Three Sign in Johnson's First Husker Class

Three golfers signed National Letters of Intent to join the Nebraska women's golf program in Coach Lisa Johnson's first Husker signing class on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Nebraska), Andrea Velez (Pereira, Colombia) and Michaela Vavrova (Bojnice, Slovakia) will bring both home-state traditions and international flavor to the Nebraska roster.

"We are excited to add three young, talented golfers to our team for the 2020-21 season," Johnson said. "All three have some very solid potential, as golfers who are just starting to realize the potential they have in the game. All three are also outstanding performers academically with high character. They are going to benefit from the great all-around environment we have at the University of Nebraska." 

Lindsey Thiele 
Wahoo, Nebraska (Bishop Neumann)
Lindsey Thiele (pronounced TEEL) continues a family tradition on the Nebraska women's golf team, as the senior at Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo follows in the footsteps of her older sisters, Haley and Hannah, who are both current Huskers. 

A strong all-around athlete, Thiele finished sixth individually at the 2019 Class B Boys State Golf Championships. She helped the Bishop Neumann boys team to a Class B state tournament appearance as a junior. Her eighth-place district finish helped Neumann finish second at districts to qualify for state. As a sophomore in the spring of 2018, Thiele was a Class C boys individual district champion while helping Bishop Neumann to a district runner-up finish and an appearance at the state tournament.

As a junior golfer, Thiele qualified for the 2019 PGA Girls Junior National Tournament at Keney Park Golf Club in Hartford, Conn. She won the 2019 Nebraska Girls Junior PGA Championship at Indian Trails Country Club in Beemer and the 2019 Hale Irwin AJGA Preview at Walnut Creek in Westminster, Colo. She was also the runner-up at the 2019 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. Thiele also placed third at the 2019 USGA Nebraska Junior Girls Qualifier at Wild Horse Golf Club in Gothenburg. 

Before high school, Thiele qualified for the 2016 Optimist International Golf Tournament at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., by winning the Nebraska Girls Junior Optimist Qualifier. As a seventh grader, she was the 2015 Girls Junior PGA Champion (Ages 13-15).

Thiele is also an outstanding basketball and volleyball player at Bishop Neumann. As a junior in basketball in 2019, Thiele earned a spot on the Class C1 All-Tournament team by leading Neumann to the Class C1 state title. She earned second-team Class C1 all-state honors from the Lincoln Journal Star. She was an honorable-mention all-state selection in basketball as both a freshman and sophomore. Thiele helped Bishop Neumann to a runner-up finish at state in 2018, after the team finished third at state her freshman season. Thiele was also honorable-mention Class C1 in volleyball as a freshman, sophomore and junior.

Thiele is a standout in the classroom. She carries a 4.0 GPA  and is the student body president at Bishop Neumann. She is a four-year member of the student council and is involved in many different clubs and volunteer activities. She is also a UNL Regents Scholar.

She chose Nebraska over Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Northern Illinois, Evansville and Wyoming.

"There is something about being able to say that 'I am a Husker' that makes me beyond excited for the future," Thiele said. "From academically to athletically, this University has it all, and I am so honored and humbled to have the opportunity to be a part of this great school and team."

The daughter of Kevin and Lisa Thiele, Lindsey is also has two younger sisters, Lauren and Brooke.

Michaela Vavrova
Bojnice, Slovakia
Michaela Vavrova will be the first Slovakian women's golfer in Husker history. A two-time winner of the Slovak U18 Junior Championship, Vavrova has been a member of the Slovak National Team for five years. She has represented Slovakia three times at the European Team Championships. 

In addition to several victories in junior tournaments in Slovakia, Vavrova has an extensive international background, competing in many tournaments in Italy and such events as the ANNIKA Invitational Europe and the European Girls' Team Championship in Sweden, the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy in England, the Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open, the European Ladies' Team Championship, the Austrian Stroke Play U21 and the Junior Orange Bowl International, Doral Publix Junior Classic and the IMG Academy Junior World Championship in the United States - all within the last two years.

" I think Coach Lisa (Johnson) and Chessey (Thomas) are a perfect combo, and I think it will be great cooperating with them. The members of the team are positive, hard-working and very funny," Vavrova said. "My first feelings about Lincoln and the University of Nebraska were amazing. Everything is so nice, safe and clean. I really like the system and program for students the university has. It is very important for me to have friendly, helpful and nice people around me, and I met a lot of them during my official visit."

The daughter Angelika Vavrova and Igor Vavro, Michaela was born Oct. 10, 2000, in Bratislava, Slovakia. She has a younger sister, Zuzana. Vavrova, who began playing golf at the age of 9, credits much of her success and commitment in the game to her grandfather, who has served as a coach, caddy and all-around support system as a golfer.

Andrea Velez
Pereira, Colombia (Liceo Frances de Pereira)
Andrea Velez becomes the first Colombian in the Nebraska women's golf program. The 17-year-old has been one of the top junior golfers in Colombia for the past two years and broke through on the international stage with an 11th-place finish at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship at Trump National Doral in July. She won the Colombian Golf Federation Master Internacional Infantil Y Juvenil in 2018, before adding a third-place finish at the same event in 2019. Velez added a fifth-place finish at the 2019 Campeonato Nacional e Internacional Juvenil Stroke Play in Guatemala, which featured top players from Central America and the Caribbean.

The daughter of Guillermo Velez and Constanza Lopez, Andrea was born June 24, 2002. She has a younger sister, Antonia.

"I chose Nebraska because it is an amazing university. When I did my official visit, I just felt in love. Everybody was so nice, including all the members of the team. My dream as a child was to study in a university like Nebraska. I want to spend my next four years and more at Nebraska learning new things with really nice people."