Free State High's Nick Burkart chips onto a green during the Lawrence Invitational. Burkart shot a 79 Wednesday at Alvamar.

With no players in the top 10 and a ninth-place team finish, the Free State High boys golf team had reasons to be as gloomy as the weather Wednesday at Alvamar Golf Course.

Instead, the Firebirds clung to one ray of sunshine: While they barely found a spot in the top third of the field at the 25-team Lawrence Invitational, a different scoreboard provided confidence.

Free State’s 329 team score placed the Firebirds second among the eight teams who will meet again Monday in a Class 6A regional tournament at Overland Park Golf Club. Should Free State repeat that performance, it will clinch the first team state-tournament berth in the school’s nine-year history.

“We’ve been third all year, and then to come here and be second, with the conditions especially … moving up a spot right before a tournament that matters is real good for us,” Free State junior Nick Burkart said.

“It’s just a lot of confidence getting second today. We have a lot to look forward to and not being on edge.”

Lawrence High's Levi Oxford eyes a putt during the Lawrence Invitational. Oxford led the Lions with a 77 on Wednesday at Alvamar.

With cooler-than-normal May temperatures and a gusty wind adding extra wrinkles to the 6,636-yard layout, Wednesday’s round left some golfers a bit fidgety as the postseason beckons.

Only one player – Adam Blue of Blue Valley – broke par, shooting a 1-under 71 to claim medalist honors. Approximately two dozen more players broke 80, leaving the majority of the 140 participants settling for bogey – or worse – more often than not.

Free State's Nick Burkart watches his putt come up short Wednesday morning.

By that standard, Free State coach Matt Gudenkauf had no problem with a team scorecard that saw Quinn Klutman lead the pack with a 78, followed by Burkart at 79.

“The kids were a little disappointed in their scores, it being a local course,” Gudenkauf said. “But looking at all the scores, they did pretty well. … Basing it off the rest of the tournament, we’re right where we’ve been all year.”

The top local showing was turned in by Lawrence High senior Levi Oxford, who carded a 5-over 77 and only missed a top-10 finish due to a scorecard tiebreaker.

“I played really well, I thought,” Oxford said. “I think I I had a couple of shots I’d like to have back, but other than that, (it was) great. It was really tough out there. You can pretty much ask anyone out here.”

Oxford’s round was a lone bright spot for the Lions, who otherwise struggled to a 347 team score.

“I was hoping that on our home course everyone would be able to have a little bit better finish to the season than what we had today,” LHS coach Ron Commons said.