Huskers Earn Runner-Up Finish in Florida

Kelli Ann Strand and Miu Takahashi both brought home individual top-10 finishes to power Nebraska to a runner-up team performance at the FAU Paradise Invitational in Boca Raton, Fla., on Tuesday.

Strand, a freshman from Challis, Idaho, fired three consecutive rounds better than par, capped by her final-round 71 on Tuesday to finish with a three-round total of 211 (-5) in sole possession of seventh place in the 75-golfer field. Takahashi, a sophomore from Nasu-Machi, Japan, settled for a 75 on Tuesday but still held on to share in a four-way tie for 10th at 214 (-2) for the tournament.

Graduate Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) added another top-20 showing for the Big Red with a final-round 73 to close the 54-hole event at 217 (+1) in a tie for 20th on the par-72, 6,204-yard layout of the Osprey Point Golf Club.

Junior Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Neb) contributed Nebraska’s fourth counting score on Tuesday with a final-round 75. Thiele closed the tournament in a tie for 51st at 225 (+9), one stroke ahead of teammate Michaela Vavrova (Bojnice, Slovakia) who managed a 77 Tuesday to finish at 227 (+10).

The Huskers, who entered the final round in second behind only No. 19 Vanderbilt, held on for the runner-up finish despite windy conditions that elevated scores across the board. Nebraska closed with a 294 (+6) to finish with a three-round score of 860 (-4), which was two strokes better than third-place Missouri’s 862 (-2) and nine shots better than fourth-place BYU’s 869 (+5). South Florida and Kennesaw State rounded out the top five at 872 (+8), while Kansas State took seventh 873 (+9) in a 14-team field that featured 11 top-100 teams.

Vanderbilt used a three-round total of 835 (-29) to run away with the team, while Florida Atlantic’s Letizia Bagnoli held on for the individual title with a 205 (-11), one shot ahead of Vandy’s Virginie Ding at 206 (-10). Vanderbilt’s Celina Sattelkau and Tillie Claggett and BYU’s Allysha Mae Mateo tied for third at 209 (-7).

The Huskers will be back in action at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz., Feb. 26-27.

FAU Paradise Invitational

Feb. 6-7, 2023

Boca Raton, Florida

Osprey Point Golf Club

Par 72, 6,204 Yards

Final Team Results

1. Vanderbilt – 275-279-281=835 (-29)

2. Nebraska – 284-282-294=860 (-4)

3. Missouri – 288-287-287=862 (-2)

4. Brigham Young – 285-296-288=869 (+5)

T5. South Florida – 277-290-305=872 (+8)

T5. Kennesaw State – 294-287-291=872 (+8)

7. Kansas State – 293-285-295=873 (+9)

8. Florida Atlantic – 288-285-305=878 (+14)

9. Mercer – 293-299-287=879 (+15)

T10. UTSA – 296-290-294=880 (+16)

T10. Colorado State – 293-296-291=880 (+16)

12. Wisconsin – 301-288-294=884 (+20)

13. Georgia Southern – 295-293-303=891 (+27)

14. Indiana – 297-300-305=902 (+38)

Final Individual Results

1. Letizia Bagnoli, Florida Atlantic – 66-66-73=205 (-11)

2. Virginie Ding, Vanderbilt – 66-70-70=206 (-10)

T3. Celina Sattelkau, Vanderbilt – 66-74-69=209 (-7)

T3. Tillie Claggett, Vanderbilt – 71-68-70=209 (-7)

T3. Allysha Mae Matteo, Brigham Young – 67-72-70=209 (-7)

6. Melanie Green, South Florida – 66-72-72=210 (-6)

7. Kelli Ann Strand, Nebraska – 70-70-71=211 (-5)

T8. Manon Donche-Gay, Kansas State – 72-70-70=212 (-4)

T8. Lynn Lim, Vanderbilt – 72-68-140 (-4)

T10. Camryn Carreon, UTSA – 71-72-71=214 (-2)

T10. Sophia Yoemans, Missouri – 71-69-74=214 (-2)

T10. Miu Takahashi, Nebraska – 69-70-75=214 (-2)

T10. Alizee Vidal, South Florida – 69-69-76=214 (-2)

Nebraska Individuals

7. Kelli Ann Strand – 70-70-71=211 (-5)

T10. Miu Takahashi – 69-70-75=214 (-2)

T20. Megan Whittaker – 73-71-73=217 (+1)

T51. Lindsey Thiele – 79-71-75=225 (+9)

T53. Michaela Vavrova – 72-77-77=226 (+10)

*T64. Andrea Velez – 76-74-80=230 (+14)

*competing as an individual outside Nebraska’s lineup