Vail, Colo. - Cassie Deeg and Cassidy Stelzmiller each fired final-round 73s to lead the Nebraska women's golf team to a ninth-place finish at the GolfWeek Conference Challenge at the Red Sky Golf Club on Wednesday.
In addition to the one-over-par rounds from Deeg and Stelzmiller, the Huskers got a three-over-par 75 from Jordan Chael and four-over 76 from Emily Gillman to produce a final-round 297 team score. The strong final round moved the Huskers up two spots in the final team standings in the 17-team field.
Chael, a sophomore from Overland Park, Kan., was Nebraska's top individual finisher for the third straight tournament to open the season. She tied for 35th (76-78-75-229) in the 90-player field.
Stelzmiller, a junior from Placerville, Calif., added a tie for 42nd (78-80-73-231) while making her first appearance in the Nebraska lineup this season.
Deeg added a tie for 52nd (82-80-73-235), while Gillman tied for 64th (79-82-76-237) while making the first lineup appearance of her collegiate career.
Morgan Smejkal rounded out the Husker contingent in a tie for 71st at 239 after settling for a final-round 86. Smejkal had carded the best rounds for the Huskers on both Monday (76) and Tuesday (77).
Pepperdine claimed a hotly contested team title with a one-stroke win over Tennessee. The Waves fired an eight-under-par 280 as a team on Wednesday to close at two-under 862 for the tournament. The Lady Vols, who entered the final round tied with the Waves, produced a 281. Denver finished third at 870.
Pepperdine's Marissa Chow ran away with medalist honors by firing a five-under-par 67 on Wednesday to close at six-under-par 210 for the tournament. She defeated Tennessee's A.J. and Anna Newell and Denver's Mariell Bruun (214) by four strokes. Tennessee's Hannah Pietila added a fifth-place showing at 215.
The Huskers will be back in action in Colorado for the Pioneer Invitational in Denver, Oct. 10-12. The Big Red closes its fall campaign at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational, Oct. 21-23.
GolfWeek Conference Challenge
Sept. 22-24, 2014
Red Sky Golf Club (Fazio Course)
Par 72, 6,249 Yards
Final Team Results
1. Pepperdine - 284-298-280-862
2. Tennessee - 285-297-281-863
3. Denver - 293-301-276-870
4. Campbell - 290-302-289-881
5. Louisville - 293-301-295-889
6. Long Beach State - 308-312-288-908
7. TCU - 303-310-297-910
8. Texas State - 309-314-291-914
9. Nebraska - 309-315-297-921
10. UTSA - 314-309-303-926
11. Lamar - 306-312-310-928
12. Toledo - 305-323-301-929
13. New Mexico - 315-317-303-935
T14. Illinois State - 307-321-311-939
T14. Georgetown - 313-337-289-939
16. Jacksonville State - 323-334-308-965
17. Stetson - 328-251-232-811-D
Final Individual Results
1. Marissa Chow, Pepperdine - 73-70-67-210 (-6)
T2. A.J. Newell, Tennessee - 70-74-70-214 (-2)
T2. Mariell Bruun, Denver - 73-73-68-214 (-2)
T2. Anna Newell, Tennessee - 72-75-67-214 (-2)
5. Hannah Pietila, Tennessee - 70-74-71-215 (-1)
T6. Isabel Southard, Denver - 73-78-66-217 (+1)
T6. Tatiana Wijaya, Pepperdine - 68-78-71-217 (+1)
8. Jessica Carty, Denver - 72-76-70-218 (+2)
T9. Louise Latorre, Campbell - 70-73-76-219 (+3)
T9. Brooke Bellomy, Campbell - 71-77-71-219 (+3)
Nebraska Individuals
T35. Jordan Chael - 76-78-75-229
T42. Cassidy Stelzmiller - 78-80-73-231
T58. Cassie Deeg - 82-80-73-235
T64. Emily Gillman - 79-82-76-237
T71. Morgan Smejkal - 76-77-86-239