UNK Athletics
Peter Yazvac, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
KEARNEY – Sophomore Faviola Gonzalez shot a school-record 67 on Tuesday to help the Nebraska-Kearney women’s golf team finish in fifth place at the MIAA Fall Preview in Axtell.
The two-day tournament, held at Awarii Dunes, began Tuesday morning and featured all 11 MIAA women’s golf teams, plus Sioux Falls. This is UNK’s only home event for the 2019-20 season.
Ideal weather conditions on day two led to extremely low scores with the individual average being a 7-over par 79 and the team average at a solid 310. UNK (308-301) turned in the second lowest 36-hole score in school history, trailing only the 607 (313-294) it shot earlier this month in Kansas. The 301 also ranks as the third best 18-hole score by a Loper team.
Central Missouri shot an 11-over par 587 (296-291) to easily come in first. Rogers State and USF both carded a 597 to tie for second with Central Oklahoma (606) also ahead of UNK.
Gonzalez (Cayey, P.R.) fired a 79 on Monday but turned in the best round in Loper women’s golf history today. She had a 35 on the front nine and a 32 on the back, managing five birdies and 13 pars in toll. This bests the 69 UNK Athletic Hall of Famer Carla Dobchuk fired in the fall of 1998 at a tournament in Sioux City.
Overall, Gonzalez led UNK by finishing in sixth place with a 2-over 146. That is the second lowest 36-hole score in school history, trailing only the 145 Samantha Crawford had in the fall of 2017 at UCM. USF’s Lexi Hanson earned medalist honors tanks to a 3-under 141 (74-67) with RSU’s Raquel Flores two strokes back (77-66).
Doniphan senior Brandi Lemek also cracked the top 10, tying for seventh thanks to a 4-over 148 (71-77). Her tourney featured a team-best eight birdies and 21 pars; the 148 is the third lowest 36-hole score in Loper lore.
Next, Omaha junior Nia Station tied for 26th (156; 79-77), Oregon junior Kaitlyn Howe was 11 strokes back in 37th place (160; 80-80) and Columbus freshman Aspen Luebbe tied for 42nd (162; 79-83). Howe and Gonzalez both finished with seven birdies, Station had 23 pars with Luebbe at 19. Finally, three Lopers played as individuals. They were Arizona freshman Paige Lucero (T-48th; 166), Utah senior Mikayla Frei (T-54th; 172) and Hastings freshman Haylee O’Dey (62nd; 194).
UNK heads to Warrensburg, Mo., on Oct. 7-8 for the Midwest Classic.