Smith, Huskers Finish Strong in Arizona

Tucson, Ariz. – Kate Smith fired a final-round 69 (-3) to join Michaela Vavrova as a top-25 individual finisher, powering the Nebraska women’s golf team up the leaderboard in the final round at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational on Tuesday.

Smith, a fifth-year senior from Detroit Lakes, Minn., charged 17 spots up the individual leaderboard in the final round to close in a tie for 21st at 219 (+3) over 54 holes on the 6,627-yard, par-72 layout of the Sewailo Golf Club. With Smith leading the way, Nebraska capped the tournament with a final-round 291 (+3) to jump four spots in the standings to tie for 10th in a 16-team field that featured 14 top-100 teams.

Michaela Vavrova tied Smith for 21st in the final standings with a career-best 219, including a 73 on Tuesday. Vavrova, a freshman from Bojnice, Slovakia, produced the first top-25 finish of her young career, while Smith notched her 27th career top-25 showing, including her third in three tournaments this spring.

In addition to the late charge by Smith, fourth-year junior Kirsten Baete played solid golf Tuesday with an even-par 72 to jump 14 spots up the leaderboard to tie for 48th individually at 228 (77-79-72).

Graduate transfer Alice Duan rounded out Nebraska’s 291 team score on Tuesday with her final-round 77 to close in a tie for 66th at 236.  

Nebraska finished with a three-round total of 902 (+38). Texas won the tournament with a spectacular three-round score of 836 (-28), 25 strokes better than tournament runner-up Oklahoma State at 861 (-3). USC took third at 862 (-2). The Huskers finished 25 strokes ahead of fellow Big Ten foe Iowa, which settled for 16th at 927.

Texas also took the top two spots on the individual leaderboard, as Sara Kouskova was the medalist at 206 (-10), including a 68 (-4) in the final round. Longhorn Agathe Laisne tied for second with Oregon’s Hsin-Yu Lu with a three-round total of 209 (-7). Laisne scorched the course with a 66 (-6) on Tuesday. 

Nebraska returns to action March 14-16 at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Tournament at English Turn Golf and Country Club in New Orleans, La. 

Arizona Wildcat Invitational

Tucson, Ariz. (Sewailo Golf Club, Par 72, 6,627 Yards)

March 8-9, 2021

Final Team Standings

1. #31 Texas – 275-287-274=836 (-28)

2. #8 Oklahoma State – 287-286-288=861 (-3)

3. #11 USC – 279-291-292=862 (-2)

4. #21 Oregon – 283-295-288=866 (+2)

5. #28 Arizona – 275-313-290=878 (+14)

6. #48 Oregon State – 289-299-292=880 (+16)

7. #36 Iowa State – 292-296-294=882 (+18)

8. #53 New Mexico – 293-303-293=889 (+25)

9. #65 Denver – 290-303-302=895 (+31)

10. #69 Nebraska – 307-304-291=902 (+38)

11. #72 UNLV – 296-309-298=903 (+39)

12. #66 Colorado – 302-300-302=904 (+40)

13. #114 Northern Arizona – 295-305-305=905 (+41)

14. #89 New Mexico State – 305-304-298=907 (+43)

15. #130 Long Beach State – 304-308-301=913 (+49)

16. #96 Iowa – 313-308-306=927 (+63)

Final Individual Leaderboard

1. Sara Kouskova, Texas – 68-70-68=206 (-10)

T2. Agathe Laisne, Texas – 68-75-66=209 (-7)

T2. Hsin-Yu Lu, Oregon – 67-73-69=209 (-7)

4. Allisen Corpuz, USC – 68-69-73=210 (-6)

5. Ashleigh Park, Texas – 73-71-67=211 (-5)

T6. Isabella Fierro, Oklahoma State – 72-68-72=212 (-4)

T6. Briana Chacon, Oregon – 72-71-69=212 (-4)

T6. Kaitlyn Papp, Texas – 66-73-73=212 (-4)

9. Samantha Fuller, UNLV – 70-74-69=213 (-3)

10. Amelia Garvey, USC – 69-75-70=214 (-2)

Nebraska Individuals

T21. Kate Smith – 77-73-69=219 (+3)

T21. Michaela Vavrova – 76-70-73=219 (+3)

T48. Kirsten Baete – 77-79-72=228 (+12)

T66. Alice Duane – 77-82-77=236 (+20)

76. Megan Whittaker – 81-83-82=246 (+30)