Baete Captures First Career Title

Kirsten Baete claimed her first career collegiate title to lead the Nebraska women’s golf team to a runner-up finish at the White Sands Intercollegiate at Paradise Island in the Bahamas on Sunday.

Baete, a fifth-year senior from Beatrice, Neb., capped the best tournament of her career with a final-round 72 (E) to finish with a 54-hole total of 206 (-10) on the 6,415-yard layout of the Ocean Club Golf Course. Baete’s three-round total, which included back-to-back rounds of 67 (-5) on Friday and Saturday, was enough to hold off Campbell’s Emily Hawkins, who finished second at 207 (-9). Hawkins closed the tournament with a 65 (-7) on Sunday.

“We couldn’t be more excited for Kirsten to win her first collegiate event,” Nebraska Head Coach Lisa Johnson said. “She’s put in a ton of hard work on her mental game this year and it’s really paying off.”

Only seven golfers in the 43-player field produced three-round totals better than par, including Mercer’s Mikayla Dubnik, who finished third at 211 (-5).

Sophomore Michaela Vavrova (Bojnice, Slovakia) joined Baete in the final top-10, tying for 10th at 217 (+1), including a final-round 74. Vavrova’s 54-hole score matched the best tournament performance of her career, which previously came with her victory at the Stampede at The Creek in Elkhorn, Neb. (Oct. 4-5). The course at Indian Creek played 427 yards shorter per round than the Ocean Club.

Senior Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) added a top-15 finish of her own by tying for 13th at 218 (+2), including a final-round 72 (E) on Sunday. 

Vanessa Bouvet completed Nebraska’s count-four scoring lineup on Sunday with a final-round 75 (+3) to close the tournament at 221 (+5) in a tie for 17th. It marked Bouvet’s fourth consecutive top-20 tournament finish of the fall.

The Huskers closed the tournament with a final-round 293 to bring home second place in the seven-team field with a three-round total of 858 (-6). Campbell rallied for the team title with an outstanding final round of 277 (-11) to finish at 854 (-10). The hosts from Miami took third at 862 (-2), including the best round of the tournament by any team with a 275 (-13) on Sunday. Mercer rounded out the top four teams at 870 (+6). All four of the top-four teams in the tournament qualified for 2021 NCAA Regional competition.

“The team got off to a slow start today,” Johnson said. “The wind stayed away, so conditions on the course were extremely favorable for scoring. We rallied on the back nine but it wasn’t enough for us to bring home a trophy.”

It marked Nebraska’s second straight team runner-up finish to close the fall, while the Big Red also got a team championship from its four-player B squad at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational (Sept. 20-21). The Huskers produced top-seven tournament finishes in each of their final four events of the fall.

Nebraska got strong performances from several other golfers to close the fall season, including Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Neb.), who tied for 21st at 222 (+6) with three consecutive rounds of 74. Thiele competed as an individual outside the Husker lineup in the Bahamas, as did redshirt freshman Andrea Velez (Colombia), who tied for 23rd at 223 (+7), which included a final-round 72 (E).

Freshman Miu Takahashi (Japan) completed Nebraska’s five-count-four lineup in the tournament, tying for 25th at 224 (+8), giving the Huskers seven of the top-25 individual finishers in the event. Nicole Hansen and Lena Hassert rounded out the Nebraska contingent.

“It was great to have four individual champions (Baete, Michaela Vavrova, Lindsey Thiele, Nicole Hansen this fall,” Johnson said. “This offseason, we have a lot of positive momentum to build on, so we are extremely excited to see what this team can do come spring.”

Nebraska is scheduled to return to competition at the Big Ten Match Play at Innisbrook Golf Course in Palm Harbor, Fla. (Jan. 31-Feb. 1).

White Sands Intercollegiate

Oct. 22-24, 2021

Paradise Islands, Bahamas (Ocean Club GC)

Par 72, 6,415 Yards

Final Team Results

1. Campbell – 284-293-277=854 (-10)

2. Nebraska – 285-280–293=858 (-6)

3. Miami – 294-293-275=862 (-2)

4. Mercer – 293-294-283=870 (+6)

5. Florida International – 308-299-293=900 (+36)

6. Northern Illinois – 304-306-295=905 (+34)

7. Iowa – 308-304-296=908 (+44)

Final Individual Results 

1. Kirsten Baete, Nebraska – 67-67-72=206 (-10)

2. Emily Hawkins, Campbell – 70-72-65=207 (-9)

3. Mikayla Dubnik*, Mercer – 70-73-68=211 (-5)

4. Anna Nordfors, Campbell – 68-72-72=212 (-4)

T5. Jasmine Ly, Northern Illinois – 73-70-70=213 (-3)

T5. Kristyna Frydlova, Miami – 73-73-67=213 (-3)

7. Carol Pyon, Mercer – 72-71-72=215 (-1)

T8. Carolina Andrade, Florida International – 74-72-70=216 (E)

T8. Anna Backman, Miami – 71-73-72=216 (E)

T10. Michaela Vavrova, Nebraska – 74-69-74=217 (+1)

T10. Sara Byrne, Miami – 74-75-68=217 (+1)

T10. Tomita Arejola, Campbell – 72-76-69=217 (+1)

T13. Megan Whittaker, Nebraska – 72-74-72=218 (+2)

T13. Kate Song, Mercer – 74-73-71=218 (+2)

T13. Helena Noel*, Florida International – 73-73-72=218 (+2)

Nebraska Individuals

1. Kirsten Baete – 67-67-72=206 (-10)

T10. Michaela Vavrova – 74-69-74=217 (+1)

T13. Megan Whittaker – 72-74-72=218 (+2)

T17. Vanessa Bouvet – 76-70-75=221 (+5)

T21. Lindsey Thiele* – 74-74-74=222 (+6)

T23. Andrea Velez* – 74-77-72=223 (+7)

T25. Miu Takahashi – 72-76-76=224 (+8)

41. Nicole Hansen* – 83-75-83=241 (+25)

42. Lena Hassert* – 83-88-79=250 (+34)