 12, Katlin Potter, Wayne, 183. 12, Erin Boon, GICC, 183. 12, Taylor Burke, Wayne, 183. 15, Kaitlin Stevens, Chadron, 188. 15, Kaitlyn East-man, Omaha Brownell-Talbot, 188.