Auburn, Ala. - Junior Elli Brown fired an even-par 72 to post her fifth consecutive top-10 showing of the fall season to help the Nebraska women's golf team to a tie for ninth at the Auburn Tiger-Derby Invitational at the University Golf Club on Sunday.
Brown's final round vaulted her 15 spots in the individual standings from a tie for 22nd after Saturday's first round into a tie for seventh overall. The Meridian, Idaho, native posted four straight top-five finishes to open the season, but her showing at the Derby Invitational might be her most impressive finish of the year.
The 17-team tournament field in Auburn featured 15 teams that qualified for 2006 NCAA Regional competition, including eight teams that advanced to the 24-team NCAA Championships.
Brown's two-round total of 149 placed her just four strokes behind tournament champion Marisa Milligan from Auburn, who produced a one-over-par 145 on her home course. Tiger teammate Nicole Hage finished one stroke back in a tie for second at 146 with North Carolina's Lauren Hunt.
Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said Brown's performance against the impressive collection of individuals from the best teams around the country was noteworthy.
"Finishing in a tie for seventh against the caliber of players we saw out there this weekend speaks volumes of Elli's play," Krapfl said. "It certainly solidifies Elli's position as one of the top individuals in the nation. She played excellent golf for the fifth straight tournament this season, so it says a lot about her ability and her consistency."
Along with a strong final round from Brown, the Huskers received their best individual round of the tournament from true freshman Kate White on Sunday. The Waukegan, Ill., native bounced back from an opening-round 82 in her first collegiate appearance as the Huskers' No. 1 player by scorching the 6,310-yard layout of the Auburn University Golf Club for a one-under-par 71. White vaulted from a tie for 72nd to open the day, into a tie for 23rd among the 88 competitors in the field.
"Kate played excellent golf today," Krapfl said. "Her first time playing in the No. 1 position in our lineup probably affected her performance yesterday. I think she probably put a little too much pressure on herself. Today she just went out there and played great golf, and her score definitely backs that up."
The low scores from Brown and White allowed Nebraska to produce a second-round 305, to finish the rain-shortened two-day event at 615, after managing an opening-round 310 on Saturday. The Huskers finished in a tie with Birmingham-Southern.
Auburn ran away with the team title by firing the top round of the tournament on Sunday with a three-over par 291, to finish the 36-hole event at 594. Alabama finished 12 strokes back in second place at 606.
"Obviously this is the best tournament field we have faced this season, so finishing in the middle of the pack is nothing to be discouraged about," Krapfl said. "However, I look at it from the standpoint that we had plenty of opportunities to move up the leaderboard both days, and we didn't capitalize. We can play better golf, and we will as the season goes on. We have lots of opportunities to play against the nation's best teams the rest of the way."
Nebraska senior Chrissie McArdle, who entered the final round in a tie for fourth after firing a 75 on Saturday, managed an 80 on Sunday to slip into a tie for 34th place at 155. JC Stevenson added an 82 to finish in a tie for 64th at 159, while fellow Grand Island, Neb., native Andrea Carlson (Dunagan) battled her way to an 83 to finish in a tie for 80th at 164.
The Huskers close their fall season next weekend when they compete in one of year's premier events, the NGCA Match Play Championships in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 3-5. Nebraska opens the 16-team tournament by facing top-seeded Georgia.
