Manhattan, Kan. - The Nebraska women's golf team claimed runner-up honors with a three-round total of 935 at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational at the Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan., Tuesday.
The Huskers managed a final-round 316 to move ahead of SMU into second place, but Nebraska could not catch the hosts from Kansas State, who won the tournament by 10 strokes with a three-round score of 925.
Nebraska coach Robin Krapfl said Kansas State earned the victory by playing well on its home course.
"Kansas State played well and you have to give them credit for shooting the scores they did in all three rounds," Krapfl said. "Obviously we did not play our best golf, and we can't be satisfied with shooting a 316 today, but considering the conditions yesterday and the way the course played today, we feel OK about taking second."
Junior Merynn Ito produced Nebraska's top round of the day with a 77 to finish the tournament in a tie for third place (73-76-77-226). The Aiea, Hawaii native finished three strokes behind tournament champion Samantha Richdale (223) of Southern Illinois.
"Merynn just played another solid round of golf today and had another solid tournament," Krapfl said. "I'm pleased with the way she has been playing throughout the fall. She tied Christine Boucher of Kansas State in third today, and Christine is one of the top players in the country. Merynn is toe-to-toe right there with her."
True freshman Christine McArdle, who was playing as an individual, added a second top-10 finish for the Huskers with her final-round 78 to end the 54-hole tournament in a tie for ninth (79-78-78-235).
Nebraska's Beth Anne Cherry also had a strong tournament playing as an individual. The junior from Lincoln, Neb., matched the second-best three-round score of her career at 236 after rounds of 78, 78 and 80 during the two-day tournament. Her total trailed only the 229 she shot at the Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic Sept 9-10, 2002, when she finished 25th. Cherry's 14th-place finish on the 6,151-yard par-72 layout in Manhattan was the best of her career.
Senior co-captain Stephanie Schaefer added a solid round in Nebraska's lineup with a 78 to finish in a tie for 18th (77-82-78-237). The Columbus, Neb., native has notched top-20 finishes in all five of NU's fall tournaments.
Juniors Stephanie Ruiz and Sara Sackett, who both entered the final round in the hunt for top-10 finishes, struggled to shoot 83s in the final round. Ruiz finished in a tie for 22nd (77-78-83-238), while Sackett settled for a tie for 24th (79-77-83-239). Sophomore Jackie Beste rebounded from her two roughest rounds of the fall on Monday to shoot a 78 in the third round to finish in a tie for 32nd (81-85-78-244).
Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational
Colbert Hills Golf Course
Manhattan, Kan.
(6,151 yards/par 72)
Team Scores (First-Second-Third-Total)
1. Kansas State (302-312-311-925)
2. Nebraska (306-313-316-935)
3. SMU (306-312-320-938)
4. Kansas (305-323-316-944)
5. Arkansas-Little Rock (311-314-323-948)
6. Michigan (315-323-320-958)
7. Illinois State (317-319-328-964)
8. Iowa (308-333-325-966)
9. North Texas (323-322-345-990)
10. Wichita State (353-328-359-1,040)
11. UMKC (345-342-359-1,046)
12. Creighton (343-366-360-1,069)
Nebraska Individuals (First-Second-Third-Total)
T3. Merynn Ito (73-76-77-226)
T9. Christine McArdle (79-78-78-235)**
T12. Beth Anne Cherry (78-78-80-236)**
T18. Stephanie Schaefer (77-82-78-237)
T22. Stephanie Ruiz (77-78-83-238)
T24. Sara Sackett (79-77-83-239)
T32. Jackie Beste (81-85-78-244)
**Playing as an individual