Season Preview: Seniors Set to Lead Huskers

Success on the course, in the classroom and in the community. These are the driving forces behind the Nebraska women’s golf program.

Over the past 16 years, Nebraska has advanced to 11 NCAA Regional appearances, including three trips to the NCAA Championships.

In the classroom, the Huskers have thrived as well, producing 40 NGCA Scholastic All-Americans during that same span.

The women’s golf team has also been one of the top teams in Nebraska’s Life Skills Award of Excellence team competition.

In order to achieve success in all three areas, Nebraska knows it takes focus, determination, hard work and leadership.

A year after a young Husker squad missed an NCAA Regional appearance while playing without a senior in its lineup, a more experienced Nebraska squad will take aim at a return trip to regionals in 2010.

Led by a dynamic senior duo of JC Stevenson and Charlotte Wendner, and juniors Mary Kate Bird and Rachel Hanigan, the Huskers should have more experience at the top of the lineup in 2009-10.

"We knew we were pretty young heading into last season, but when we lost maybe our most experienced player in Kate White at the semester, and then lost Mary Kate Bird to injury in the last regular-season tournament, it was just a little too much for our players to overcome," Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said.

"However, we think the challenges we faced last year allowed some of our younger players to grow and mature, which could help us a lot this season."

Stevenson continued to be a rock in the Husker lineup last year. The senior from Grand Island, Neb., played in all 33 rounds as a junior and produced NU’s second-best stroke average on the season at 77.21.

A three-time NGCA Scholastic All-American, Stevenson also carried a majority of NU’s leadership role with the departure of White in January.

Stevenson struggled at times while shouldering the extra leadership load, but finished the season strong by taking 20th at the Big 12 Championships in Lubbock, Texas.

"I think JC learned a lot about herself last year," Krapfl said. "She struggled with her game a little bit during the spring but finished strong and had a really good summer. We are hoping JC finishes with her best season as a Husker in 2010."

Stevenson has played 105 rounds in her Nebraska career and owns a solid 77.96 career stroke average. She has 15 career top-20 tournament finishes, including five top-10 showings. One of her most impressive efforts came with a tournament title at the 2007 Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invite, while another came with a tie for 14th at the 2008 NCAA Central Regional.

"JC is a proven scorer for us and knows about playing with pressure," Krapfl said. "We will need her to be a reliable and consistent player for us at or near the top of our lineup this season."

Wendner also proved herself late in 2008-09, becoming Nebraska’s top performer during the second half of the spring season.

The senior from Bjarred, Sweden, captured a spot on the All-Big 12 Championship Team by tying for 10th at the Rawls Course in Lubbock.

Wendner entered the final round of the Big 12 Tournament in a tie for third before sliding down the leaderboard on the final day. She closed her junior campaign with Nebraska’s No. 3 stroke average (77.85) while competing in 27 rounds. She also notched a pair of top-10 tournament finishes to increase her career total to four.

"Charlotte has a ton of potential, and she continued to realize the maturity and consistency that it takes to be a top player in our lineup last year," Krapfl said. "She showed her ability by battling for a Big 12 title for 27 holes last year, and we hope that can translate to even bigger and better things for Charlotte this season."

In addition to her success on the course, Wendner joined Stevenson on the NGCA Scholastic All-America squad in 2009, while also earning academic All-Big 12 honors for the second consecutive year.

"Our seniors have worked hard on the course and in the classroom during their careers and have shown that they want to improve on a daily basis," Krapfl said. "They have given a lot to our program, and we hope they can go out with great senior seasons."

While NU’s seniors finished among the top 20 players in the Big 12 last season, junior Mary Kate Bird was Nebraska’s most consistent performer throughout the year.

As a sophomore, Bird led Nebraska with a 76.68 stroke average, which was more than three strokes better than her freshman season average. It also ranked as the eighth-best average in school history.

Bird’s sophomore season included a career-best 215 to earn runner-up honors at Nebraska’s Chip-N Club Invitational. She added another top-10 finish by tying for ninth with a 217 at the Mountain View Collegiate in the spring. Her effort in Tucson, Ariz., included a career-best 68 in the opening round before finishing with a 217.

Perhaps her most impressive showing came with a tie for eighth (222) in a 215-player field at the 43-team Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic in February. She entered the final round in South Carolina in a tie for first.

"Mary Kate came out and battled for tournament titles several times last year," Krapfl said. "She has shown the ability to go low, and she has continued to improve her consistency, which is a great combination."

Despite Bird’s success, she has yet to make an appearance at the Big 12 Championships. As a true freshman, the flu kept her out of NU’s Big 12 lineup. Last season, she suffered a wrist injury in Nebraska’s regular-season finale at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational.

"Obviously we hope Mary Kate can stay healthy throughout the season," Krapfl said. "Her absence late in the year has had a pretty drastic affect on our postseason."