The Auburn Tiger-Derby Invitational
Auburn University Golf Club
Par 72, 6,310 Yards
Final Results (Two rounds)
Oct. 28-29, 2006
Team Standings
Individual Leaderboard
1 T2 Marisa Milligan (16A) * Auburn +1 F -1 74 71 145 T2 T12 Nicole Hage (1B) Auburn +2 F -2 76 70 146 T2 T4 Lauren Hunt (1B) North Carolina, U of +2 F -1 75 71 146 T4 T12 Rebecca Kuhn (1B) Louisiana State +3 F -1 76 71 147 T4 1 Margaret Shirley (1A) Auburn +3 F +3 72 75 147 6 T12 Jenny Suh (4A) Alabama, U. of +4 F E 76 72 148 T7 T22 Elli Brown (7B) Nebraska, U. of +5 F E 77 72 149 T7 T4 Katie Miller (2) North Carolina, U of +5 F +2 75 74 149 T7 T22 Angela Oh (7B) Tennessee +5 F E 77 72 149 T7 T22 Blythe Worley (10B) South Carolina +5 F E 77 72 149 T11 T4 Jaclyn Burch (7A) Florida State Univ. +6 F +3 75 75 150 T11 T44 Sandra Gal (11A) Florida +6 F -1 79 71 150 T11 T44 Abigale Schepperle (3B) Auburn +6 F -1 79 71 150 T14 T44 Taylor Barrett (11A) South Carolina +7 F E 79 72 151 T14 T4 Dori Carter (4A) Mississippi, U. of +7 F +4 75 76 151 T14 T12 Sarah Sturm (4B) Alabama, U. of +7 F +3 76 75 151 T17 T12 Hannah Burke (4B) Baylor +8 F +4 76 76 152 T17 T4 Jenna Pearson (10A) South Carolina +8 F +5 75 77 152 T17 T22 Candace Schepperle (2) Auburn +8 F +3 77 75 152 T17 T55 Kayla Shaul (9A) Florida State Univ. +8 F E 80 72 152 T17 T12 Jill Stupiansky (13A) Birmingham-Southern Col. +8 F +4 76 76 152 T22 T44 Mallory Blackwelder (11B) Florida +9 F +2 79 74 153 T22 T12 Kathleen Ekey (10A) Furman University +9 F +5 76 77 153 T22 T39 Sara Hurwitch (13A) Central Florida +9 F +3 78 75 153 T22 T55 Nicole Smith (9A) Tennessee +9 F +1 80 73 153 T22 T72 Kate White (9B) Nebraska, U. of +9 F -1 82 71 153 T27 T65 Karlin Beck (15A) Birmingham-Southern Col. +10 F +1 81 73 154 T27 T22 Tiffany Chudy (10A) Florida +10 F +5 77 77 154 T27 T22 Katherine Jones (4B) Mississippi, U. of +10 F +5 77 77 154 T27 T12 Blair Lamb (10B) Furman University +10 F +6 76 78 154 T27 T12 Allison Martin (4A) Baylor +10 F +6 76 78 154 T27 T22 Anna Rehnholm (5) Baylor +10 F +5 77 77 154 T27 T22 Marci Turner (8) Tennessee +10 F +5 77 77 154 T34 T55 Ornella Jouven (12) Florida +11 F +3 80 75 155 T34 T39 Jessica Lovell (3A) Auburn +11 F +5 78 77 155 T34 T4 Chrissie McArdle (7A) Nebraska, U. of +11 F +8 75 80 155 T34 T22 Kim Meck (2) Louisiana State +11 F +6 77 78 155 T34 T39 Whitney Myers (10B) Florida +11 F +5 78 77 155 T39 T76 Helena Blomberg (6B) Alabama, U. of +12 F +1 83 73 156 T39 T44 Amanda Costner (16A) Kansas, U. of +12 F +5 79 77 156 T39 T2 Sydney Crane (1A) North Carolina, U of +12 F +10 74 82 156 T39 T22 Melissa Eaton (3A) Louisiana State +12 F +7 77 79 156 T39 T55 Sara Grantham (6B) Mississippi, U. of +12 F +4 80 76 156 T39 T22 Jordan Hardy (13B) Birmingham-Southern Col. +12 F +7 77 79 156 T39 T44 Maria Raffo (16B) * South