Huskers Close Fall Schedule at adidas Fall Classic

Lincoln -- The Nebraska women's golf team wraps up its six-tournament fall schedule by traveling to Palm Harbor, Fla., to compete in the adidas Fall Classic at the Lansbrook Golf Club, Sunday, Oct. 19 through Tuesday, Oct. 21.

The 14-team tournament begins on Sunday with 18 holes, and will continue with 18 holes on Monday and Tuesday in the 54-hole tournament.

In addition to Nebraska, the tournament field includes Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State and Missouri from the Big 12, along with Arkansas-Little Rock, Dartmouth, Denver, Eastern Michigan, James Madison, Oral Roberts, Toledo, William & Mary and the hosts from Notre Dame.

The course at the Lansbrook Golf Club, which is one of the premier courses in the Tampa area, opened in 1975 and was renovated in 1991. It's signature hole is No. 11, which features a green that is a replica of the 16th hole at Augusta National. The Huskers are coming off a second-place finish at the 12-team Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational in Manhattan, Kan., Oct. 13-14. It was NU's fourth top-three finish in five fall tournaments, and the Huskers will be aiming to close the fall on a high note in Florida.

"Of course we want to end the fall with a strong finish," Coach Robin Krapfl said. "We believe we are as good or better than any team in the field. We know it is going to be a real challenge, but we think we have a chance to win the tournament, and we also know we are close to becoming a great golf team."

The Huskers will travel six players in their lineup, with the four top scores counting in each round. True freshman Christine McArdle, who is coming off a ninth-place finish at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational, will be competing in the NU lineup for the first time since the opening tournament of the fall at the Embassy Suites/Tyson Invitational in Arkansas.

Nebraska's Probable Lineup at a Glance
The Huskers set their sights on their third tournament title of the fall and fifth top-five finish when they travel to the adidas Fall Classic.

The Huskers' six-player lineup at the 54-hole tournament will by led by senior captain Stephanie Schaefer (Columbus, Neb.). Schaefer has had a strong fall and is the only Husker to finish in the top 20 in all five fall tournaments. She owns a pair of top-10 finishes and ranks second on the team with a 76.58 stroke average through 14 rounds. Her top individual effort came with her third-place finish at the Chip-N Club Invitational, while Schaefer's low three-round total came at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 6-7) with a 223. Schaefer also fired the Huskers' lowest round of the fall with her 69 in the second round at the Chip-N Club.

Junior Merynn Ito (Aiea, Hawaii) has added four top-20 finishes, including a trio of top-five finishes for the Huskers during the fall. Ito took runner-up honors at the Chip-N Club Invitational, and is coming off a third-place effort at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational. She added a tie for fourth at the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate. Ito leads the Huskers with a 75.79 stroke average through 14 rounds. She has finished in the top 20 in four of NU's five fall tournaments.

Junior Stephanie Ruiz (Edmond, Okla.) produced a breakout performance with a runner-up finish at the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate (Sept. 29-30). Ruiz shot an even-par 72 in the second round for the second-lowest round of her career. Her final round vaulted her 12 spots in the standings and fueled the Huskers' final-round comeback to claim the team title. Ruiz strengthened her spot in NU's lineup by firing a season-low 230 over three rounds at the Shootout at the Legends (Oct. 6-7). She added a solid tournament at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational by finishing in a tie for 22nd with a 238.

Sophomore Jackie Beste (Sauke Center, Minn.) struggled to rounds of 81 and 85 in stormy condititions at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invite on Oct. 13, before rebounding with a 78 on Oct. 14 to finish in a tie for 32nd. Beste has finished in the top 20 at three of Nebraska's five tournaments, highlighted by her fifth-place effort at the Chip-N Club Invitational. She shot a season-low 74 in the first round of the Shootout at the Legends on her way to producing her season-best three-round score of 227. Beste's 77.71 stroke average ranks fourth on the squad and is nearly five strokes better than her 2002-03 season average (82.39).

True freshman Christine McArdle (Eden Prairie, Minn.) earned a spot in NU's lineup at the adidas Fall Classic after finishing in a tie for ninth at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational. McArdle, who played as an individual, claimed the first top-10 finish of her career in Kansas. She opened the season as one of NU's top players at the Embassy Suites/Tyson Invitational in Arkansas (Sept. 7-9). She finished in a tie for 13th (231) with Ito and Beste in Arkansas, but was knocked out of the lineup by a neck injury before the Chip-N Club Invitational (Sept. 15-16). Her 78.88 stroke average over eight rounds ranks fifth on the squad.

Junior Sara Sackett (Cambridge, Neb.) will make her fourth appearance in NU's lineup, after producing a pair of top-15 finishes. She tied for 10th at the Chip-N Club Invitational, and tied for 12th at the Ron Moore Highlands Ranch Intercollegiate. Her 78.93 stroke average ranks sixth on the team, and she is coming off a tie for 24th (239) at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational.

Huskers Take Second at Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational
Nebraska 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., (Oct. 13-14). The Huskers managed a final-round 316 to move ahead of SMU into second place, but NU could not catch the hosts from Kansas State, who won the tournament by 10 strokes with a three-round score of 925.

Junior Merynn Ito led the Huskers by finishing in a tie for third (73-76-77-226), three strokes behind Southern Illinois' Samantha Richdale (223).

Freshman Christine McArdle, who played as an individual, added a second top-10 performance with her final-round 78 to finish in a tie for ninth (79-78-78-235).

Beth Anne Cherry also had a strong tournament as an individual. The junior from Lincoln, Neb., matched the second-best three-round score of her career (78-78-80-236). The total trailed only her 229 at the Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic, Sept. 9-10, 2002, when she finished 25th. Her 14th-place finish was the best of her career.

Senior co-captain Stephanie Schaefer added a solid tournament to finish in a tie for 18th (77-82-78-237). Schaefer locked up her fifth consecutive top-20 tournament finish. Juniors Stephanie Ruiz (77-78-83-238) and Sara Sackett (79-77-83-239) added top-25 finishes for the Huskers. Ruiz closed the tournament in a tie for 22nd, while Sackett added a tie for 24th. Sophomore Jackie Beste rounded out NU's lineup with a tie for 32nd (81-85-78-244).

Huskers Showing Major Improvements in 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 Sasse's loss, the Huskers expect to be even better in 2003-04. Last season, Nebraska produced a team stroke average of 310.18 over 39 rounds. Through 14 rounds this fall, NU has cut nearly five strokes off its average (305.71).

Sophomore Jackie Beste has made the biggest jump, knocking nearly five strokes off her 2002-03 average (82.39). Beste ranks fourth on the team with a 77.71 stroke average this fall and owns three top-15 finishes. Senior captain Stephanie Schaefer (76.58) has shaved nearly four strokes off her 2002-03 season stroke average (80.28). She is the only Husker to place in the top 20 in all five of NU's fall tournaments. Schaefer placed in the top 20 of just one tournament all of last season.

Junior Merynn Ito, who owns NU's top stroke average this season (75.79), has trimmed nearly 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 four 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 two strokes off her average with a 77.57 average in 2003-04. Ruiz has captured a pair of top-10 finishes this fall, and she was NU's No. 2 finisher (88th overall) at the 2003 NCAA Championships.