With Bird out of Nebraska’s Big 12 lineup in 2009, Rachel Hanigan earned her first conference tournament appearance. Hanigan competed in 27 rounds for the Huskers in her third year in Lincoln. She posted NU’s third-best finish at the Big 12 Tournament by tying for 38th (241), including a three-over-par 76 in the second round.

A 2009 NGCA Scholastic All-American, Hanigan closed her sophomore season with an 80.63 stroke average, including the first top-20 finish of her career at the McHaney/Morehead Invitational.

"Rachel has steadily improved her game over her first three years in our program," Krapfl said. "She is one of our most experienced players, and we will be hoping for a bit more consistency from her this season."

Sophomore Natalie Gleadall gives the Huskers five returning regulars from their 2008-09 lineup. The native of Stratford, Ontario, Canada produced Nebraska’s fourth-best stroke average (78.64) last season, which also ranked as the fourth-best average by a freshman in NU history.

She joined Stevenson as the only Huskers to compete in all 33 rounds in 2008-09, as she notched five top-35 finishes, including a pair of top-10 showings. Gleadall’s rookie campaign included a school-record five-under-par 67 in the second round of the UNLV Spring Invitational.

"Natalie is probably the biggest hitter on our team and she showed the ability to go low on a couple of occasions last year," Krapfl said. "Now that she is more familiar with the level of competition and the pressure of the collegiate game, I think we can expect to see some more consistently low scores from Natalie as a sophomore."

Fellow sophomore Maddie Sheils joined Gleadall in making an impact on Nebraska’s lineup as a true freshman in 2008-09. Sheils earned a lineup spot for the 2009 Big 12 Championships, finishing 58th in a talented field.

For the season, the true freshman from Boise, Idaho, competed in 15 rounds and managed an 83.17 stroke average on the year. She also joined Stevenson, Wendner and Hanigan as a 2009 NGCA Scholastic All-American.

"Maddie really learned a lot in her first year at Nebraska, and I think we will see her make some major gains as a sophomore," Krapfl said. "She will definitely be in the mix for one of our lineup spots, but one of the great things about our team this year is that even though we have five or six returning starters, we don’t really have anyone who can relax because of our depth."

That depth comes from the talented returning duo of Kayla Knopik and Carolyn Schorgl, and true freshman Erin Sharpee.

Knopik enters her third season at Nebraska in 2009-10. The sophomore from Papillion captured the 2009 Nebraska State Match Play title with a win over Stevenson in the championship match, after beating 17-time state champion Susan Marchese in the semifinals and former Husker All-Big Eight golfer Jane (Deeter) Pohlmann in the quarterfinals.

Knopik, who has competed in only six rounds for the Huskers in her first two seasons, served notice by her play this summer that she is ready to contend for a regular spot in the lineup.

"Kayla had a solid summer and you can see the steady improvements she has made in her game," Krapfl said. "We expect her to push everybody for playing time this year."

Schorgl competed in seven rounds outside of Nebraska’s lineup in 2008-09, and finished with a solid 79.29 stroke average. She produced a pair of top-35 finishes and her competitive attitude will help push the Huskers in 2009-10.

Nebraska’s lone freshman, Sharpee could also push her more experienced teammates for lineup time. The three-time all-state selection from Wisconsin high school power Notre Dame Academy brings impressive prep and junior credentials to the Huskers.

Nebraska will be challenged by an outstanding schedule that tees off at its own Chip-N Club Invitational at Wilderness Ridge Golf Club, Sept. 14-15.

After shooting for their sixth Chip-N Club title in the past seven seasons, the Huskers head to Highlands Ranch, Colo., for the Ron Moore Intercollegiate (Sept. 21-23). NU makes a return trip to Colorado two weeks later at the Heather Farr Memorial in Broomfield (Oct. 5-6), before heading south to the Alamo Invitational in San Antonio, Texas (Oct. 26-27). The Huskers close the fall campaign a week later back in Texas at The Challenge at Onion Creek in Austin (Nov. 2-3).

Nebraska opens the spring at the Kiawah Island Women’s Intercollegiate (Feb. 21-23), before traveling to Las Vegas for the UNLV Spring Invite (March 8--10). The Huskers return to the southwest the following weekend to play host to the Northern Migration (March 15-17) in Florence, Ariz.

Nebraska plays its third tournament in March at the BYU Dixie Classic in St. George, Utah (March 22-23), before journeying to Gainesville, Fla., to compete in the Lady Gator Invitational (April 10-11).

The Huskers will try to secure their 12th NCAA Regional bid since 1994 when they head to Norman, Okla., for the Big 12 Championships (April 23-25). NCAA Regional competitions will be held in Bloomington, Ind. (Central), Stanford, Calif. (West), or Greenville, N.C. (East), May 6-8, before Wilmington, N.C., plays host to the NCAA Championships, May 18-21.