The Nebraska women’s golf team sits in third place midway through the second round at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational in Lawrence, Kan.
On a cool and windy day at the Lawrence Country Club on Monday, play for all 83 golfers in the 15-team field was suspended by darkness at 6:45 p.m. The second round was originally scheduled to continue at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, however an expected freeze overnight will delay Tuesday’s start to 10 a.m.
In challenging scoring conditions, Nebraska fought near the top of the team standings throughout the day, putting together a 304 (+16) in the first round. Perennial national contender Kent State sat atop the team standings with a first-round 289 (+1), while Sam Houston and Minnesota were both 11 strokes back at 300 (+12), just ahead of the Huskers after the first 18 holes.
Midway through the second round, Nebraska moved up to the No. 2 position on the leader board before ending Monday’s play in third at +25, one shot ahead of fourth-place Arizona at +26. Kent State will enter Tuesday at +7, 13 strokes ahead of Sam Houston (+20).
Graduate student Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) continued her outstanding play in the fall by closing the day in a tie for second individually. After an opening-round 74 (+2), Whittaker was one-under through 12 holes in the second round.
Kelli Ann Strand continued to battle for another top-10 finish of her own, ending the day in a tie for 15th. Strand, a freshman from Challis, Idaho, managed an opening-round 75 and was three-over-par through 11 holes in the second round.
Andrea Velez, a sophomore from Colombia who was a late add to the Nebraska lineup in place of junior Michaela Vavrova, was tied for 26th through 11 holes in the second round. Velez put up an opening-round 77 (+5) to start the second round in a tie for 20th. She four-over through 12 holes in the second round.
Junior Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Neb.) added Nebraska’s fourth score in the first round, producing a 78 (+6) to sit in a tie for 27th. She ended the day in a tie with Velez in 26th, She was three-over through 14 holes in the second round.
Sophomore Miu Takahashi, who was coming off her first career tournament title at the Dale McNamara Invitational in Oklahoma last week, struggled with an opening-round 83 on Monday. She was four-over through 10 holes in the second round to sit in a tie for 42nd with play was suspended Monday.
Vavrova, who was battling an injury, managed an 83 of her own in the first round while playing as an individual outside the Husker lineup. She did not compete in the second round.
Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational
Lawrence CC (Par 72, 6,125 Yards)
Lawrence, Kan.
Oct. 17-18, 2022
Team Standings (One Round)
1. Kent State – 289 (+1)
T2. Sam Houston – 300 (+12)
T2. Minnesota – 300 (+12)
T4. Nebraska – 304 (+16)
T4. Kansas – 304 (+16)
6. Arizona – 308 (+20)
7. Wisconsin – 309 (+21)
T8. Brigham Young – 317 (+29)
T8. Notre Dame – 317 (+29)
T10. Washington State – 320 (+32)
T10. New Mexico State – 320 (+32)
T10. Tulane – 320 (+32)
13. Boston College – 324 (+36)
14. UTSA – 327 (+39)
15. Iowa – 328 (+40)
Individual Standings (One Round)
1. Noramol Nuchsila, Kent State – 70 (-2)
T2. Jenn David, Sam Houston – 71 (-1)
T2. Jennifer Gu, Kent State – 71 (-1)
T2. Mayka Hoogeboom, Kent State – 71 (-1)
5. Gile Bite Starkute, Arizona – 72 (E)
T6. Gia Feliciano, Wisconsin – 73 (+1)
T6. Emily Lauterbach, Wisconsin – 73 (+1)
T6. Jordan Rothman, Kansas – 73 (+1)
T6. Emma Carpenter, Minnesota – 73 (+1)
T10. Leah Alberto, Sam Houston – 74 (+2)
T10. Lila Galeai, Brigham Young – 74 (+2)
T10. Megan Whittaker, Nebraska – 74 (+2)
T10. Isabella McCauley, Minnesota – 74 (+2)
Nebraska Individuals
T10. Megan Whittaker – 74
T14. Kelli Ann Strand – 75
T20. Andrea Velez – 77
T27. Lindsey Thiele – 78
T43. Miu Takahashi – 80
*T65. Michaela Vavrova – 83
*competing as an individual outside Nebraska’s lineup
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