Monday, September 9
Manhattan, Kan.
Kansas State University
vs
Powercat Invitational
K-State Opens Season by Hosting Powercat Invitational
Sep 08, 2024 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State women's golf team, which is earning votes in the WGCA Preseason Coaches Poll, will open the 2024-25 campaign in familiar surroundings as the Wildcats host the Powercat Invitational, Monday and Tuesday, at the par-72, 6,439-yard Colbert Hills Golf Course.
This is the second-straight year K-State is playing a fall event on its home course as the Wildcats hosted the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational last October, finishing in third place.
"There's no better place to start our season than at home at Colbert Hills," second-year head coach Stew Burke said. "The golf course is in unbelievable shape, and we look forward to welcoming 15 teams to compete at the Powercat Invitational."
Kansas State is looking to make a postseason run in year two under Burke after the Wildcats narrowly missed out on a bid last year when they finished 54th in the national rankings.
Joining the Wildcats at Colbert Hills will be Austin Peay, Bethune-Cookman, Bowling Green, Central Arkansas, Cincinnati, Dayton, Houston Christian, Incarnate Word, Jacksonville State, North Dakota, North Texas and Northern Colorado.
All seven members of the squad will compete in the home event with senior Carla Bernat, junior Noa van Beek, freshman Nanami Nakashima, senior transfer Sophie Bert and sophomore Alenka Navarro making up the scoring lineup. Freshman Natalia Fiel Ros and sophomore Juila Ballester Barrio will compete as individuals.
"We have a good blend of experience and youth on our squad this year, so we're excited to get started," Burke said. "The first tournament of the year at home allows our full roster to compete and gives valuable tournament experience to our freshmen. I'm excited about year two and the bright future ahead for our team. I look forward to helping develop our talented roster with Coach Rinko (Mitsunaga) throughout the fall season and beyond."
Bernat, who was named Preseason All-American by GOLF Channel, is coming off a junior campaign in which she broke the school's single-season scoring average record at 70.90. A Second Team All-American by the Women's Golf Coaches Association and a third-team pick by Golfweek, Bernat was the school's first All-American selection and was a unanimous pick for the All-Big 12 team. A transfer from Tulane prior to last season, Bernat finished third in the NCAA Bryan Regional to become just the second player in school history to play in the NCAA Championship.
A native of Castellon, Spain, Bernat enters the 2024-25 season tied for third in career victories (2) and tied for fifth in career top-five finishes (6).
van Beek posted a 74.59 scoring average during her sophomore season and recorded two top-20 finishes. Her best showing of the year was a tie for eighth place at the White Sands Invitational, helping the Wildcats win the team title.
One of the top Japanese junior golfers, Nakashima comes to K-State with an impressive resume, which includes a victory in the 2023 IMG Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California with a 54-hole score of 6-under par 210 (69-71-70). She also took home medalist honors at the 2022 IMG Junior World Florida Challenge with a score of 206 (69-70-67).
Bert, a transfer from East Tennessee State, comes to K-State having compiled a 74.65 scoring average over 63 career rounds. She produced one victory, three other appearances in the top five and two other top-10 showings over her previous three seasons. Bert helped ETSU earn an appearance in the 2024 NCAA Auburn Regional, where she tied for 13th.
Navarro, a native of Mexico City, put together a solid freshman campaign as she finished third on the team with a 73.83 scoring average. She placed in the top 20 on four occasions, including a seventh-place finish at the White Sands Invitational.
The 2024 Powercat Invitational is open to attend to the walking public.
"We're calling upon Wildcat Nation to come out and support the ladies throughout rounds one and two on Monday in addition to the final round on Tuesday as we push to the finish line."
Live scoring can be followed at Scoreboard.Clippd.com/Results.
This is the second-straight year K-State is playing a fall event on its home course as the Wildcats hosted the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational last October, finishing in third place.
"There's no better place to start our season than at home at Colbert Hills," second-year head coach Stew Burke said. "The golf course is in unbelievable shape, and we look forward to welcoming 15 teams to compete at the Powercat Invitational."
Kansas State is looking to make a postseason run in year two under Burke after the Wildcats narrowly missed out on a bid last year when they finished 54th in the national rankings.
Joining the Wildcats at Colbert Hills will be Austin Peay, Bethune-Cookman, Bowling Green, Central Arkansas, Cincinnati, Dayton, Houston Christian, Incarnate Word, Jacksonville State, North Dakota, North Texas and Northern Colorado.
All seven members of the squad will compete in the home event with senior Carla Bernat, junior Noa van Beek, freshman Nanami Nakashima, senior transfer Sophie Bert and sophomore Alenka Navarro making up the scoring lineup. Freshman Natalia Fiel Ros and sophomore Juila Ballester Barrio will compete as individuals.
"We have a good blend of experience and youth on our squad this year, so we're excited to get started," Burke said. "The first tournament of the year at home allows our full roster to compete and gives valuable tournament experience to our freshmen. I'm excited about year two and the bright future ahead for our team. I look forward to helping develop our talented roster with Coach Rinko (Mitsunaga) throughout the fall season and beyond."
Bernat, who was named Preseason All-American by GOLF Channel, is coming off a junior campaign in which she broke the school's single-season scoring average record at 70.90. A Second Team All-American by the Women's Golf Coaches Association and a third-team pick by Golfweek, Bernat was the school's first All-American selection and was a unanimous pick for the All-Big 12 team. A transfer from Tulane prior to last season, Bernat finished third in the NCAA Bryan Regional to become just the second player in school history to play in the NCAA Championship.
A native of Castellon, Spain, Bernat enters the 2024-25 season tied for third in career victories (2) and tied for fifth in career top-five finishes (6).
van Beek posted a 74.59 scoring average during her sophomore season and recorded two top-20 finishes. Her best showing of the year was a tie for eighth place at the White Sands Invitational, helping the Wildcats win the team title.
One of the top Japanese junior golfers, Nakashima comes to K-State with an impressive resume, which includes a victory in the 2023 IMG Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California with a 54-hole score of 6-under par 210 (69-71-70). She also took home medalist honors at the 2022 IMG Junior World Florida Challenge with a score of 206 (69-70-67).
Bert, a transfer from East Tennessee State, comes to K-State having compiled a 74.65 scoring average over 63 career rounds. She produced one victory, three other appearances in the top five and two other top-10 showings over her previous three seasons. Bert helped ETSU earn an appearance in the 2024 NCAA Auburn Regional, where she tied for 13th.
Navarro, a native of Mexico City, put together a solid freshman campaign as she finished third on the team with a 73.83 scoring average. She placed in the top 20 on four occasions, including a seventh-place finish at the White Sands Invitational.
The 2024 Powercat Invitational is open to attend to the walking public.
"We're calling upon Wildcat Nation to come out and support the ladies throughout rounds one and two on Monday in addition to the final round on Tuesday as we push to the finish line."
Live scoring can be followed at Scoreboard.Clippd.com/Results.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Golf
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