Huskers Search for Second Straight Title

The Nebraska women's golf team returns to the links after posting one of its most impressive victories in school history when the Huskers travel to the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate, Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 29-30.

Along with Nebraska, the seven-team tournament includes Colorado, Northern Colorado, Wyoming, North Texas, Iowa State and the hosts from the University of Denver. The 36-hole tournament begins on Monday at 9 a.m. central time and concludes with the second round on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Nebraska has enjoyed a week off from competition after cruising to the team title at the Chip-N Club Invitational at Wilderness Ridge Golf Club Sept. 15-16. The Huskers shot a three-round total of 904 to win their home tournament by 31 strokes. It was Nebraska's first team title since winning the Heather Farr Memorial in Boulder, Colo., Oct. 8-9, 2001, and its first Chip-N Club title since the 2000 season.

The Huskers showed their depth at the Chip-N Club Invitational with all five starters finishing among the top 10 individuals, while a sixth individual contributed a top-15 finish.

Coach Robin Krapfl will be looking for more low scores from all of her golfers in Colorado.

"Of course you always want to win the tournament, but I would also like to continue to see us post low scores," Krapfl said. "All of our playes from the top to the bottom of our lineup have the ability to play great golf, and with six, seven or eight players pushing each other every week for a spot in the lineup, we should just keep getting better."

Nebraska's Probable Lineup at a Glance
Nebraska expects to contend for the team title at the seven-team Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate hosted by the University of Denver Sept. 29-30 in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

The Huskers will take eight players to the 36-hole tournament with junior Merynn Ito, senior Stephanie Schaefer and sophomore Jackie Beste securing the top three spots in the lineup. The fourth and fifth spots were filled after qualifying rounds on Tuesday, with junior Stephanie Ruiz claiming the No. 4 spot, and freshman Christine McArdle capturing the No. 5 spot.  Junior Sara Sackett, redshirt freshman Andrea Dunagan and sophomore Chelsea Gehring will compete as individuals at the tournament.

Ito will play as Nebraska's No. 1 golfer after producing a team-best 75.67 stroke average through six rounds this fall. Ito is coming off a second-place finish (223) at the Chip-N Club Invitational Sept. 15-16. Schaefer, a native of Columbus, Neb., has claimed the No. 2 spot in the lineup after her third-place showing at the Chip-N Club Invitational. Schaefer shot NU's lowest score over 18 holes this season with a three-under par 69 in the tournament's second round on Monday, Sept. 15.

Beste has locked down the No. 3 spot and has matched Schaefer for the team's second-best stroke average (76.83) through six rounds, Beste has been remarkably consistent, finishing in a tie for 13th in NU's season-opening Embassy Suites/Tyson Invitational (78-76-77-231) before finishing fifth at the Chip-N Club Invitational (78-75-77-230).

McArdle matched Ito's and Beste's performances at the Embassy Suites/Tyson Invitational, but sat out the Chip-N Club Invitational with a neck injury. Ruiz filled McArdle's spot in the lineup by firing a 232 that included a two-over-par 74 in the final round to finish in a tie for eighth place overall. Sackett also played well, finishing in a tie for 10th (82-76-75-233).

Dunagan and Gehring both earned travel spots as individuals with strong showings to lead the Huskers "White" team at the Chip-N Club. Dunagan claimed a tie for 15th place (81-78-78-237), while Gehring managed a tie for 44th (86-83-80-249).

Huskers Roll to Chip-N Club Invitational Title
Nebraska shot a final round 300 to finish with a three-round total of 904 to power its way to a 31-stroke victory at the Chip-N Club Invitational at Wilderness Ridge Golf Club Sept. 15-16.

The Huskers finished 31 strokes ahead of second-place Denver and third-place Kansas State. Both the Pioneers and Wildcats finished at 935, but Denver was awarded runner-up honors based on the tiebreaking procedure of the lowest round by the team's fifth golfer. Illinois State settled for fourth place (944), 40 strokes off the lead in the 12-team field.

Nebraska's dominant performance in the tournament was highlighted by five individual top-10 efforts, including a second-place finish from junior Merynn Ito and a third-place showing from senior co-captain Stephanie Schaefer.

Ito shot a final-round 74 that included a one-under-par 35 on Tuesday's final nine holes. Ito finished four strokes behind individual medalist Christine Boucher (76-72-71-219) from Kansas State.

Schaefer, who entered the final round in first place, slipped two spots to third after settling for a 79 over the final 18 holes. The Columbus, Neb., native fired a tournament-low three-under-par 69 in Monday's second round and finished at 225, six strokes off the pace.

Sophomore Jackie Beste added a fifth-place finish (230), while junior Stephanie Ruiz shot a final-round 74 to tie for eighth (232). Junior Sara Sackett added a solid 75 in the final round to finish in a tie for 10th (233).

Nebraska coach Robin Krapfl said the Huskers' steady play throughout the tournament was a great sign for the future.

"To have all five players in our lineup finish in the top 10 shows the kind of depth and talent this team really has," Krapfl said. "A 31-shot margin against a field that included the kind of teams in this field, is really a credit to how hard our players are working and the kind of team they want to be."

Experienced Huskers Hope to Improve in 2003-04
Nebraska returns seven letterwinners from last year's squad that finished 22nd at the NCAA Championships. NU lost just one letterwinner, but that one golfer will be tough for the Huskers to replace. Sarah Sasse ended a brilliant career in May by earning Nebraska's first-ever first-team All-America award in women's golf. She was also the 2003 Big 12 Golfer of the Year.

Despite the loss of Sasse, Krapfl is confident that the Huskers have the potential to be even better than last year's squad.

"I think this might be the deepest team we have had in my time at Nebraska," Krapfl said. "I think all of our players have the ability to put up some low scores for us and potentially make us a better team than a year ago."

Senior captain Stephanie Schaefer is expected to lead the Huskers on and off the course this season. Schaefer produced an 80.28 stroke average and notched a trio of top 25 performances last season, including a tie for 25th at the Big 12 Championships.

Junior Merynn Ito was a solid No. 2 player for the Huskers last season. Ito boasts Nebraska's top returning stroke average (77.64) from last season, when she finished among the top 20 individuals in seven tournaments.

Three other of Nebraska's top six golfers also return from last season, including junior Stephanie Ruiz, who was a solid No. 3 last season, posting a 79.28 stroke average and a pair of top-25 finishes. Ruiz was also NU's No. 2 finisher at the 2003 NCAA Championships, where she finished in a tie for 88th place, trailing only Sasse's 40th-place finish.

Junior Beth Anne Cherry and sophomore Jackie Beste split time at the No. 5 spot for the Huskers last season. Beste's stroke average of 82.39 over 23 rounds was slightly better than Cherry's 84.09 average over 33 rounds. Cherry helped NU qualify for the NCAA Championships by tying for 81st at the 21-team Central Regional, before adding a 126th-place finish at the 24-team NCAA Championships. Beste represented the Huskers at the Big 12 Championships and helped NU to a fifth-place team finish with her 41st-place showing.