Huskers, Wendner in Hunt at Big 12 Championships

Lubbock, Texas - Charlotte Wendner fired a two-over-par 75 to lead the Nebraska women's golf team to a tie for fifth place after the opening round of the 2009 Big 12 Championships at the Rawls Course on Friday.

Wendner, a junior from Bjarred, Sweden, closed the first round in a tie for sixth place individually while helping the Huskers close the first 18 holes with a 315 in a tie for fifth place with Oklahoma.

"Charlotte played some really solid golf today," Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said. "She started a little slow but she was pretty steady throughout the day and closed the round with a good score."

True freshman Maddie Sheils posted Nebraska's second-best round of the day with a six-over-par 79 on the 6,564-yard, par-73 layout at the Rawls Course. Sheils, a native of Boise, Idaho, was a late add to Nebraska's lineup after NU's No. 1 golfer Mary Kate Bird suffered a wrist injury in the Huskers' final regular-season tournament. Sheils closed the day in a tied for 22nd.

"Maddie really played some good golf and that was encouraging," Krapfl said. "She could have put up an even better score but ran into some trouble on one hole. She bounced back to finish the round strong though."

Junior JC Stevenson (Grand Island, Neb.) sits in a tie for 28th after the first round with an 80, while sophomore Rachel Hanigan (Dunlap, Iowa) rounded out Nebraska's scoring lineup with an 81 to tie for 36th. Freshman Natalie Gleadall added an 82 to end the first 18 holes in a tie for 39th.

Defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma State took control of the team race with an impressive three-over-par 295. The Cowgirls own a nine-stroke lead over Texas A&M (304), while Kansas State sits in third at 311. Kansas is just one shot back of the Wildcats in fourth place at 312.

Oklahoma State's Carolina Hedwall scorched the Rawls Course with a three-under-par 70 to take a two-shot lead over Texas A&M's Ashley Freeman and Kansas State's Morgan Moon atop the individual leaderboard. Hedwall's Cowgirl teammates Pernilla Lindberg and Amanda Johnson are tied for fourth at 73, just ahead of Wendner and KU's Meghan Gockel, who are tied for sixth.

The Huskers return to the course Saturday for the second round of the Big 12 Championships. NU will tee off the first hole with Kansas and Oklahoma at 8 a.m.

2009 Big 12 Conference Championships
April 24-26
The Rawls Course (Lubbock, Texas)
Par 73/6,564 Yards

Team Standings (First Round)
1. Oklahoma State - 295
2. Texas A&M - 304
3. Kansas State - 311
4. Kansas - 312
T5. Nebraska - 315
T5. Oklahoma - 315
T7. Missouri - 317
T7. Colorado - 317
9. Texas - 321
10. Baylor - 322
11. Iowa State - 325
12. Texas Tech - 326

Individual Leaderboard (First Round)
1. Caroline Hedwall, Oklahoma State - 70
T2. Morgan Moon, Kansas State - 72
T2. Ashley Freeman, Texas A&M - 72
T4. Amanda Johnson, Oklahoma State - 73
T4. Pernilla Lindberg, Oklahoma State - 73
T6. Charlotte Wendner, Nebraska - 75
T6. Meghan Gockel, Kansas - 75
T8. Emily Talley, Colorado - 76
T8. Alexa Porter, Texas A&M - 76
T8. Kendall Dye, Oklahoma - 76

Nebraska Individuals
T6. Charlotte Wendner - 75
T22. Maddie Sheils - 79
T28. JC Stevenson - 80
T36. Rachel Hanigan - 81
T39. Natalie Gleadall - 82