Huskers Fire School Record Round at UNLV

Boulder City, Nev. - Three Huskers fired career-best rounds including a freshman school-record-tying 67 by Haley Thiele, as the Nebraska women's golf team fired a school-record 10-under-par 278 in the opening round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown on Sunday afternoon.

Thiele's record-tying five-under-par round included seven birdies, nine pars and a pair of bogeys as the true freshman from Wahoo, Neb., matched the round carded by then-Husker freshman Kate White at the Bronco Invitational in November of 2006.

Thiele's 67 put her in a tie for third place among 105 players on the par-72, 6,277-yard layout of the Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev. San Jose State's My Leander took the tournament lead with a sizzling 65, while teammate Elizabeth Schultz added a 66 to put the Spartans in a tie with Michigan atop the team standings at 275.

As a team, the Huskers sit in fourth place among a loaded field of 19 teams at the tournament, including third-place Missouri which is ranked 28th nationally and sits just one stroke ahead of the Huskers in third place. San Diego State, which is ranked No. 21 in the country by GolfStat and No. 39 Vanderbilt are tied for fifth at 280.

Morgan Smejkal continued her strong play this fall, recording a career-best two-under-par 70. The senior from Columbus, Neb., registered four birdies, 12 pars and a pair of bogeys in the best round of her collegiate career.

Audrey Judd matched Smejkal with a career-best 70 of her own. The sophomore from Olathe, Kan., played solid from start to finish with 14 pars, a trio of birdies, and just one bogey on the afternoon.

Smejkal and Judd head to Monday's second round in a tie for 25th individually.

Cassie Deeg gave the Huskers the fourth individual round better than par with a one-under 71. The senior from Hugo, Minn., had 13 pars, three birdies and a pair of bogeys. Deeg is tied for 40th in a field that featured 49 individual rounds better than par on Sunday.

The combined 278 by Nebraska's four top golfers surpassed the 280 produced in the second round of the 2011 Alamo Invitational by the lineup of Madeleine Sheils, Steffi Neisen, Kayla Knopik, Shelby Martinek and Katelyn Wright on Oct. 31, 2011.

The Huskers continue tournament play tomorrow at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown by competing alongside San Diego State and Vanderbilt. Nebraska will hit the course at Boulder Creek Golf Club beginning at 8 a.m. local time. Live scoring will be available at BirdieFire.com.

Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown
Oct. 25-27, 2015
Boulder Creek Golf Club (Par 72, 6,277 Yards)
Boulder City, Nev.

Team Standings (First Round)
T1. Michigan - 275
T1. San Jose State - 275
3. Missouri - 277
4. Nebraska - 278 (school record)
T5. San Diego State - 280
T5. Vanderbilt - 280
T7. New Mexico - 281
T7. UNLV - 281
T7. Tennessee - 281
T10. Texas - 283
T10. Colorado State - 283
T12. Long Beach State - 284
T12. Minnesota - 284
14. Indiana - 285
T15. Idaho - 287
T15. Nevada - 287
17. Fresno State - 289
18. Gonzaga - 290
19. UC Irvine - 301

Individual Leaderboard (First Round)
1. My Leander, San Jose State - 65
2. Elizabeth Schultz, San Jose State - 66
T3. Haley Thiele, Nebraska - 67
T3. Sirene Blair, San Diego State - 67
T3. Camille Chevalier, Indiana - 67
T3. Cindy Ha, Vanderbilt - 67
T3. Celyn Khoo, Nevada - 67
T8. Ingrid Gutierrez, New Mexico - 68 
T8. Kaylee Benton, UNLV - 68
T8. *Shannon Oh, UNLV - 68
T8. Anna Newell, Tennessee - 68
T8. Kassidy Teare, Long Beach State - 68
T8. Jennifer Hahn, Vanderbilt - 68
T8. Catherine Peters, Michigan - 68
T8. Kathy Lim, Michigan - 68
T8. Jess Meek, Missouri - 68
*competed as an individual outside team lineup

Nebraska Individuals
T3. Haley Thiele - 68 (ties freshman school record)
T25. Morgan Smejkal - 70 (career best)
T25. Audrey Judd - 70 (career best)
T40. Cassie Deeg - 71
T94. Cassidy Stelzmiller - 76