Kiawah Island, S.C. - The Nebraska women's golf team closed its fall season with a strong third-place finish at the 19-team Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate at the Oak Point Golf Course on Tuesday afternoon.
The Huskers closed the 54-hole event with their best round of the tournament, firing a 301 over the final 18 holes to finish at 914, just two strokes behind the team champions from Idaho. The Vandals closed with a 298, the second-best round by any team in the tournament, to hold off the Huskers' late charge. The hosts from the College of Charleston finished second at 913, after finishing the second round with a tournament-best 297, and closing the day with a 304.
Senior Sara Sackett (Cambridge, Neb.) and sophomore Elli Brown (Meridian, Idaho) fueled Nebraska's climb up the leaderboard over the final 27 holes of the competition on Tuesday.
Brown, who finished off the second round Tuesday morning with her second straight 73, headed into the third round in first place among the 98 players in the tournament with a one stroke lead over College of Charleston's Angie Hill and South Florida's Jessica Porter.
However, all three of the second-round leaders put up bigger numbers in the third round, while Idaho's Renee Skidmore stormed to the individual title with a final-round 71 to finish at 220. Louisville's Adrienne White added a 71 of her own to finish second at 221, while College of Charleston's Gretchen Zoeller closed with a 72 to finish in third place at 222.
After posting solid rounds of 77 and 75, Sackett sizzled over the final 18 holes with a 72 of her own on the par-72, 5,930-yard layout at Oak Point. Sackett closed the tournament at 224, just four strokes behind the leader and tied with Brown in fourth place to lead the Huskers.
Junior Chrissie McArdle (Eden Prairie, Minn.) also made a late charge up the leaderboard for the Huskers on Tuesday, finishing with a final-round 73 to close at 227 (78-76-73). McArdle finished the tournament in 12th place.
Senior Stephanie Ruiz bounced back from a pair of 82's to open the tournament to close with a 78 in the final round to finish in a tie for 65th at 242, while sophomore Allison Stewart managed a 245 (82-79-84) to finish in a tie for 71st.
The Huskers closed the fall season in South Carolina with their fourth consecutive top four team finish, including a title at the Chip-N Club Invitational in September and a runner-up finish at the Marilyn Smith/Sunflower Invitational in early October.
Nebraska will take the rest of November, December and January off from competition before opening its spring season at the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla., Feb. 18-19.
Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate
Monday, Oct. 31 - Tuesday, Nov. 1
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Oak Point Golf Course
Par 72, 5,930 Yards
Final Team Results
1. Idaho (309-305-298--912)
2. College of Charleston (312-297-304--913)
3. Nebraska (310-303-301--914)
4. Maryland (310-304-305--919)
5. Campbell (301-306-313--920)
6. Louisville (311-315-300--926)
7. Kansas State (316-308-307--931)
8. San Francisco (316-308-310--934)
9. East Carolina (315-307-314--936)
Oral Roberts (315-314-307--936)
11. Coastal Carolina (303-311-323--937)
12. Western Carolina (313-313-313--939)
13. Illinois (308-317-315--940)
14. Wisconsin (311-313-320--944)
15. East Tennessee State (317-318-312--947)
16. Memphis (318-328-311--957)
17. Minnesota (319-313-329--961)
18. Appalachian State (325-326-324--975)
19. Citadel (343-370-335--1,048)
Nebraska Individual Results
T4. Elli Brown (73-73-78--224)
Sara Sackett (77-75-72--224)
12. Chrissie McArdle (78-76-73--227)
T65. Stephanie Ruiz (82-82-78--242)
T71. Allison Stewart (82-79-84--245)