Huskers Earn Runner-Up Finish in Florida

Kelli Ann Strand and Miu Takahashi both brought home individual top-10 finishes to power Nebraska to a runner-up team performance at the FAU Paradise Invitational in Boca Raton, Fla., on Tuesday.

Strand, a freshman from Challis, Idaho, fired three consecutive rounds better than par, capped by her final-round 71 on Tuesday to finish with a three-round total of 211 (-5) in sole possession of seventh place in the 75-golfer field. Takahashi, a sophomore from Nasu-Machi, Japan, settled for a 75 on Tuesday but still held on to share in a four-way tie for 10th at 214 (-2) for the tournament.

Graduate Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) added another top-20 showing for the Big Red with a final-round 73 to close the 54-hole event at 217 (+1) in a tie for 20th on the par-72, 6,204-yard layout of the Osprey Point Golf Club.

Junior Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Neb) contributed Nebraska’s fourth counting score on Tuesday with a final-round 75. Thiele closed the tournament in a tie for 51st at 225 (+9), one stroke ahead of teammate Michaela Vavrova (Bojnice, Slovakia) who managed a 77 Tuesday to finish at 227 (+10).

The Huskers, who entered the final round in second behind only No. 19 Vanderbilt, held on for the runner-up finish despite windy conditions that elevated scores across the board. Nebraska closed with a 294 (+6) to finish with a three-round score of 860 (-4), which was two strokes better than third-place Missouri’s 862 (-2) and nine shots better than fourth-place BYU’s 869 (+5). South Florida and Kennesaw State rounded out the top five at 872 (+8), while Kansas State took seventh 873 (+9) in a 14-team field that featured 11 top-100 teams.

Vanderbilt used a three-round total of 835 (-29) to run away with the team, while Florida Atlantic’s Letizia Bagnoli held on for the individual title with a 205 (-11), one shot ahead of Vandy’s Virginie Ding at 206 (-10). Vanderbilt’s Celina Sattelkau and Tillie Claggett and BYU’s Allysha Mae Mateo tied for third at 209 (-7).

The Huskers will be back in action at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz., Feb. 26-27.

FAU Paradise Invitational

Feb. 6-7, 2023

Boca Raton, Florida

Osprey Point Golf Club

Par 72, 6,204 Yards

Final Team Results

1. Vanderbilt – 275-279-281=835 (-29)

2. Nebraska – 284-282-294=860 (-4)

3. Missouri – 288-287-287=862 (-2)

4. Brigham Young -…