Parrish, Fla. - Merynn Ito finished in a tie for sixth place individually to help the Nebraska women’s golf team to a 12th-place finish at the 15-team Central District Invitational at River Wilderness Golf Course on Tuesday.
A senior from Aiea, Hawaii, Ito was the only Nebraska golfer to finish in the top 10 in the Huskers’ first tournament of the 2005 spring season. Ito’s three-round total of 219 fueled the Huskers to a 925 (306-310-309) team total over 54 holes. NU finished 46 strokes behind the tournament champions from Missouri (879). Arkansas finished second at 881, while the Razorbacks produced two of the top-three individual finishes, including Stacy Lewis’ 216 to tie Michigan’s Amy Schmucker for the title.
A final-round 73 by Ito allowed her to finish just three strokes out of first. She opened the tournament with a 69, before settling for a 77 in the second round on Monday. Ito’s 219 over 54 holes marked the second-best three-round score of her career, trailing only the 215 she fired in the Huskers’ final tournament of the fall season at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invitational in Kiawah Island, S.C., Nov. 1-2.
Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said Ito’s strong scores came while not playing her best golf.
"She is such a competitor," Krapfl said. "Even though she didn’t hit the ball well, she did scramble well, which made her able to score without hitting the ball as well."
Ito’s performance highlighted a solid team start for the Huskers, as NU shaved 14 strokes off its effort at last year’s Central District Invite when Nebraska finished with a 939. Krapfl said the team will continue to improve throughout the spring season.
"Overall I’m pleased with what we did," Krapfl said, "but I’m not happy with where we placed."
Junior Sara Sackett (Cambridge, Neb.) shot her best round of the tournament on Tuesday with a 76 on the 6,009-yard, par-72 layout. Sackett’s scores improved each round in the tournament, as she climbed to 53rd place (83-78-76-237).
True freshman Elli Brown (Meridian, Idaho) finished the tournament with the Huskers’ second-best total in a tie for 50th (78-76-81-235), but battled her way to an 81 in the final round.
Freshman Allison Stewart (Vermillion, S.D.) added a 79 for the third-best score for Nebraska on Tuesday, but closed the tournament in a tie with Chrissie McArdle (Eden Prairie, Minn.) in 60th place at 240.
Nebraska continues the spring season at the 2005 Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational hosted by the University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas, March 11-13.
Team Scores
1. Missouri (292-295-292-879)
2. Arkansas (296-293-292-881)
3. Baylor (300-295-297-892)
4. Louisiana State (303-296-298-897)
5. Michigan (307-303-289-899)
6. Texas A&M (306-304-291-901)
7. Ohio State (303-310-311-922)
8. Michigan State (304-313-301-918)
9. Southern Methodist (309-305-305-919)
10. Texas Tech University (311-300-311-922)
11. Northwestern (317-308-298-923)
12. Nebraska (306-310-309-925)
13. Notre Dame (313-305-321-939)
14. Kansas State (321-321-300-942)
15. Indiana (316-323-328-967)
Top Five Individual Finishers
1. Stacy Lewis, Arkansas (72-70-74-216)
Amy Schmucker, Michigan (74-72-70-216)
3. Amanda McCurdy, Arkansas (71-75-71-217)
4. Maria Ohlsson, Missouri (76-70-72-218)
Sian Reddick, Baylor (73-72-73-218)
Nebraska Individuals
T6. Merynn Ito (69-77-73-219)
T50. Elli Brown (78-76-81-235)
53. Sara Sackett (83-78-76-237)
T60. Chrissie McArdle (77-80-83-240)
T60. Allison Stewart (82-79-79-240)