Huskers in Fifth After First Round in California

Chula Vista, Calif. - The Nebraska women's golf team posted a solid opening round in its first tournament of the spring season, firing a 299 to sit in fifth place after the first 18 holes of the 18-team Aztec Spring Invitational on Sunday.

Husker juniors JC Stevenson and Charlotte Wendner each produced even-par rounds of 72 on the 6,187-yard layout of the Salt Creek Golf Course in Chula Vista, Calif. Stevenson, a Grand Island, Neb., native, and Wendner, a native of Bjarred, Sweden, will enter Monday's second round in a tie for seventh place.

Sophomore Mary Kate Bird opened her spring campaign with a solid four-over-par 76 to close the first round in a tie for 35th, while freshman Natalie Gleadall rounded out Nebraska's top four with a seven-over-par 79 to head into the second round in a tie for 65th.

Sophomore Rachel Hanigan settled for an opening-round 83 as the fifth member of NU's tournament lineup, while true freshman Maddie Sheils played a strong first round as one of two Husker individuals. Sheils fired the second-best collegiate round of her young career with a 78, while fellow freshman Carolyn Schorgl added an 83 as an individual outside of NU's lineup.

In a tournament that features six top-50 teams in the GolfStat national rankings, UC Irvine closed the first day of the tournament with a one-under-par 287, to sit 12 strokes in front of the Huskers atop the team leaderboard. San Jose State is just one shot back at 288, while San Francisco and Arkansas-Little Rock are tied for third place at 293, just in front of the Huskers.

Individually, 12 golfers managed rounds at or below par on Sunday, led by UC Irvine's Hillary Packard, who scorched the Salt Creek Course with a four-under-par 68. San Francisco's Danielle Cvitanov and San Jose State's Erica Moston added rounds of 69 to enter Monday's second round in a tie for second, while New Mexico State's Pang Chanachat and San Jose State's Katrina Delen Briones added strong rounds of 70 to tie for fourth. San Francisco's Tinna Johannsdottir sits alone in sixth place at 71, while Stevenson and Wendner are part of a six-way tie for seventh at 72.

Nebraska will continue action at the 54-hole Aztec Spring Invitational on Monday with the second round beginning at 10 a.m. Live scoring will be available at GolfStat.com.

2009 Aztec Spring Invitational
Feb. 15-17
Chula Vista, Calif.
Salt Creek Golf Course (Par 72, 6,187 Yards)

Team Standings 
First Round
1. UC Irvine - 287
2. San Jose State - 288
T3. San Francisco - 293
T3. Arkansas-Little Rock - 293
5. Nebraska - 299
6. UTEP - 300
7. East Tennessee State - 302
T8. Texas Tech - 304
T8. Colorado - 304
T8. San Diego State - 304
T8. New Mexico State - 304
T8. Hawaii - 304
13. Long Beach State - 307
T14. Colorado State - 308
T14. Sacramento State - 308
16. Nevada - 314
17. Santa Clara - 321
18. Wyoming - 331

Individual Leaderboard
1. Hillary Packard (UC Irvine) - 68
T2. Danielle Cvitanov (San Francisco) - 69
T2. Erica Moston (San Jose State) - 69
T4. Pang Chanachat (New Mexico State) - 70
T4. Katrina Delen Briones (San Jose State) - 70
6. Tinna Johannsdottir (San Francisco) - 71
T7. JC Stevenson (Nebraska) - 72
T7. Charlotte Wendner (Nebraska) - 72
T7. Patty Chawalitmetha (UC Irvine) - 72
T7. Mallory Fraiche (UALR) - 72
T7. Laura Jansone (East Tennessee State) - 72
T7. Shraddhanjali Singh (San Jose State) - 72

Nebraska Individuals
T7. JC Stevenson  - 72
T7. Charlotte Wendner - 72
T35. Mary Kate Bird - 76
T65. Natalie Gleadall - 79
T95. Rachel Hanigan - 83
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T53. Maddie Sheils - 78*
T95. Carolyn Schorgl - 83*
*playing outside the Nebraska lineup as an individual