K-State in Fifth, Bernat Tied for Second Out West
Mar 10, 2025 | Women's Golf
LA QUINTA, Calif. – After going 5-over par during the first 18 holes of the Yale Invitational West on Monday morning, the 30th-ranked Kansas State women's golf team bounced back by turning in a score of 7-under par 281 as the Wildcats are in fifth place at the par-72, 6,176-yard Norman Course of PGA WEST.
K-State, which holds a 36-hole score of 2-under par 574, improved three spots on the leaderboard from its first-round position thanks to the 12-shot improvement in the afternoon. The Wildcats' second-round score was the second-lowest among the highly-ranked 12-team field at The Western Home of Golf, while it tied for the 15th-lowest round in program history and was the eighth lowest this season.
The Wildcats enter Tuesday's final round one shot back of the fourth-place team, No. 27 Oklahoma State, and four shots behind third-place Princeton, while K-State is two shots ahead of 12th-ranked Vanderbilt.
Carla Bernat, a senior from Castellon, Spain, who is ranked 20th in the latest National Collegiate Golf Rankings, is just two shots off the lead and in a tie for second place at 8-under par 136. She went under par in both rounds to extend her current streak to seven-straight rounds in red figures.
"We bounced back well this afternoon but again just did not get off to a good enough start in round one," head coach Stew Burke said. "We let a great morning round by Carla get away. However, I am really happy about how we finished out the second round with three birdies on the last hole of the day. This isn't an easy golf course, so to be under par as a team through two rounds is a positive. We need to try and capture the momentum of this afternoon and continue the push tomorrow in the final round."
Bernat turned in a first-round total of 6-under par 66, which tied for the sixth-lowest round in school history and was one shot shy of her collegiate low. It was the 11th time this season and 36th time in her collegiate career she recorded a round in the 60s. Bernat leads the 69-player field with 13 total birdies and by going a collective 7-under par on the par 4s.
A former transfer from Tulane, Bernat enters Tuesday's final round in contention for her eighth collegiate win, fifth at K-State and second straight after taking home the title at last week's MountainView Collegiate.
Sophomore Alenka Navarro and freshman Nanami Nakashima joined Bernat under par in the afternoon as each recorded a 3-under par 69. Navarro's effort was her fifth collegiate round in the 60s, including her fourth this season and second in as many tournaments. The Mexico City product began the event with an 8-over par 80 in the first round before climbing 22 spots on the leaderboard in the afternoon into a tie for 42nd place at 5-over par 149.
Nakashima, who made an eight-shot improvement over the second 18 holes, tallied her fourth collegiate round in the 60s – including her first this spring – and was just one shot off her collegiate low round of 68 at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in October. The Kani, Japan, native also made a substantial rise up the leaderboard in the afternoon, improving 21 spots into a tie for 30th at 2-over par 146.
Senior Sophie Bert is tied with Nakashima after turning in a pair of rounds at 1-over par 73. Junior Noa van Beek and sophomore Julia Ballester Barrio – the latter of whom is competing as an individual – are tied for 56th place with a 36-hole score of 11-over par 155.
No. 15 North Carolina will carry a 10-shot lead over 23rd-ranked Kansas entering Tuesday's final round at 22-under par 554, as the Tar Heels had the best second-round score of the day, 14-under par 274. UNC also has the top individual in Ing Iadpluem, who is at 10-under par 134.
A shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. (PT) on Tuesday begins play for the final round of the Yale Invitational West as the Wildcats will be paired with Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
K-State, which holds a 36-hole score of 2-under par 574, improved three spots on the leaderboard from its first-round position thanks to the 12-shot improvement in the afternoon. The Wildcats' second-round score was the second-lowest among the highly-ranked 12-team field at The Western Home of Golf, while it tied for the 15th-lowest round in program history and was the eighth lowest this season.
The Wildcats enter Tuesday's final round one shot back of the fourth-place team, No. 27 Oklahoma State, and four shots behind third-place Princeton, while K-State is two shots ahead of 12th-ranked Vanderbilt.
Carla Bernat, a senior from Castellon, Spain, who is ranked 20th in the latest National Collegiate Golf Rankings, is just two shots off the lead and in a tie for second place at 8-under par 136. She went under par in both rounds to extend her current streak to seven-straight rounds in red figures.
"We bounced back well this afternoon but again just did not get off to a good enough start in round one," head coach Stew Burke said. "We let a great morning round by Carla get away. However, I am really happy about how we finished out the second round with three birdies on the last hole of the day. This isn't an easy golf course, so to be under par as a team through two rounds is a positive. We need to try and capture the momentum of this afternoon and continue the push tomorrow in the final round."
Bernat turned in a first-round total of 6-under par 66, which tied for the sixth-lowest round in school history and was one shot shy of her collegiate low. It was the 11th time this season and 36th time in her collegiate career she recorded a round in the 60s. Bernat leads the 69-player field with 13 total birdies and by going a collective 7-under par on the par 4s.
A former transfer from Tulane, Bernat enters Tuesday's final round in contention for her eighth collegiate win, fifth at K-State and second straight after taking home the title at last week's MountainView Collegiate.
Sophomore Alenka Navarro and freshman Nanami Nakashima joined Bernat under par in the afternoon as each recorded a 3-under par 69. Navarro's effort was her fifth collegiate round in the 60s, including her fourth this season and second in as many tournaments. The Mexico City product began the event with an 8-over par 80 in the first round before climbing 22 spots on the leaderboard in the afternoon into a tie for 42nd place at 5-over par 149.
Nakashima, who made an eight-shot improvement over the second 18 holes, tallied her fourth collegiate round in the 60s – including her first this spring – and was just one shot off her collegiate low round of 68 at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in October. The Kani, Japan, native also made a substantial rise up the leaderboard in the afternoon, improving 21 spots into a tie for 30th at 2-over par 146.
Senior Sophie Bert is tied with Nakashima after turning in a pair of rounds at 1-over par 73. Junior Noa van Beek and sophomore Julia Ballester Barrio – the latter of whom is competing as an individual – are tied for 56th place with a 36-hole score of 11-over par 155.
No. 15 North Carolina will carry a 10-shot lead over 23rd-ranked Kansas entering Tuesday's final round at 22-under par 554, as the Tar Heels had the best second-round score of the day, 14-under par 274. UNC also has the top individual in Ing Iadpluem, who is at 10-under par 134.
A shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. (PT) on Tuesday begins play for the final round of the Yale Invitational West as the Wildcats will be paired with Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
– 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.
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