Fayetteville, Ark. - The Nebraska women's golf team fired a final-round 300 to climb one spot into fourth place with 911 at the 16-team Lady Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., Tuesday.
The Huskers finished five strokes behind third-place Kentucky and 35 strokes behind tournament champions from No. 2 Arkansas. With a solid final round, the Huskers earned their third top-five finish of the 2005 fall season.
"We got off to a good start," Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said. "We were cruising along and then made some mental mistakes and took big numbers that hurt us, but we came back after yesterday's disappointing round and got a solid score today."
Sophomore Elli Brown was Nebraska's top performer, climbing six places after falling into a tie for 16th after Monday's second-round 78. Brown matched Sunday's first-round 73 in the final 18 holes on the par-72, 6,013-yard Pinnacle Country Club course to propel her into a tie for 10th with a career-best 224.
"She played steady, today," Krapfl said. "She didn't play spectacular. She played solid golf and on this course that's exactly what you want to do."
The Meridian, Idaho, native surpassed her previous career-best 228 from the 2005 Mountain View Collegiate on March 26-27 in Tucson, Ariz. Brown has shaved almost four strokes off of her 2004-05 stroke average of 79.14, with a 75.33 stroke average through NU's first four tournaments of the 2005-06 season.
Junior Chrissie McArdle fired 77 to finish the tournament in 19th place with 228, overcoming a second-round 80 that dropped her from second place into a tie for 16th after tying her career-best 71 in the first round on Sunday. Senior Stephanie Ruiz also bounced back with a final-round 74 to move her into a tie for 35th. Ruiz shot 77 on Sunday and 82 through the second 18 holes to drop her into a tie for 54th coming into the final round.
Senior Sara Sackett produced consistent scores to finish in a tie for 28th with 230, posting 77 in rounds one and two and finishing Tuesday with 76.
Redshirt freshman Megan Place shot a pair of 80s and a 78 to finish in a tie for 54th with 238 while senior Jackie Beste, competing as an individual, tied for 46th with 236.
Team Results
1. Arkansas (291-299-286-876)
2. Notre Dame (299-303-294-896)
3. Kentucky (311-291-304-906)
4. Nebraska (298-313-300-911)
5. Augusta State (303-310-302-915)
6. Illinois State (313-302-301-916)
7. Iowa (304-302-311-917)
8. Kansas (303-309-306-918)
9. Kansas State (306-315-298-919)
10. Wisconsin (307-316-316-939)
11. Michigan (315-310-316-941)
12. Iowa State (320-310-312-942)
13. Oral Roberts (317-325-305-947)
14. Missouri State (315-316-321-952)
15. Southern Miss (304-320-333-957)
16. Wichita State (329-320-322-971)
Nebraska Individual Results
T10. Elli Brown (73-78-73-224)
19. Chrissie McArdle (71-80-77-228)
T28. Sara Sackett (77-77-76-230)
T35. Stephanie Ruiz (77-82-74-233)
T54. Megan Place (80-78-80-238)
T46. Jackie Beste (73-82-81-236)*
*competed as an individual