UNK Golf Finishes 5th in Virginia Laas Invite

JOPLIN, MO – The Nebraska-Kearney women’s golf team rallied for a fifth-place finish at the 54-hole Virginia Laas Invitational Tuesday in Joplin, Mo.

The 17-team field was at the par 72 (6,066 yards) Eagle Creek Golf Club. Thirty-six holes were played on Monday with the final 18 on Tuesday. Eagle Creek hosts this year’s MIAA Championships (April 24-26).

Ranked fifth in the most recent NCAA Regional Rankings, the Lopers carded a 341 early on Monday to sit in 14th place. They moved up five spots after round two (323) and then vaulted up four spots on Tuesday (314; 978 total). Northeastern State, ranked sixth in the region, came in fourth (970).

Sixth-ranked Henderson (Ark.) State shot a 916 to win by five strokes over 24th-ranked Central Missouri with 43-ranked Rogers State (938) well behind the pair. UNK finished ahead of, among others, squads ranked seven through nine in the Central.

Colombian sophomore Juliana Botero Molina tied for 23rd (242; 81-85-76) with Kansas sophomore Brooke King six spots back (245; 88-79-78) to pace Kearney. HSU’s Jinna Boonbumroongsuk (217) was the medalist by nine strokes.

Botero Molina had a team-best six birdies and was 1-under on par 5 holes with King at a team-best 30 pars and shooting even on par 5’s. The average decreased each round with the tourney average being a 84.20.

Next for the Lopers, Puerto Rico super senior Faviola Gonzalez had five birdies to tie for 35th (247; 86-83-78), Kansas junior Allison Comer was four spots back (248; 88-77-83) thanks to 29 pars with Arizona senior Paige Lucero tying for 47th (252; 86-84-82). Finally, Kansas freshman Beth Grant played as an individual and was 74th (265; 91-76-98).

UNK’s final regular season tournament is early next week at Wayne State.