Huskers Take Team Title at Westbrook

Michaela Vavrova fired a career-best 66 (-6) in the final round to fuel all five Huskers to top-25 individual finishes, as the Nebraska women's golf team stormed to the Westbrook Spring Invitational title in Peoria, Ariz., Monday.
 
The career-best 66 for the junior from Bojnice, Slovakia included four birdies and an eagle on No. 5, vaulting Vavrova from a tie for 50th after the first 36 holes into a tie for 20th with a career-best tournament total of 216 (E).

Vavrova's fabulous final round was far from the lone highlight for the Huskers who captured their second tournament championship of the season with three-round team total of 843 (-21) on the par-72, 6,248-yard layout at the Westbrook Village Golf Club. The Big Red closed with a final-round 277 (-11) to hold off No. 24 Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished second, while No. 44 Denver, Kansas and Rutgers rounded out the top five teams in the 14-team tournament field that featured 12 top-100 programs.

Freshman Kelli Ann Strand (Challis, Idaho) continued her outstanding play by leading the Huskers throughout the tournament. She closed with a final-round 69 (-3) to take fifth individually with a 54-hole score of 209 (-7). Strand has opened the spring with six consecutive rounds better than par in her first two tournaments and owns 14 rounds better than par already this season. It was Strand's second straight top-10 finish of the spring and fifth of the season.

Sophomore Miu Takahashi (Nasu-Machi, Japan) remained on the heels of Strand throughout the tournament, contributing a final-round 70 (-2) to finish in a tie for eighth at 212 (-4) for the tournament. It was Takahashi's second straight top-10 finish to open the spring and fourth top-10 performance of the season.

Graduate student Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) also continued her impressive play with a final-round 72 (E) to finish in a tie for 11th with a three-round total of 213 (-3).

Junior Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Neb.) rounded out the five top-25 individual finishers in Nebraska's five-count-for lineup with a three-round total of 217 (+1) in a tie for 25th. Thiele closed the tournament with a final-round 74.

The impressive performances from top to bottom in the Husker lineup allowed Nebraska to claim its second tournament title of the season - both in tournaments hosted by the University of Wisconsin. Nebraska won the 13-team Badger Invitational in Madison (Sept. 18-20). NU's win at Westbrook also gave the Huskers five top-two team finishes in seven tournaments in 2022-23, including runner-up showings at the Green Wave Classic (Sept. 12-13), the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 10-11) and the FAU Paradise Invitational (Feb. 6-7).

"I am really proud of these young women," Nebraska Coach Jeanne Sutherland said. "They have bought into all we're asking of them. I am so impressed with how they all contribute and support each other. They pull for each other and play for the team, which makes it all a lot of fun!"
 
Nebraska will try to continue its winning ways in two weeks at the Briar's Creek Invitational at John's Island, S.C. (March 13-14).

Westbrook Spring Invitational
Feb. 26-27, 2023
Peoria, Arizona (Westbrook Village GC)
Par 72, 6,248 Yards

Final Team Standings
1. (49) Nebraska - 286-280-277=843 (-21)
2. (24) Ohio State - 286-288-276=850 (-14)
3. (44) Denver - 287-287-280=854 (-10)  
4. (92) Kansas - 294-286-279=859 (-9)
5. (110) Rutgers - 293-288-280=861 (-3)
T6. (54) UNLV - 296-283-283=862 (-2)
T6. (52)Oklahoma - 294-293-275=862 (-2)
T6. (59) Minnesota - 296-280-286=862 (-2)
9. (36) College of Charleston - 291-289-288=868 (+4)
10. (73) Penn State - 291-293-287=871 (+7)
11. (92) Kansas State - 296-291-286=873 (+9)
12. (106) Iowa - 293-298-288=879 (+15)
13. (77) Missouri - 298-294-297=889 (+25)
14. (71) Wisconsin - 300-302-291=893 (+29)

Final Individual Results
T1. Alyson Bean, Denver - 69-73-65=207 (-9)
T1. Caley McGinty, Ohio State - 70-70-67=207 (-9)
T3. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State - 70-71-67=208 (-8)
T3. Jordan Rothman, Kansas - 69-72-67=208 (-8)
5. Kelli Ann Strand, Nebraska - 71-69-69+209 (-7)
6. Mariana Mesones, Minnesota - 73-67-70=210 (-6)
7. Emma Carpenter, Minnesota - 71-69-71=211 (-5)
T8. Miu Takahashi, Nebraska - 71-71-70=212 (-4)
T8. Leigha Devine, Rutgers - 73-71-68=212 (-4)
T8. Veronica Joels, UNLV - 70-71-71=212 (-4)

Nebraska Individuals
T5. Kelli Ann Strand - 71-69-69=209 (-7)
T8. Miu Takahashi - 71-71-70=212 (-4)
T11. Megan Whittaker - 70-71-72=213 (-3)
T20. Michaela Vavrova - 76-74-66=216 (E)
T25. Lindsey Thiele - 74-69-74=217 (+1)
*T73. Andrea Velez - 76-79-75=230 (+14)
*competed as an individual outside the Nebraska lineup