Huskers Sign Iowa Golfer of the Year

Lincoln - Iowa prep standout Rachel Hanigan has signed a National Letter of Intent to play golf at the University of Nebraska beginning in the 2006-07 season, Husker women's golf coach Robin Krapfl announced on Wednesday.

Hanigan, a native of Dunlap, Iowa, was named the Iowa Player of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2006, while earning all-state honors. She helped Boyer Valley High School to the state tournament four times, including the 2004 Class 1A state championship for Coach Larry Nielsen. She also led the Bulldogs to four straight Boyer Valley Conference titles.

Krapfl said Hanigan would bring outstanding potential and an excellent work ethic to the Nebraska program.

"I am excited to announce the addition of Rachel to our team. She is an excellent athlete who has decided to focus on golf," Krapfl said. "I think she has a tremendous amount of potential, she works hard, is a great student and a very nice person. She has good length off the tee and a desire to become an early contributor to our lineup."

In addition to her accomplishments on the golf course, Hanigan was an outstanding all-around athlete. She was a first-team all-conference basketball player for the Bulldogs, averaging 11.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game as a senior, while earning four varsity letters. She was also a second-team all-conference performer in volleyball and helped Boyer Valley qualify for the 2004 state tournament.

In the classroom, Hanigan was a member of the National Honor Society and the "A" Honor Roll. She also earned Academic All-State honors as a basketball player in 2006.

Hanigan said she chose Nebraska over Iowa State and Iowa because of the Huskers' academic tradition and the success of the women's golf program under Krapfl.

"I liked Nebraska from both an academic and an athletic standpoint, and I've been a Husker fan since I was a kid." Hanigan said. "I was impressed by Coach Krapfl. She wants you to grow not only as a golfer but also as a person. I think Coach Krapfl has built a strong program, and I believe it will continue to be successful in the future."

Hanigan becomes the fifth member of Nebraska's 2006-07 incoming class, joining J.C. Stevenson (Grand Island, Neb.), Sydney Sturdevant (Sioux Falls, S.D.), Charlotte Wendner (Bjarred, Sweden) and Kate White (Waukegan, Ill.).

The newcomers will join a Nebraska program that is coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2005-06. Nebraska advanced to the NCAA Championships for the third time in school history and posted its second-best finish in program history with a 20th-place showing in Columbus, Ohio. The Huskers set the school record for the best team stroke average (304.88), while playing a school-record 40 rounds of golf. NU also fired its best NCAA Championship scores in program history with a four-round total of 1,221 and a final-round 299.