Lauren Thiele Season 2024-25

Redshirt Sophomore (2024-25)
Lauren Thiele continues a family tradition at Nebraska by joining the Huskers as a transfer after spending her first two college seasons at Wichita State. Thiele (pronounced TEEL), who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, follows her three older sisters - Haley, Hannah and Lindsey - to the Husker women’s golf progam.

Lauren opened her Husker career by earning a lineup spot at the season-opening Badger Invitational in Verona, Wis. (Sept. 8-10). She tied for 59th in a 75-golfer field with a three-round total of 238 (+22) that included a second-round 78 (+6) on the par-72, 6,306-yard layout at the University Ridge Golf Club.

She made her second appearance as a Husker by playing as an individual among three Huskers at the Big O Classic (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). Thiele made the most of her trip to Omaha by winning the individual title with a career-best-tying 223 (+7) on a par-72, 6,019-yard layout at Oak Hills Country Club. Thiele won the title by a stroke over Husker teammate Danica Lundgren.

Thiele led the Huskers with her tie for 49th at 226 (+10) at the Jim West Challenge (Oct. 20-21). She produced rounds of 73, 76 and 77 on the par-72, 6,111-yard layout of the Kissing Tree Golf Course in San Marcos, Texas.

She continued her solid play with a three-round total of 224 (+8) to tie for 34th with rounds of 73, 76 and 75 at the Hurricane Invitational (Oct. 28-29).

Thiele closed the fall season ranked third among the Huskers with a 75.92 stroke average over 12 rounds.

Thiele was Wichita State’s No. 2 golfer during the spring of 2024, posting a 76.07 stroke average over 15 rounds.

“We’re happy that Lauren Thiele is coming back home to be a Husker. Lauren brings power, athleticism and the desire to develop into a great player.  She is a great person and will make us a better team.”

Redshirt Freshman (Wichita State, 2023-24)
Thiele competed in seven tournaments for the Shockers in her second season in Wichita, including all five events during the spring. She fired a career-best 71 (-1) in the second round of the AAC Championship. It followed on the heels of a then-career-best-tying 73 in the opening round. She struggled to an 83 in the final round to finish in a tie for 38th at 227 (+11), tying for WSU’s No. 2 individual finish at the conference tournament.  She entered the final round in a tie for 15th at even-par 144.

She opened the spring with a career-best 223 (+7) to tie for 35th as Wichita State’s No. 2 finisher at the Rio Verde Invitational (Feb. 23-25), which included a then-career-best 73 (+1) in the final round. Her performance in Arizona helped her become a fixture in the lineup the rest of the spring.

After a 236 (78-79-79) to tie for 68th at the Tulane Classic (March 10-12), Thiele bounced back with a 226 (75-78-73) to tie for 44th as Wichita State’s No. 2 finisher at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, Ariz. (March 16-17). She tied for 31st with a 229 (75-78-76) as WSU’s No. 2 finisher at the ORU Spring Invitational in Broken Arrow, Okla. (April 8-9), before her effort at the AAC Championship in Brooksville, Fla. Prior to her final round at the conference tournament, Thiele notched 15 consecutive rounds of 79 or better. Her spring season stroke average was 76.07 over 15 rounds, after posting a 79.00 stroke average over five fall rounds.

She produced a career-best tie for 15th with a 156 (+10) with rounds of 80 and 76 (+3) at the rain-shortened Big O Classic at the Oak Hills Country Club in Omaha (Oct. 2-3), after opening her season in a tie for 70th with a 239 (+23) at the season-opening Payne Stewart Memorial in Springfield, Mo. (Sept. 11-12).

Redshirt (Wichita State, 2022-23)
Thiele redshirted as a true freshman in 2022-23. Off the course, she earned spots on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters.

Before College
A four-year letter winner and two-time captain of the boys’ golf team at Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo, Thiele was the only girl to be a member of a Nebraska team championship in boys golf. She finished seventh individually to help Neumann to the state title in 2021. During the 2021 season, Thiele captured a pair of individual tournament titles among a trio of top-five finishes. She also finished among the top 10 individually in seven tournaments. She finished with a 72.8 scoring average, which included a personal-best five-under 66. During the summer of 2021, she was the Nebraska Girls Match Play champion and added a runner-up finish at the Nebraska Girls Amateur Championship. She also qualified for the Girls Junior PGA Championship. In the summer of 2020, she was a semifinalist at the Nebraska Women’s Match Play Championship.

An outstanding all-around athlete, Thiele was an all-state selection in both basketball and volleyball, while setting the school game and season record for three-pointers made. She was also an Academic All-State pick in volleyball, basketball and golf.

Personal
The daughter of Kevin and Lisa Thiele, Lauren has three older sisters, Haley, Hannah and Lindsey, who were all women’s golf letter winners at Nebraska. She also has a younger sister, Brooke.

Haley (2016-18-19-20), Hannah (2018-19-20) and Lindsey (2021-22-23-24) combined for 11 women’s golf letters and nine WGCA Scholastic All-America honors over eight seasons at Nebraska. The 2024-25 season will mark the 10th consecutive year that at least one Thiele sister has been on the Nebraska women’s golf team.

A child, youth and family studies major at Nebraska, Lauren was a WGCA Scholastic All-American at Wichita State in 2024.