Huskers Open Fall with Chip-N Club Invite

The Nebraska women's golf team opens its 2004 fall season by playing host to the eight-team Chip-N Club Invitational at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course in Lincoln.

The tournament opens with a 9 a.m. shotgun start for 36 holes on Sunday, Sept. 19, before concluding with 8 a.m. tee times on the first and 10th holes on Monday, Sept. 20.

The tournament field includes some of the best teams from the Midwest, including Southwest Missouri State, Creighton, North Texas, Bradley, UMKC, Wichita State and two Husker teams.

The Nebraska Red team will be composed of the Huskers' top five players, while the White team will be made up of players pushing for spots in NU's starting lineup.

Last season, the Huskers rolled to the Chip-N Club title by firing a three-round total of 904. Nebraska dominated the 12-team field, defeating second-place squads Kansas State and Denver by 31 strokes. Merynn Ito, who returns as a senior leader for the Huskers this year, posted NU's top finish at last year's tournament by finishing second with a season-low 223. Jackie Beste added a fifth-place effort (230), while Sara Sackett contributed a 10th-place finish (233).

Chip-N Club Invitational
Location: Lincoln, Neb.
Course: Wilderness Ridge
Host: Nebraska
Rounds: 3
Par: 72
Yardage: 5,967
Number of Teams: 8
Nebraska Red, Nebraska White, Bradley, Creighton, North Texas, Southwest Missouri State, UMKC, Wichita State

Huskers Hope to Repeat as Chip-N Club Champs
Nebraska plans to defend its 2003 Chip-N Club Invitational title with a similar performance in 2004.

Four Huskers finished in the top 10 at last season's version of the tournament. Merynn Ito recorded a career-best second-place finish with rounds of 72, 77 and 74 to lead the Huskers. She will return for her senior season to shoot for the tournament title.

Stephanie Schaefer, a senior co-captain for the Huskers in 2003, finished in third place just two strokes behind Ito. Schaefer's career-low 69 in the second round helped her finish with a three-round total of 225.

Jackie Beste, who returns for her junior campaign in 2004, gave the Huskers a trio of top-five finishes by shooting 230 to close with a career-best fifth-place effort. Sara Sackett, another returning junior for the Huskers in 2004, added a career-best 10th-place showing that included a third-round 75, which was just one stroke off her career-best performance.

Deep Husker Team Planning Big Things in 2005
The Nebraska women's golf team will hit the course this season with one of the deepest teams in school history.

With an experienced lineup built on the rock solid foundation of eight returning letterwinners, including five golfers who played 25 or more rounds in Nebraska's lineup last season, the Huskers are poised to return to NCAA regional play for the fifth time in the last six years.

Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl, who enters her 18th season at the controls of the program, said NU's experience will be a major factor in its success.

"We are going to have outstanding depth," Krapfl said. "There is probably not a single player whose spot is secure in the starting lineup. I think we can probably go 10 deep."

The Husker roster will feature three seniors, three juniors and a pair of sophomores who all gained significant experience in NU's lineup last seaosn.

Krapfl said the internal competition for starting spots could also help propel the Huskers to lower scores.

"Our goal is to have our five starters averaging 77 and under," Krapfl said. "Looking up and down the lineup, I think we have eight, nine or even 10 players who can do that. I think it is important for them to set their sights higher. The college game and junior golf are improving at such high rates that we need to make similar jumps in our expectations."

Along with a deep and experienced lineup, the Huskers will feature one of the hardest-working teams in golf. Krapfl said NU's work ethic over the past several seasons gives her plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future of Nebraska golf.

"The No. 1 thing we build off of is our work ethic," Krapfl said. "Last year, they were the hardest-working group in school history and that showed again this summer. They had some outstanding summers, and hopefully the momentum will carry into the fall."

Gehring Enjoys Strong Summer
Junior Chelsea Gehring could be the player to watch in Nebraska's lineup this season. The Aberdeen, S.D., native produced the best summer of any of the returning Huskers, qualifying for the championship flights of the Women's Western Open and the Women's Trans-National.

Coach Robin Krapfl said Gehring's summer play could result in increased lineup time this fall.

"Chelsea had an outstanding summer," Krapfl said. "She got some great experience nationally, and I really feel like she is our most improved player from last season to this season. She is going to be a player to watch for us this year."

Gehring competed in eight rounds for the Huskers as a sophomore in 2003, posting an 82.75 stroke average.

Dunagan Captures State Match Play Title
Another young player that made major strides for the Huskers over the summer was Andrea Dunagan. The sophomore from Grand Island, Neb., won the Nebraska State Match Play title in July and hopes to build more momentum heading into the fall season.

Coach Robin Krapfl said Dunagan has made some major adjustments in her swing, which has led to improved scoring.

"Andrea worked very hard on her golf game last year and really improved by leaps and bounds," Krapfl said. "Her swing really needed some adjustments, and she took the time to make those changes. I think you are going to see a much-improved player."

Ito, Bryson, Beste, Sackett to Provide Leadership
Seniors Merynn Ito and Beth Ann Bryson (Cherry) along with experienced juniors Jackie Beste and Sara Sackett will look to provide leadership for the Huskers in 2004-05.

As a group, the foursome played 98 rounds last year and 257 rounds during the past three seasons for the Huskers.

Ito has been one of NU's most consistent players over the past three seasons, competing in 104 rounds with a career stroke average of 78.20. Last season, Ito averaged a career-best 77.16 over 32 rounds. The two-time NGCA Academic All-American tied for 11th at the 2003 Big 12 Championships and tied for 114th at the 2003 NCAA Championships.

Bryson is a three-year letterwinner and has played in 61 rounds the past three years, including 33 as a sophomore in 2002-03 when the Huskers advanced to the NCAA Championships. She also earned NGCA Scholastic All-America honors and finished 126th at the NCAA Championships in 2003. Nebraska's third senior, Stephanie Ruiz, plans to redshirt this season.

Beste was one of Nebraska's most improved players in 2003-04, competing in 32 rounds and finishing with the team's third-best stroke average (78.22) as a sophomore. Sackett (Cambridge, Neb.) also made major strides in 2003-04, playing in 25 rounds including two rounds at the Big 12 Championships.