Lincoln - Five Nebraska women's golfers captured individual top-20 finishes, as the Huskers finished fifth in a 13-team field at the Chip-N Club Invitational at the Country Club of Lincoln on Tuesday.
Morgan Smejkal led the Huskers throughout the tournament, producing a career-best three-round total of 220 to claim a career-best tie for 12th. The senior from Columbus, Neb., notched a final-round 75 on Tuesday to earn her second straight top-15 tournament finish for the Big Red.
Cassie Deeg added a 76 in the final round to finish with a 54-hole score of 221. The senior from Hugo, Minn., tied for 14th individually.
Sophomore Audrey Judd (Olathe, Kan.) and freshman Haley Thiele (Wahoo, Neb.) added the best tournament finishes of their young careers by tying for 17th. Judd managed a 78 on Tuesday to finish at 226, but her score did not count toward Nebraska's final-round team score. Thiele, who was playing as an individual outside the NU lineup, added a 77 to close with a 226 of her own.
Junior Sarah Pravecek (Omaha, Neb.) carded Nebraska's best round of the day with a two-over-par 74 on the 6,105-yard layout of the Country Club of Lincoln. Pravecek grabbed the best tournament finish of collegiate career by tying for 20th with a 229. It was her second top-25 finish of the fall.
Cassidy Stelzmiller also finished the tournament strong with a 77 to give the Huskers their fourth counting score of the team. The senior from Placerville, Calif., tied for 36th with a 234 over 54 holes.
Sophomore Emily Gillman rounded out the Nebraska contingent with a final-round 81 to settle for 57th (245) individually in the 75-player field.
As a team, Nebraska managed a 302 on Tuesday to close with a season-best three-round total of 895. The Huskers closed just one shot back of fourth-place Missouri State (894), two shots behind third-place Kansas (893) and five shots back of second-place South Dakota State (890).
Notre Dame ran away with the tournament title by 30 strokes, scorching the Country Club course for a four-under-par three-round total of 860. The Fighting Irish produced a five-under 283 on Tuesday, featuring a final-round 66 from Talia Campbell.
Campbell, who finished third individually at 215, couldn't catch teammate Isabella DiLisio, who led the Irish with a 214, including a second-round 66. Notre Dame's Kari Bellville tied for fourth with an even-par 216, including a second-round 68 Monday.
Yupaporn Kawinpakorn from Kansas claimed medalist honors with a four-under-par 212 over 54 holes. Kawinpakorn used a four-under 68 on Tuesday to make her even-par first and second rounds stand up for the win.
Nebraska returns to action next week by traveling to the Pinehurst Challenge in North Carolina. Oct. 12-13.
Chip-N Club Invitational
Oct. 5-6, 2015
Lincoln, Neb. (Country Club of Lincoln)
Par 72, 6,105 Yards
Final Team Standings
1. Notre Dame - 297-280-283-860 (-4)
2. South Dakota State - 295-299-296-890
3. Kansas - 299-302-292-893
4. Missouri State - 302-298-294-894
5. Nebraska - 301-292-302-895
6. UMKC - 304-305-305-914
7. South Dakota - 307-309-323-939
8. North Dakota State - 312-310-323-945
9. Bellevue - 317-316-313-946
10. Illinois State - 314-313-320-947
11. Creighton - 324-307-324-955
12. Omaha - 325-315-333-973
13. Nebraska-Kearney - 337-339-330-1,006
Final Individual Standings
1. Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Kansas - 72-72-68-212 (-4)
2. Isabella DiLisio, Notre Dame - 76-66-72-214 (-2)
3. Talia Campbell, Notre Dame - 74-75-66-215 (-1)
T4. Kari Bellville, Notre Dame - 76-68-72-216 (E)
T4. *Maddie Rose Hamilton, Notre Dame - 73-72-71-216 (E)
T6. Verena Gimmy, Missouri State - 74-72-72-218 (+2)
T6. Stine Pettersen, Missouri State - 73-72-73-218 (+2)
T6. Ariadna Fonseca, Kansas - 75-75-68-218 (+2)
T6. Megan Mingo, South Dakota State - 73-69-76-218 (+2)
T10 Jordan Ferreira, Notre Dame - 73-72-74-219 (+3)
T10. Cynthia Diaz, UMKC - 72-72-75-219 (+3)
Nebraska Individuals
T12. Morgan Smejkal - 72-73-75-220 (+4)
T14. Cassie Deeg - 73-72-76-221 (+5)
T17. Audrey Judd - 76-72-78-226 (+10)
*T17. Haley Thiele - 77-72-77-226 (+10)
T20. Sarah Pravecek - 80-75-74-229 (+13)
T36. Cassidy Stelzmiller - 82-75-77-234 (+18)
*57. Emily Gillman - 87-77-81-245
*competed as an individual outside the team lineup