Freshmen Earn Top 25 Finishes in Florida

Husker freshmen Kaleigh Babineaux and Ailis Tribolet both put up top-25 finishes to lead the Nebraska women's golf team to a ninth-place finish at the UCF Challenge - presented by PDI in Orlando on Tuesday.

Babineaux, a first-year Husker from Austin, Texas, strung together three straight rounds of even-par 72 on the 6,392-yard layout of the Eagle Creek Golf Club. She finished with a three-round total of 216 to tie for 17th.

Tribolet, a freshman from Chandler, Ariz., added a tie for 24th just one stroke back of Babineaux at 217 (+1). Tribolet's tournament included back-to-back rounds of 71 (-1) on Monday and Tuesday.

Redshirt junior Lauren Thiele used an even-par 72 in the second round and a final-round 74 (+2) to move up the leaderboard into a tie for 56th at 223 (+7) in a 96-player field.

Junior Hannah Kono was Nebraska's No. 4 finisher with a 54-hole total of 224 (+8) with back-to-back rounds of 75 (+3) after an opening-round 74 (+2) on Sunday.

Sophomore Eden Lohrbach rounded out the Husker contingent in 82nd with rounds of 75, 74 and 82 to close at 231 (+15).

As a team, the Huskers finished ninth in a 16-team field at 877 (+13). Nebraska's showing included a second-round 289 (+1), before closing with a 292 (+4). The Big Red opened the spring season with a 296 (+8).

No. 7 Auburn claimed the team title with a three-round total of 840 (-24). The Tigers defeated No. 18 Mississippi State (844) by four strokes, while the hosts from No. 12 UCF finished third at 849 (-15).

Auburn's Katie Cranston took home medalist honors with a 207 (-9), one shot better than national No. 1 Avery Weed from Mississippi State and UCF's Mila Jurine, who both finished in a tie for second at 208 (-8).

Nebraska returns to action at the Texas Golf Throwdown at The Woodlands, Texas (Feb. 16-17).

UCF Challenge 
Orlando, Florida
Eagle Creek Golf Club
Par 72, 6,392 Yards
January 25-27, 2026

Final Results
1. #7 Auburn - 280-278-282=840 (-24)
2. #18 Mississippi State - 281-280-283=844 (-20)
3. #12 UCF - 283-282-284=849 (-15)
4. #21 Baylor - 281-285-288=854 (-10)
5. Penn State - 287-283-289=859 (-5)
6. USF - 293-285-283=861 (-3)
7. Florida Gulf Coast - 287-287-291=865 (+1)
8. #24 Kent State - 292-286-291=869 (+5)
9. Nebraska - 296-289-292=877 (+13)
10. South Alabama - 295-293-297=885 (+21)
11. North Florida - 300-295-295=890 (+26)
12. Abilene Christian - 291-303-301=895 (+31)
13. East Carolina - 295-300-303=898 (+34)
14. Charlotte - 309-296-294=899 (+35)
15. Northern Illinois - 302-292-308=902 (+38)
16. Old Dominion - 308-302-303=913 (+49)

Final Individual Results
1. Katie Cranston, Auburn - 69-69-69=207 (-9)
T2. #1 Avery Weed, Mississippi State - 70-68-70=208 (-8)
T2. #53 Mila Jurine, UCF - 70-70-68=208 (-8)
T4. #74 Malena Castro, Baylor - 71-66-72=209 (-7)
T4. Leonie Wulfers, Florida Gulf Coast - 68-68-73=209 (-7)
T4. #141 Molly Brown Davidson, Auburn - 69-68-72=209 (-7)
T7. Ines Belchior, Mississippi State - 70-68-72=210 (-6)
T7. #59 Pimpisa Sisutham, UCF - 69-69-72=210 (-6)
T7. Tiphani Knight, USF - 70-71-69=210 (-6)
T10. Amelia Wan, Baylor - 66-72-73=211 (-5)
T10. #134 Charlotte Cantonis, Auburn - 73-70-68=211 (-5)
T10. Moa Stridh, Mississippi State - 70-71-70=211 (-5)

Nebraska Individuals
T17. Kaleigh Babineaux - 72-72-72=216 (E)
T24. Ailis Tribolet - 75-71-71=217 (+1)
T56. Lauren Thiele - 77-72-74=223 (+7)
T61. Hannah Kono - 74-75-75=224 (+8)
82. Eden Lohrbach - 75-74-82=231 (+15)