Vanessa Bouvet tied for ninth individually to lead five Huskers with top-25 finishes, as the Nebraska women's golf team took fifth at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday.
Bouvet, a senior from France/Brunei, produced a solid three-round total of 226 (+10) in challenging scoring conditions on the 6,319-yard layout of the Scarlet Course. She closed the 10-team tournament with a final-round 76 (+4), after opening with rounds of 75 and 76 on Friday. It marked Bouvet's fourth top-10 showing of the season and sixth of her Husker career.
While Bouvet led a balanced Husker lineup in the tournament, fellow senior Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) produced Nebraska's best individual round on Saturday with a 74 (+2) to climb the leader board and capture her seventh consecutive top-25 finish of the season. Whittaker, who struggled Friday with rounds of 79 and 80, closed the tournament with a 54-hole score of 233, battling her way nine spots up the leader board in the final round.
Michaela Vavrova joined Whittaker in making a major jump up the individual standings Saturday. The sophomore from Slovakia vaulted 12 spots up the leader board with a final-round 75 (+3) to finish with a three-round total of 235 to match senior teammates Kirsten Baete (Beatrice, Neb.) and Nicole Hansen in a tie for 25th. Baete notched Nebraska's No. 4 score in the tournament's six-count-four format on Saturday with her 78, while Hansen added a 79.
True freshman Miu Takahashi rounded out the Nebraska contingent in the tournament with a 251 to finish 57th in a 60-player field.
As a team, Nebraska posted a 303 (+15) score on Saturday to close with a three-round total of 923 (+59). It was the fourth-best team score of the final round, allowing the Huskers to move up one spot in the team standings after carding rounds of 311 and 309 on Friday.
The hosts from Ohio State won the team title with an 897 (+33) that included a final-round 292 (+4). The Buckeyes defeated in-state rival Kent State, which finished second at 912 (+48), including a 298 (+10) on Saturday. Illinois (913) and Michigan State (916) rounded out the top four teams ahead of the Huskers in the final standings.
Nebraska defeated Big Ten foes Maryland (925), Penn State (935) and Rutgers (938), while also knocking off Xavier (937) and NCAA Division II power University of Indianapolis (977).
Kent State All-American Emily Price took home medalist honors with a three-round score of 215 (-1), which included a final-round 68 (-4). Price was the only golfer to finish with a 54-hole score better than par, and she won the individual title by six strokes over Michigan State's Valery Plata, Kent State teammate Chloe Salort and Ohio State's Emily Hummer, who finished in a three-way tie for second at 221.
"Good preparation for Big Tens," Nebraska Coach Lisa Johnson said. "As always, Ohio State provided a great challenge - windy and cold weather and tough course conditions. We will build on the positives from this event. I am really pleased with where we are technically, but we need some more putting and chipping reps before heading to Pittsburgh."
The Huskers return to action next weekend for the Big Ten Championship (April 22-24) at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational
Scarlet Course (Par 72, 6,319 Yards)
Columbus, Ohio
April 15-16, 2022
Final Team Results
1. Ohio State (57) - 298-307-292=897 (+33)
2. Kent State (44) - 305-309-298=912 (+48)
3. Illinois (25) - 305-303-305=913 (+49)
4. Michigan State (35) - 306-313-297=916 (+52)
5. Nebraska (70) - 311-309-303=923 (+59)
6. Maryland (62) - 314-304-307=925 (+61)
7. Penn State (92) - 316-312-307=935 (+71)
8. Xavier (94) - 310-313-314=937 (+73)
9. Rutgers (117) - 314-318-306=938 (+74)
10. Indianapolis (11-DII) - 330-327-320=977 (+113)
Final Individual Results
1. Emily Price, Kent State - 72-75-68=215 (-1)
T2. Valery Plata, Michigan State - 73-76-72=221 (+5)
T2. Chloe Salort, Kent State - 75-72-74=221 (+5)
T2. Emily Hummer, Ohio State - 72-73-76=221 (+5)
T5. Aneka Seumanutafa, Ohio State - 75-76-71=222 (+6)
T5. Crystal Wang, Illinois - 71-74-77=222 (+6)
7. Alexis Phadungmartvorakul, Ohio State - 77-75-73=225 (+9)
8. Patrice Mackova, Maryland - 77-74-75=226 (+10)
T9. Kornkamol Sukaree, Illinois - 75-80-72=222 (+11)
T9. Vanessa Bouvet, Nebraska - 75-76-76=227 (+11)
Nebraska Individuals
T9. Vanessa Bouvet - 75-76-76=227 (+11)
T23. Megan Whittaker - 79-80-74=233 (+18)
T25. Michaela Vavrova - 83-77-75=235 (+20)
T25. Kirsten Baete - 77-80-78=235 (+20)
T25. Nicole Hansen - 80-76-79=235 (+20)
57. Miu Takahashi - 84-83-84=251 (+35)
Vanessa Bouvet tied for ninth at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational.