Huskers Prepare for Shootout at the Legends

The Nebraska women's golf team goes in search of its third consecutive tournament title when the Huskers travel to Franklin, Ind., for the Shootout at the Legends, Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 6-7.

The 18-team tournament field is Nebraska's largest so far this fall, and includes six teams from the Big Ten (Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin) and four Big 12 teams (Nebraska, Texas A&M, Missouri, Kansas), along with Arkansas, Campbell, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Kent State, Notre Dame, TCU and Toledo.

The Legends of Indiana Golf Club will serve as the tournament host, and the Huskers are making their first appearance at the tournament since 2001, when they finished ninth in a 15-team field.

This year's course is set for 6,122 yards (par 72), and Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said both the course and the field will provide plenty of challenges for her team.

"All the teams in this field are pretty solid teams, so I think it is going to be a real challenge for us," Krapfl said. "I think coming off a pair of tournament wins that the team is ready for a big challenge."

The Huskers dominated the 12-team tournament field at their own Chip-N Club Invitational at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course (Sept. 15-16), before coming from behind on the final nine holes to capture their second straight title at the eight-team Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate (Sept. 29-30). The Huskers added a third-place showing at the nine-team Embassy Suites/Tyson Invitational in Arkansas.

Krapfl said Nebraska's first three tournaments were designed to help the Huskers focus on the last three tournaments of the fall.

"The first three tournaments were really preparation for the final three tournaments," Krapfl said. "The early season was set up to help us build our confidence, and the last three will hopefully show us where we are at compared to some of the top teams in the nation."

A win for Nebraska in Indiana would mark the first time since the 1980-81 season that the Huskers have claimed three consecutive tournament crowns. NU won titles at the Iowa State, Missouri and Iowa invitational in 1980-81.

Nebraska's Probable Lineup at a Glance
Nebraska expects to be in the hunt for the team title at the 18-team Shootout at the Legends Oct. 6-7 in Franklin, Ind.

The Huskers' five-player lineup at the 72-hole tournament will by led by junior Merynn Ito, who has finished in the top five at each of her last two tournaments. Ito took runner-up honors at the Chip-N Club Invitational before adding a tie for fourth at the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate. Ito owns Nebraska's top individual stroke average (75.63) and has finished in the top 15 at all three tournaments this fall.

Senior captain Stephanie Schaefer has had a strong fall with a pair of top 10 finishes and a trio of top 20 finishes. Schaefer, who owns NU's second-best stroke average (76.50), finished third at the Chip-N Club Invitational. The Columbus, Neb., native also fired the Huskers' lowest round of the fall with her 69 in the second-round at the Chip-N Club.

Nebraska's hottest golfer heading to Indiana is junior Stephanie Ruiz, who is coming off a runner-up finish at the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate. Ruiz shot an even-par 72 in the second round for the second-lowest round of her career. Ruiz's final round vaulted her 12 spots in the individual standings and fueled the Huskers' final-round comeback to claim the team title.

While Ruiz has had the hot hand for the Huskers, sophomore Jackie Beste has been Nebraska's most consistent scorer through three tournaments. Beste has finished in the top 15 at all three tournaments, highlighted by her fifth-place performance at the Chip-N Club Invitational, which included a season-low round of 75 in the second round. Beste added a 76 in round two at the Embassy Suites/Tyson Invitational, along with three rounds of 77, a pair of 78s and one round of 79 this fall. Beste's 77.13 stroke average ranks third on the squad.

Rounding out the Huskers top five will be junior Sara Sackett, who owns a pair of top 15 finishes, including a tie for 10th at the Chip-N Club Invitational and a tie for 12th at the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate. Sackett will be making her second appearance in Nebraska's starting lineup, and her 78.75 stroke average ranks fifth on the team.

Huskers Capture Second Straight Tournament Title
Nebraska fired a final-round 302 to capture its second consecutive team tournament title with a three-stroke victory at the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Sept. 29-30.

The Huskers shaved nine strokes off their opening-round 311 to finish the two-day event at 613, overcoming Iowa State's one shot lead heading into the tournament's second day. The Cyclones finished in a tie for second with the hosts from the University of Denver at 616. Colorado finished fourth with 626.

Coach Robin Krapfl said Nebraska played its best golf over the final nine holes to overcome the opposition.

"It's easy to win when you have a 20-stroke lead like we did in our last tournament, but coming from behind down the stretch like we did today really shows the kind of competitors and the kind of character that this team has," Krapfl said. "They are just a bunch of fighters. They don't want to lose, and they are willing to put in the work it takes to win."

Junior Stephanie Ruiz led the Huskers' charge with an even-par 72 on the 6,276-yard Highlands Ranch Golf Club course in round two. The Edmond, Okla., native closed the 36-hole event with a team-best 151 to finish in a tie for second. Her finish surpassed her previous career-best finish of third at the Heather Farr Memorial Tournament, Oct. 8-9, 2001. The 72 was Ruiz's second-lowest round of her career, trailing only the 70 she shot in the second round at the Heather Farr Memorial. Ruiz finished just one stroke back of individual medalist Emily Hoeper (77-73-150) from Denver.

Three other Huskers managed top-12 finishes, including Merynn Ito (75-77-152) who finished in a tie for fourth. Stephanie Schaefer added her second straight top-10 finish with a tie for 10th (78-76-154), while Jackie Beste added her third consecutive top-15 finish by finishing in a tie for 12th (79-77-156) with NU teammate Sara Sackett (80-76-156).

Huskers Showing Major Improvements from 2003-04
Nebraska returns seven letterwinners from last year's squad that finished 22nd at the NCAA Championships. NU lost just one letterwinner, 2003 Big 12 Golfer-of-the-Year Sarah Sasse, who ended a brilliant career in May by earning Nebraska's first-ever first-team All-America award in women's golf.

Despite the loss of Sasse, the Huskers are proving that they expect to be even better in 2003-04. Last season, Nebraska produced a team stroke average of 310.18 over 39 rounds. Through eight rounds this fall, the Huskers have cut nearly six strokes off that average with a 304.63 average in their first three tournaments.

Sophomore Jackie Beste has made the biggest jump of any Husker, knocking more than five strokes off her 2002-03 average (82.39). Beste ranks third on the team with a 77.13 stroke average this fall and owns three top 15 finishes.

Senior captain Stephanie Schaefer (76.50) has shaved nearly four strokes off her 2002-03 season stroke average (80.28), while junior Merynn Ito, who owns NU's top stroke average this season (75.63) has trimmed two strokes off her 2002-03 final average (77.64). Ito finished among the top 20 individuals in seven tournaments last season and has added three top 20 finishes this fall.

Junior Stephanie Ruiz posted a 79.28 stroke average and a pair of top 25 finishes last season, and has sliced nearly a stroke off her 2003-04 average (78.50) and captured a pair of top 10 finishes this fall. Ruiz was NU's No. 2 finisher (88th overall) at the 2003 NCAA Championships.