Freshman Smith Starts Strong in Colorado

Fort Collins, Colo. - Nebraska freshman Kate Smith started strong in the first tournament of her collegiate career, firing a three-under-par 69 in the opening round of the Ptarmigan Ram Classic on Monday.

Smith, the only five-time Minnesota state high school girls golf champion in history, added a second-round 74 to close the opening day in Colorado at one-under-par 143 to sit in a tie for sixth place in the individual standings.

She is five strokes behind San Jose State's My Leander, who produced the top score of the day with a six-under-par 138. Leander opened with a 68 and added a 70 in the second round.

As a team, Nebraska finished the day at 612, while San Jose State (572) owns a 16-shot lead over second-place Nevada (588) in the team standings through two rounds in the 15-team field.

Smith, a native of Detroit Lakes, Minn., led a freshman-filled Husker lineup to 11th place in the team standings after the tournament's first 36 holes.

Fellow freshman Claire Robertson from Carnoustie, Scotland, contributed Nebraska's second-best score of the opening round with a 76. A third freshman, Annie Sritragul from Bangkok, Thailand, contributed to Nebraska's first-round team score with an 83.

Sarah Pravecek, a senior from Omaha, added a 79 to complete the Big Red's first-round with a 307. Pravecek's second-round 76 gave the Huskers their second-best individual round trailing on Smith's 74, to help NU to a second-round 305.

Pravecek is tied for 52nd heading to the final round with a 155. Robertson is tied for 66th at 157, while Sritragul is tied for 79th at 161. Junior Emily Gillman rounds out the Husker contingent tied for 82nd (163) in the 87-player field.

Gillman managed a second-round 77 despite taking a five-over-par 10 on No. 14. She wasn't the only Husker to struggle on the 14th hole in the round. Sritragul, who gave the Huskers their fourth counting score of the round with a 78, settled for a 9 on the hole, while Robertson took an 8. Smith, who made par, was the only Husker to successfully navigate the hole in the second round, as Pravecek took a double-bogey.

In the opening round, Smith notched a birdie on the hole, while Robertson made par, but Sritragul and Pravecek both took double bogeys, while Gillman bogeyed. Overall, through the two rounds, the Huskers combined to go 18-over on the 14th hole.

Nebraska will conclude play in the Ptarmigan Ram Classic on Tuesday, with a shotgun start set for 9 a.m. (CT).

Ptarmigan Ram Classic
Sept. 12, 2016
Fort Collins, Colo. 
Ptarmigan Country Club
Par 72, 6,364 Yards

Team Standings (Two Rounds)
1. San Jose State - 287-285-572 (-4)
2. Nevada - 291-297-588
3. Gonzaga - 301-288-589
4. UC Irvine - 298-292-590
5. Oregon State - 298-294-592
6. San Francisco - 302-294-596
T7. Indiana - 296-304-600
T7. Northern Colorado - 303-297-600
9. Portland State - 306-296-602
10. Wyoming - 299-304-603
11. Nebraska - 307-305-612
12. Boise State - 301-312-613
13. Colorado State - 313-301-614
14. Long Beach State - 311-308-619
15. Hawaii - 308-314-622

Individual Top 10 (Two Rounds)
1. My Leander, San Jose State - 68-70-138 (-6)
T2. Bianca Pagdangana, Gonzaga - 74-66-140
T2. Franziska Friedrich, San Jose State - 71-69-140
4. *Ellen Secor, Colorado State - 73-68-141
5. Kaley In, UC Irvine - 73-69-142
T6. Kate Smith, Nebraska - 69-74-143
T6. Ciera Min, Gonzaga - 73-70-143
8. Avery French, UC Irvine - 73-71-144
T9. Celyn Khoo, Nevada - 72-73-145
T9. Mabel Wong, San Francisco - 75-70-145
T9. Janet Yeo, Northern Colorado - 72-73-145
T9. Alix Kong, Indiana - 71-74-145

Nebraska Individuals
T6. Kate Smith - 69-74-143
T52. Sarah Pravecek - 79-76-155
T66. Claire Robertson - 76-81-157
T79. Annie Sritragul - 83-78-161
T82. Emily Gillman - 86-770163