Huskers Head to Marilyn Smith/Sunflower Invitational

Lincoln - The Nebraska women’s golf team is set to compete at the Marilyn Smith/Sunflower Invitational at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan. The first 36 holes will be played on Monday, Oct. 10, with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The final 18 holes will be played on Tuesday, Oct. 11, also at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.

Thirteen teams will be competing with the Huskers in the par-72, 6,046-yard tournament, including Big 12 Conference foe and tournament-host, Kansas State.

The Huskers will be facing the Wildcats for the second time this fall. At the Chip-N Club Invitational hosted by Nebraska, the Huskers defeated the second-place Wildcats by 18 strokes.

At the 2003 Marilyn Smith/Sunflower Invitational, the Huskers finished second with a 935.

Huskers Earn Early National Ranking
The Nebraska women’s golf team has earned a No. 32 ranking in the national polls after producing a 299.83 average score per round through the first two tournaments of the fall season.

Nebraska is making steady improvements from the 2004-05 season, boosting the overall stroke average from 2004-05 by 10.55 strokes through the first six rounds of 2005-06. This can be credited to Nebraska’s experience, talent and work ethic.

Depth also has played a part in NU’s success through the first two tournaments. As the season started, Coach Robin Krapfl said all nine players could compete for spots in the lineup. Senior Jackie Beste proved it with her first collegiate win at the Chip-N Club Invitational, hosted by the Huskers, where she won the tournament as NU’s No. 6 player.

The Huskers' top three performers, seniors Stephanie Ruiz, Sara Sackett and Beste, have a combined stroke average of 74.33 and have a combined to earn four top-five finishes in the first two events of the fall campaign.

Huskers Win Chip-N Club Invitational
The Nebraska women’s golf team fired a final-round 307 to cruise to its third consecutive Chip-N Club Invitational title at Widerness Ridge Golf Club, Sept. 27.

The Huskers, who strung together rounds of 295, 300 and 307, finished at 902 to out-perform second place Kansas State by 18 strokes.

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 career by blistering the 6, 009-yard, par 72 layout at Wilderness Ridge with a career-best 220.

"I’m really proud of what Jackie did today," Krapfl said after the meet. "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."

Seniors Provide Leadership and Experience to Roster
The returning seniors, Ruiz, Beste, Chelsea Gehring and Sackett, have already made a huge impact on the Husker squad through the fall.

One senior Krapfl said would have a major impact is Ruiz, who sat out 2004-05 as a redshirt to focus on her swing and bring more consistency to her game. Ruiz has produced two top five tournament finishes this fall and has the best stroke average on the team at 73.33.

"Stephanie came back as our most experienced player," Krapfl said. "She looked great this spring, so I'm really excited to have her back. I really feel like she's going to provide a lot of leadership and be a role model for the other players."

While Beste won the 2005 Chip-N Club Invitational as NU’s No. 6 player with a 220, Sackett came in second with a 223 and Ruiz followed in third, producing a 225.

Ruiz Earns Top-Five Finish at Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic
Senior Stephanie Ruiz led the Nebraska women’s golf team to a seventh-place finish at the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic after shooting one-under par and tying for fifth place with 215 (69-71-75) to open the Huskers’ 2005 fall schedule.

The Edmond, Okla., native entered Tuesday’s final round in a tie for second after shooting a career-low 69 in Monday’s opening round, before closing the tournament’s first day with a one-under par 71. Ruiz added a solid round of 75 to earn the fourth top-five finish of her career.

Ruiz’s impressive three-round total of 215 was 14 strokes better than her previous career-best three-round score of 229 set in 2002.

Sophomore Elli Brown also finished with the best tournament score of her career (227) to finish in a tie for 33rd.

McArdle Builds Off Minnesota Tournament
Junior Chrissie McArdle is building off a strong summer of competition this fall, providing the Huskers with consistently low numbers in NU’s lineup.

Through two tournaments, McArdle owns a 77.3 stroke average over six rounds, with her lowest round of 74 coming at the Chip-N Club Invitational.

McArdle claimed the Minnesota Stroke Play Championship by three strokes at the Wayzata Country Club in Wayzata, Minn., on Aug. 17, finishing the 54-hole event with a five-over par, 221 after shooting two-over 72 in the final round of competition.

She defeated players from at least five different Division I schools, including Minnesota, Oklahoma, Michigan and Iowa State. McArdle outclassed the rest of the talented field, defeating runner-up Leigh Klasse by three strokes. Lisa Meshke finished four strokes off McArdle’s pace at 225.

Coming into the fall, McArdle owns the best returning stroke average for the 2005-06 at 77.56 and has four career top 10 finishes along with eight career top 20 finishes. McArdle’s best finish this fall was a tie for 11th place at the Chip-N Club Invitational.

Huskers Recognized for Outstanding Academics
The Nebraska women’s golf team earned recognition from the National Golf Coaches Association for its outstanding team grade-point average during the 2004-05 season.

Nebraska was ranked seventh in the country with its overall GPA of 3.566. South Carolina won the NGCA All-Scholar Team GPA Award with its 3.752 cumulative team GPA.

The NGCA’s new award recognizes women’s collegiate golf programs for their academic achievements. The list is made up of the top 25 collective GPAs in the nation.

Earlier this summer, the NGCA recognized four Huskers individually for their outstanding academic performances. Merynn Ito, Jackie Beste, Chelsea Gehring and Allison Stewart earned honors for their cumulative GPA’s of 3.5 or higher. Nebraska leads the nation with 42 all-time NGCA Scholastic All-Americans.

Sophomores Get Valuable Experience in 2004-05
Sophomores Elli Brown and Allison Stewart are coming off of successful freshman seasons and have the potential to make even greater impacts in the lineup.

"The experience that the freshmen got last season was invaluable," Krapfl said. "Now that they know what it is all about, I look for both of them to really step up and have a successful final three years."

Brown comes into the season with the potential to be one of Nebraska's best all-time players, Krapfl said. Brown played in all of Nebraska's tournaments last season and posted a 77.83 stroke average in the spring, the second-best average by a Husker. This fall she has recorded a 76.17 stroke average over six rounds.

"Elli has great length and she is a very good iron player," Krapfl said. "Now that she has that freshman year out of the way, hopefully she's really going to feel comfortable shooting the scores that her golf game dictates that she would be able to shoot. I'm excited about her future."

Stewart will emerge from a successful redshirt freshman campaign after playing in all but one tournament last season. Krapfl said Stewart's tenacious work ethic as well as her positive attitude have made her a valuable member of the squad. Stewart, who owns a 76.33 stroke average through the fall, could see a breakthrough and have an outstanding sophomore season, according to Krapfl.