Carolina +12 F +5 79 77 156 T39 T22 Alex Richards (16A) Texas +12 F +7 77 79 156 T47 T4 Diana Cantu (7A) Tennessee +13 F +10 75 82 157 T47 T65 Corrine Carr (12) Furman University +13 F +4 81 76 157 T47 T44 Leigh Crosby (13B) Central Florida +13 F +6 79 78 157 T47 T55 Nicola Eaton (3B) Louisiana State +13 F +5 80 77 157 T47 T39 JJ Flynn (5) Mississippi, U. of +13 F +7 78 79 157 T47 T44 Laura Goodwin (6A) Alabama, U. of +13 F +6 79 78 157 T47 T65 Sara Hunt (14) Birmingham-Southern Col. +13 F +4 81 76 157 T47 T76 Mariana Macias (18A) * Auburn +13 F +2 83 74 157 T47 T44 Theresa Paik (11A) Furman University +13 F +6 79 78 157 T47 T4 Alexis Rather (1A) Louisiana State +13 F +10 75 82 157 T47 T72 Mayule Tomimbang (14) Central Florida +13 F +3 82 75 157 T58 82 Whitney Brummett (9B) Florida State Univ. +14 F +2 84 74 158 T58 T44 Jillian Jones (13A) Mississippi St. U. +14 F +7 79 79 158 T58 T22 Ann Laney (3B) North Carolina, U of +14 F +9 77 81 158 T58 T76 Shelley McGraw (15B) Birmingham-Southern Col. +14 F +3 83 75 158 T58 T72 Emily Powers (17) Kansas, U. of +14 F +4 82 76 158 T58 T55 Whitney Simons (11B) South Carolina +14 F +6 80 78 158 T64 T72 Holly Cantwell (9B) Tennessee +15 F +5 82 77 159 T64 T55 Amanda Mathis (13B) Mississippi St. U. +15 F +7 80 79 159 T64 T76 Kristy McLaughlin (15A) Central Florida +15 F +4 83 76 159 T64 T22 JC Stevenson (8) Nebraska, U. of +15 F +10 77 82 159 T64 T22 Kate Thomas (3A) North Carolina, U of +15 F +10 77 82 159 T64 T39 Whitney Wright (8) Florida State Univ. +15 F +9 78 81 159 T70 T44 Katie Davidson (6A) Mississippi, U. of +16 F +9 79 81 160 T70 T65 Julia Huh (15A) Mississippi St. U. +16 F +7 81 79 160 T70 T65 C.J. Kim (17) * Florida +16 F +7 81 79 160 T70 T22 Rhea Nair (5) Alabama, U. of +16 F +11 77 83 160 T70 T55 Leigh Phillips (14) Mississippi St. U. +16 F +8 80 80 160 T75 T55 Monique Gesualdi (11B) Furman University +17 F +9 80 81 161 T75 T55 Annie Giangrosso (16B) Kansas, U. of +17 F +9 80 81 161 T75 T84 Meghan Gockel (18A) Kansas, U. of +17 F +3 86 75 161 T75 T22 Sian Reddick (6A) Baylor +17 F +12 77 84 161 79 T65 Benedicte Toumpsin (12) South Carolina +18 F +9 81 81 162 T80 T65 Andrea Carlson (9A) Nebraska, U. of +20 F +11 81 83 164 T80 T86 Victoria Tomko (15B) Central Florida +20 F +5 87 77 164 T82 T88 Caney Hines (18A) Texas +23 F +7 88 79 167 T82 T84 Kristin Walla (17) Texas +23 F +9 86 81 167 84 T76 Suzanne Stanley (15B) Mississippi St. U. +24 F +13 83 85 168 T85 T86 Sherry Summers (6B) Baylor +25 F +10 87 82 169 T85 T88 Brittany Tomerlin (18B) Texas +25 F +9 88 81 169 T87 T76 Angela Akins (16B) Texas +26 F +15 83 87 170 T87 83 Ginny Brown (18B) * Tennessee +26 F +13 85 85 170 89 T88 Jill Womble (18B) Kansas, U. of +30 F +14 88 86 174 - T12 Caroline Westrup (7B) Florida State Univ. - F W 76 W -