A Minnesota high school junior is being praised for making an admirable ethical decision - even though she cost herself and her team a berth in the state tournament.

Kaylee Gossen, 16, turned herself in for making an error on her scorecard.

Gossen shot an 82 at the Minnesota Section 3AA tournament at Buffalo Lake's Oakdale Golf Course.

The score was sufficient to give the girl and her team - Marshall High School of Marshall, Minnesota - a spot in the June 13 state tournament.

The junior completed her round and turned in her scorecard, then met up with her parents.

It was when she reviewed the hole-by-hole notes her mom and dad took that she realized she had made an error.

They had her down for an 83, with one additional stroke on the 16th hole.Gossen realized her parents were right and she had accidentally failed to record a stroke on the official scorecard she had just signed and turned in.

Gossen alerted her coach before explaining her error to tournament officials.

The officials telephoned the Minnesota State High School League to clarify the rules before concluding that the incorrect scorecard disqualified Gossen and her team from tournament play.

"I played the hole in my head about 500 times yesterday,'' Gossen said the next day.

"Kaylee's a really smart golfer, really on top of things,'' said Gretchen Flynn, the Marshall girls' golf coach.

"You'd never assume her score is not right.''

"I realized I needed to do the right thing, losing my shot at going to state," said Gossen. "I knew walking in there.I started tearing up.

I knew I was going to be disqualified, but it was the right thing to do."

"I don't have words to express how proud I am of her," Flynn said.

"She could have left there and nobody would have known the difference but her."

Kid's Golf by Senior Airman Rusty Frank