Smejkal, Deeg Lead Big Red in Hawaii

Schofield Barracks, Oahu - Morgan Smejkal fired a career-best one-under-par 71 in the opening round to finish the first 36 holes in sixth at 146 to lead the Nebraska women's golf team to third place in the standings at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational Wednesday.

Smejkal, a junior from Columbus, Neb., scorched the 6,228-yard layout of the Leilehua Golf Club in Wednesday's first round, which was delayed a full day by rain in Hawaii on Tuesday. 

The Big Red also got strong first rounds from fellow juniors Cassidy Stelzmiller (74) and Cassie Deeg (75), while sophomore Jordan Chael added a 77 to give Nebraska a 297 team score after the first round.

Deeg, a native of Hugo, Minn., led the Huskers with a second-round 73 to close the first two rounds in a tie for 10th at 148. Stelzmiller, a junior from Placerville, Calif., contributed a 76 to end the day in a tie for 14th at 150. Chael added another 77 to close her first 36 holes in a tie for 30th at 154, while helping NU finish the second round with a 301, closing the day with a 598 team score.

Vanderbilt produced the best scores of both rounds by firing an opening-round 288 and a second-round 286 to post a two-under-par 574 for the day. The Commodores own a commanding 19-shot lead over second-place Boise State (290-303-593), while the Broncos sit just five shots in front of the Huskers in the 14-team field.

Nebraska owns a one stroke lead over fourth-place Cal State Fullerton (297-302-599) and a five-shot edge over fifth-place BYU (296-307-603) heading into Thursday's final round.

Freshman Emily Gillman provided a pair of strong scores while playing as an individual outside the Husker lineup to put herself in position for her first career top-25 finish. The Texan carded an opening-round 75 before adding a 78 in the second round to head into Thursday's final round in a tie for 23rd at 153.

Fellow freshman Audrey Judd rounded out the Husker contingent in 61st place (79-81-160) in the 82-player field.

The Rainbow Wahine Invitational concludes with a final round beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. Live scoring will be available at BirdieFire.com.

Rainbow Wahine Invitational
Oct. 22-23, 2014
Schofield Barracks, Oahu
Leilehua Golf Club
Par 72, 6,228 Yards

Team Standings (Two Rounds)

1. Vanderbilt - 288-286-574
2. Boise State - 290-303-593
3. Nebraska - 297-301-598
4. Cal State Fullerton - 297-302-599
5. BYU - 296-307-603
6. Hawaii - 306-301-607
7. Alabama State - 303-310-613
8. UC Irvine - 301-313-614
9. Grand Canyon - 298-317-615
T10. Weber State - 308-308-616
T10. Wichita State - 306-310-616
12. Sacramento State - 307-317-624
13. Utah Valley - 323-320-643
14. Hawaii-Hilo - 336-335-671

Individual Leaderboard (Two Rounds)

1. Kendall Martindale, Vanderbilt - 68-71-139 (-5)
2. Cindy Ha, Vanderbilt - 73-69-142 (-2)
3. Samantha Martin, Boise State - 72-71-143 (-1)
T4. Lea Garner, BYU - 69-76-145 (+1)
T4. Tisha Alyn Abrea, Cal State Fullerton - 72-73-145 (+1)
6. Morgan Smejkal, Nebraska - 71-75-146 (+2)
T7. Kate Sborov, Vanderbilt - 73-74-147 (+3)
T7. Dana Clary, Boise State - 70-77-147 (+3)
T7. Jennifer Hahn, Vanderbilt - 75-72-147 (+3)
T10. Cassie Deeg, Nebraska - 75-73-148 (+4)
T10. Genevieve Ling, Boise State - 71-77-148 (+4)
T10. Martina Edberg, Cal State Fullerton - 74-74-148 (+4)

Nebraska Individuals

6. Morgan Smejkal - 71-75-146 (+2)
T10. Cassie Deeg - 75-73-148 (+4)
T14. Cassidy Stelzmiller - 74-76-150 (+6)
*T23. Emily Gillman - 75-78-153 (+9)
T30. Jordan Chael - 77-77-154 (+10)
61. Audrey Judd - 79-81-160 (+16)

*competed as an individual outside the Nebraska lineup