Lincoln- The Nebraska women’s golf team fired a final-round 307 to cruise to its third consecutive Chip-N Club Invitational title at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course on Tuesday.
The Huskers, who strung together consistent rounds of 295, 300 and 307, finished at 902 to out-perform second-place Kansas State by 18 strokes. The Wildcats finished at 920, while Louisville took third place with a 928.
All of Nebraska’s top-five players finished in the top 12 in an impressive show of depth from the Husker starters. Even more impressively, NU’s No. 6 player in the tournament, senior Jackie Beste, captured the first tournament title of her college career by blistering the 6,009-yard, par 72 layout at Wilderness Ridge with a career-best 220.
Beste, a native of Sauk Centre, Minn., entered Tuesday’s final round with a one-shot lead after opening-day rounds of 74 and 72. She finished strong with a 74 over the final 18 holes to smash her previous career-low tournament score of 226 set at the Mountain View Collegiate in both 2003 and 2005. Beste’s 72 in Monday’s second round was also a career best.
Nebraska Head Coach Robin Krapfl said she was proud of the way her team competed throughout the tournament, especially Beste.
"I’m really proud of what Jackie did today," Krapfl said. "I know she wanted to be in the top five, and to come out and compete and perform shows what a competitor she is. I am really excited for her first collegiate win. As a team, we work hard and they are a great group to be around. I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished and excited to see what they can accomplish the rest of the season."
Senior Sara Sackett also enjoyed a career-best performance by finishing in second place, three strokes behind Beste at 223. Sackett, a native of Cambridge, Neb., put together consistent rounds of 75, 72 and 76 on her way to a career-best tournament score of 223.
Senior Stephanie Ruiz joined a Husker sweep of the top three spots by finishing five strokes behind Beste at 225. Ruiz’s opening-round 70 on Monday stood up as the best round of the tournament, and she added rounds of 77 and 78 to finish with her second straight top-five tournament performance of the year.
Junior Chrissie McArdle (74-78-78-230) and sophomore Elli Brown (79-73-78-230) rounded out the Huskers’ lineup by finishing in a tie for 11th overall.
The NU White squad (937) finished fifth as a team in the tournament, just three strokes behind fourth-place Creighton (934).
Along with Beste’s career-best 220 to lead the White, junior Andrea Dunagan tied her career-best with a 237, matching her effort in the 2003 Chip-N Club Invite. Her second-round 74 also tied her career-best round.
Redshirt freshman Megan Place from Omaha, also enjoyed a solid debut for the Huskers, finishing in a tie for 25th at 239. Chelsea Gehring rounded out the NU contingent in a tie for 28th (241) in the 52-player field.
Nebraska returns to action Oct. 10-11 at the Marilyn Smith/Sunflower Invitational at Manhattan, Kan. The tournament is set to begin at 8:30 am on Monday, Oct. 10.
Team Standings
1. Nebraska (295-300-307-902)
2. Kansas State (304-311-305-920)
3. Louisville (313-302-313-928)
4. Creighton (310-306-318-934)
NU White (314-306-317-937)
6. Wichita State (315-314-319-948)
7. Montana (325-313-321-959)
South Dakota State (317-315-327-959)
9. Redlands CC (313-319-328-960)
10. North Dakota State (332-328-329-989)
Nebraska Individuals
2. Sara Sackett (75-72-76-223) - career-best
T3. Stephanie Ruiz (70-77-78-225)
T9. Allison Stewart (76-78-75-229)
T11. Chrissie McArdle (74-78-78-230)
T11. Elli Brown (79-73-78-230)
NU White
1. Jackie Beste (74-72-74-220) - career-best
T20. Andrea Dunagan (81-74-82-237) - tied career-best
T25. Megan Place (76-79-84-239) - career-best
T28. Chelsea Gehring (83-81-77-241)