Kelli Ann Strand fired an even-par 216 over three rounds to lead the Nebraska women's golf team with a tie for 12th individually at the Lady Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday.
Strand, a true freshman from Challis, Idaho, opened the tournament on Saturday with a 70 (-2) on the 6,319-yard layout of the Scarlet Course, before adding an even-par 72 in Saturday's second round. She closed the tournament with a 74 (+2) in challenging scoring conditions in Sunday's final round, missing a top-10 finish by just one stroke. Strand's performance marked her eighth top-20 individual finish of the season.
Strand's finish in the 87-player field produced a bright spot for a Husker squad that struggled on the Scarlet Course. Nebraska settled for 12th in a 14-team field that was loaded with 13 Big Ten teams in preparation for the upcoming Big Ten Championship (April 21-23) in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sophomore Andrea Velez notched Nebraska's No. 2 individual finish in a tie for 51st at 228 (+12). Velez was playing out of the No. 6 spot in a six-count-four scoring lineup, which also will be in play at the conference tournament.
Sophomore Miu Takahashi tied for 54th at 229 (+13), while graduate student Megan Whittaker tied for 61st at 232 (+16), snapping a streak of 18 consecutive top-35 individual finishes . Lindsey Thiele tied for 75th at 236 (+20), while Michaela Vavrova took 77th at 237 (+21).
The hosts from Ohio State ran away with the team title on their home course. The No. 25 Buckeyes finished at 854 (-10) to defeat runner-up and No. 34 Michigan State by nine strokes. The Spartans closed at 863 (-1). Penn State took third at 864 (E), while No. 33 Maryland finished fourth at 867 (+3) and No. 46 Purdue rounded out the top five at 871 (+5).
Michigan's Monet Chun and Maryland's Patricie Mackova shared medalist honors with three-round totals of 208 (-8). Ohio State's Caley McGinty took third at 211 (-5), while Penn State's Mathilde Delavallade and Sarah Willis tied for fourth at 212 (-4).
The Huskers will be back in action this week at the Big Ten Championship at the Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa., April 21-23.
Lady Buckeye Invitational
April 15-16, 2023
Scarlet Course (Par 72, 6,319 Yards)
Columbus, Ohio
Final Team Results
1. #25 Ohio State - 277-281-296=854 (-10)
2. #34 Michigan State - 279-286-298=863 (-1)
3. Penn State - 278-289-297=864 (E)
4. #33 Maryland - 287-285-295=867 (+3)
5. #46 Purdue - 285-293-293=871 (+7)
6. #44 Michigan - 291-286-295=872 (+8)
7. Minnesota - 283-294-302=879 (+15)
8. #40 Kent State - 288-298-298=884 (+20)
9. Illinois - 291-296-304=891 (+27)
10. Wisconsin - 293-293-308=894 (+27)
11. Iowa - 300-292-304=896 (+32)
12. Nebraska - 293-300-307=900 (+36)
13. Indiana - 294-305-304=903 (+39)
14. Rutgers - 304-308-DNF=DNF
Final Individual Results
T1. Monet Chun, Michigan - 71-67-70=208 (-8)
T1. Patricie Mackova, Maryland - 66-69-73=208 (-8)
3. Caley McGinty, Ohio State - 67-68-76=211 (-5)
T4. Mathilde Delavallade, Penn State - 68-71-73=212 (-4)
4. Sarah Willis, Penn State - 67-68-77=212 (-4)
T6. Crystal Wang, Illinois - 71-70-73=214 (-2)
T6. Brooke Biermann, Michigan State - 67-74-73=214 (-2)
T6. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State - 70-70-74=214 (-2)
T9. Isabella McCauley, Minnesota - 70-72-73=215 (-1)
T9. Ashley Kozlowski, Purdue - 69-72-74=215 (-1)
T9. Mariana Mesones, Minnesota - 70-70-75=215 (-1)
Nebraska Individuals
T12. Kelli Ann Strand - 70-72-74=216 (E)
T51. Andrea Velez - 75-74-79=228 (+12)
T54. Miu Takahashi - 73-81-75=229 (+13)
T61. Megan Whittaker - 75-78-79=232 (+16)
T75. Lindsey Thiele - 80-77-79=236 (+20)
77. Michaela Vavrova - 79-77-81=237 (+21)
Kelli Ann Strand finished 12th individually at the Lady Buckeye Invitational.