Huskers Finish Off Fall Season in Strong Fashion

The Nebraska women’s golf team closed its Fall 2007 schedule with a second-place finish in a 20-team field at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invitational in Kiawah Island, S.C., Oct. 29-30.

Nebraska’s strong showing in South Carolina capped a strong finish to the Huskers’ five-tournament fall campaign, including a team tournament title at the 2007 Bronco Invitational in Kuna, Idaho, Oct. 8-9.

NU’s solid showing late in the fall was sparked by the emergence of sophomore JC Stevenson and the steady play of seniors Allison Stewart and Elli Brown.

Stevenson, a native of Grand Island, Neb., posted the first two top-10 finishes of her career in NU’s final two tournaments, including her first collegiate title with a win at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invite. Stevenson’s showing in South Carolina included a pair of career-low 70s in the final two rounds, as she birdied the final hole of the tournament to beat Kansas State’s Michelle Regan by one stroke.

Stevenson’s three-round total of 216 on the Oak Point Golf Club course was also a career best. She added a tie for seventh at the Bronco Invitational, Oct. 8-9.

Like Stevenson, Stewart captured her first career title in October, sharing medalist honors with Kansas State’s Regan in Idaho. Stewart’s performance came in rough playing conditions and helped NU its their second straight Bronco team title.

The senior from Vermillion, S.D., added a tie for 14th place at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invite that included a final-round 71 to help NU charge up the leaderboard on the final day, storming to a second-place finish just three strokes behind the team champs from East Carolina.

Brown, a senior from Meridian, Idaho, posted five straight top-20 finishes during the fall, including an 11th-place finish in her homestate and a tie for 18th in South Carolina. A 2007 first-team All-Big 12 selection, Brown will enter her final spring season with the Huskers with 24 career top-25 finishes.

Stevenson Captures First Title to Lead Huskers in South Carolina
JC Stevenson captured the first collegiate tournament title of her career to lead Nebraska to a runner-up finish in the 20-team Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invitational, Oct. 29-30.

Stevenson, a sophomore from Grand Island, Neb., knocked in a birdie putt on her final hole to defeat Kansas State’s Michelle Regan by one stroke in the final individual standings. Stevenson’s final shot capped a two-under-par final round 70 to complete an even-par 54-hole score of 216. Regan finished one shot back at 217, while East Carolina’s Amber Littman took third at 220.

Stevenson’s final-round 70 matched her career-best score, which she set earlier in the day by sinking a birdie putt on her final hole of the second round. Prior to her performance at the Oak Point Golf Club, Stevenson had never broken par in a collegiate round.

"I had been telling people I was cursed because I had shot 72 so many times, but I could never break par," Stevenson said. "I think once I broke through that mental barrier then I was able to just relax and go out and play, and know that I could do it again. It is a great feeling to win this tournament. I had no idea that I needed to sink that last putt to win. I didn’t even know where I was on the leaderboard. I just knew I needed to birdie the hole to help the team."

With Stevenson leading Nebraska’s charge on the final day, the Huskers sizzled for the tournament’s best round with a 294 on the final 18 holes. The Huskers entered the final day in a tie for fourth place, 13 strokes behind the leaders from East Carolina after play was suspended midway through the second round by darkness. NU threatened the lead of the tournament champions from ECU right down to wire, picking up nine strokes in the final round.

It was not enough to reel in the Pirates, who won the tournament title with a three-round score of 906, but the Huskers finished just three shots back at 909. Nebraska was the only team to keep ECU in its sights, as the Huskers finished 16 strokes ahead of third-place Kansas State.

In addition to the strong showing by Stevenson, seniors Allison Stewart and Elli Brown added top-20 individual finishes for the Huskers. Stewart capped a solid fall campaign with a final-round 71 to finish in a tie for 14th at 229. Stewart finished one shot ahead of Brown, who produced steady rounds of 78-74-78 in the tournament to finish at 230.

Stewart closed the fall campaign with her fourth top-15 finish, including a tournament title at the Bronco Invitational in Kuna, Idaho. Brown added her fifth top-20 performance of the fall.

Krapfl said Nebraska’s strong performances in winning the Bronco Fall Invitational and finishing second in South Carolina were good ways to wrap up the fall season.

"We started so slow this fall and we really had to battle ourselves to start believing in our games again," Krapfl said. "You could see it out on the course the last two days that we’re starting to click, and we are starting to believe that we have the potential to be a really good team. Hopefully that mentality will carry over into the start of the spring season in February."

Stewart Off to Stellar Start at Top of Husker Lineup
Allison Stewart is enjoying the best season of her Nebraska career through NU’s first five tournaments of 2007-08. The senior from Vermillion, S.D., won her first career tournament title by sharing the individual crown at the 2007 Bronco Fall Invitational in Kuna, Idaho, Oct. 9.

Playing in cold temperatures and strong winds throughout the tournament, Stewart overcame the conditions to produce rounds of 81-73-79 to finish at 233. Stewart finished the fall with four top-15 showing, including a tie for 14th at the 20-team Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invite, Oct. 29-30. She posted Nebraska’s best stroke average of the fall at 76.00.

Stewart has been a valuable contributor in Nebraska’s lineup at the Big 12 Championships each of the past three seasons, helping the Huskers qualify for NCAA Regionals each of the last two years.

Stewart came on strong at the end of her junior season and was one of Nebraska’s most reliable golfers down the stretch, which included a 20th-place showing at the Big 12 Championships.

She got her senior season off to an impressive start by tying a career-best with a final-round 70 at the Chip-N Club Invitational on Sept. 11. She finished in a tie for sixth with a career-best 223 in the 100-player field.

Along with her success on the course, Stewart has been a star in the classroom at Nebraska. A three-time NGCA Scholastic All-American, Stewart earned first-team academic All-Big 12 honors last year, and may contend for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors this season.

All-Big 12 Brown Hopes to Chase All-America Honors as Senior
Nebraska senior Elli Brown hopes to make a strong case for All-America honors in her final year as a Husker. A first-team All-Big 12 selection as a junior in 2007, Brown finished third at the Big 12 Championships.

Brown, a four-year starter from Meridian, Idaho, owns 13 career top-10 finishes as a Husker, including eight a year ago, while posting 24 top-25 career finishes at NU. Along with her success on the course, she has also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in the classroom during her career and is a member of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"Elli has been solid for us week-in and week-out for three years in our lineup," Krapfl said. "Last year, she took on more of a leadership role on our team as well, so she should be an undeniable leader on this year’s squad."

As a junior, Brown bolted out off the tee box for a blistering start to the fall season. She finished in the top 10 individually in each of Nebraska’s five fall tournaments and earned the conference’s first Big 12 Golfer-of-the-Month award last September.

Four Returning Starters Give Huskers Solid Nucleus in 2007-08
The Nebraska women’s golf team returns four starters, including returning first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection Elli Brown, to its 2007-08 roster after qualifying for NCAA Regional play last season. The Huskers, who earned a spot in the 24-team NCAA Championship field in 2006, began their pursuit of a bid in college golf’s biggest tournament by playing host to the Chip-N Club Invitational Sept. 10-11 at Woodland Hills Golf Club.

In addition to the talent and experience that four-year starter and All-America candidate Elli Brown brings to the Husker lineup, senior Allison Stewart brings plenty of leadership and experience of her own. A three-time NGCA Scholastic All-American who has been a part-time starter in NU’s lineup the past three seasons, Stewart is a leader on the course, in the classroom and in the community for the Huskers.

Nebraska’s two seniors are joined by a pair of sophomores who earned full-time starting spots as true freshmen in the Husker lineup last season. Kate White, was one of NU’s top performers last season. The native of Waukegan, Ill., enjoyed one of the best freshman seasons in school history a year ago, competing in all 35 rounds and earning Midseason Freshman All-America honors from GolfWorld.

Stevenson, a native of Grand Island, Neb., contributed to Nebraska’s lineup throughout the season, playing in every round. She finished NU’s 2007 fall campaign as the Huskers’ hottest golfer with a pair of top-10 showings, including her first career tournament title at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invitational.

White, Stevenson Give Huskers Strong Sophomore Class
Nebraska’s Kate White earned one of six spots on Golf World’s Midseason Freshman All-America team announced in November of 2006.

She won a tournament title at the Bronco Invitational and tied a Nebraska record with an opening-round 67. She posted four rounds below par, and proved herself as one of the Huskers’ most explosive players on the course.

"Kate had an outstanding freshman year, but I know that at the end of the season she wanted to do more to help the team," Krapfl said. "I think she learned a lot about herself and the game last year, and it will make her a more consistent player this year."

White was not the only freshman to make an impact on NU’s lineup last season. JC Stevenson, a native of Grand Island, Neb., filled a spot in Nebraska’s top five through most of the season.

"JC really did some good things for us throughout the year, and put together some big rounds to help us at times," Krapfl said. "Obviously, we will want her to improve her consistency this year, but that is a natural progression for a young golfer to make."

A third sophomore, Charlotte Wendner, also got a taste of college competition last year and has earned more time in Nebraska’s lineup this season, playing in all 14 rounds, including part-time spots in the lineup.

"Charlotte has the intangible of length and is just getting a firm grasp of the game," Krapfl said. "She has a lot of potential though, which gives us a lot of reasons to look forward to her future here at Nebraska."

Huskers Earn NGCA All-Scholar Team Award
Nebraska posted the fifth-highest team grade-point average of any squad in the nation to earn one of 25 NGCA All-Scholar Team honors from the National Golf Coaches Association in July.

Coach Robin Krapfl’s Huskers, who advanced to NCAA Regional play for the second straight season on the course, posted a 3.705 cumulative team GPA during the year. Allison Stewart (Vermillion, S.D.) earned a spot on the NGCA All-America Scholar Team after posting a perfect 4.0 GPA during the 2007 spring semester, while true freshmen Kate White (Waukegan, Ill.) and JC Stevenson (Grand Island, Neb.) added spots on the All-America Scholar Team.

It was Stewart’s third consecutive scholastic All-America award from the NGCA, making her the 10th Husker in history to become a three-time NGCA Scholastic All-American. With Stewart, White and Stevenson all earning spots on the team, it marked the fifth straight season that Nebraska has produced more than one NGCA Scholastic All-American. To earn a spot on the All-American Scholar Team as an individual, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and compete in at least 50 percent of her team’s scheduled competitve rounds.