‘They Know What the Standard Is’
Mar 06, 2025 | Women's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Stew Burke, during his first year as Kansas State women's golf coach, guided the Wildcats to a third-place finish in the Big 12 Championship, their highest ever finish at a league championship, and with one tournament victory and four top-five finishes the squad came excruciatingly close to being selected for a NCAA Regional.
This year, Burke and senior All-America candidate Carla Bernat along with the rest of the talented Wildcats are apparently leaving no doubt as No. 30 K-State is playing at peak performance as the spring season wears on.
The Wildcats' latest conquest — a team title at the MountainView Collegiate on Tuesday while rolling past No. 18 Arizona and No. 13 TCU by 10 shots — gave them six top-five finishes this season, which are tied for fourth in school history and the most since 2003-04.
Message sent.
"We talked last year and wanted to be the new K-State," said Burke, a former K-State assistant coach who was named the Wildcats' head coach on June 30, 2023. "We wanted to be the team that was recognized not just on our own campus but regionally and nationally, and I think they definitely put themselves into a position to do that at the beginning of the year.
"They believe that they're good enough to compete with these teams, and they're starting to see what (assistant coach) Rinko Mitsunaga and I see on a daily basis."
K-State, which turned in the best final-round score (5-under par 283) among the 14-team field by eight shots at the Preserve Golf Club, was led by Bernat and her nine-shot victory at 11-under par 205 for her seventh collegiate win and fourth as a Wildcat to tie for second in school history.
Bernat, whose career stroke average of 70.52 is the lowest in school history, fired a bogey-free round of 5-under par 67 as she was the only player to go under par in all three rounds. Her nine-stroke victory was the largest margin of victory in event history.
"I had no idea (the lead) when I was playing," said Bernat, a former transfer from Tulane who a year ago became the first K-State women's golfer to be named an All-American. "I was just trying to make birdies for the team because I had no idea we were so far ahead, too.
"It's a great feeling, but for me the most important thing was winning as a team and then individually just making as many birdies as I could. My teammates played really well."
K-State continues to trend upward in the NCAA ranks. After beginning the spring finishing eighth out of 18 teams at the Puerto Rico Classic on February 4, then finishing third out of 14 teams at the Westbrook Invitational on February 24, the Wildcats made a statement at MountainView.
At the Puerto Rico Classic, K-State finished ahead of four teams ranked in the top 50 and four shots behind a sixth-place tie between No. 16 LSU and No. 20 Auburn.
Senior Sophie Burt caught fire by finishing with a 54-hole score of 12-under par 204, which tied the school record, as she led the Wildcats to a school record-tying score of 24-under par 840 to finish third place at the Westbrook Invitational in Peoria, Arizona. Bert, a transfer from East Tennessee State, finished in a second-place tie, her fifth collegiate top-five finish and first this season.
Bert ranks second on the team with a 73.13 stroke average with sophomore Alenka Navarro (73.25), freshman Nanami Nakashima (73.57) and junior Noa van Beek (74.04) close behind.
Burke guided his squad to a program-record scoring average of 290.25 last year. This year, the Wildcats average 287.13.
Navarro contributed mightily in the final round at MountainView with a 3-under par 69, rising 26 spots up the leaderboard to tie for 11th place at 5-over par 221. Navarro, a native of Mexico City, recorded her third top-20 finish this season thanks to her second-lowest round of the year.
Bernat, who last season earned an individual bid into the NCAA Regional and became just the second player in school history to advance to the NCAA Championship, topped them all.
"I mean, she's the best we've ever had at K-State," Burke said. "Having a player like that on your roster certainly makes your job as a coach easier. She's organically getting better as the semester has gone on. We want to make sure that's something she can do and that she peaks at the right time. At the tournaments and especially with the postseason coming up, we want to make sure we maintain that momentum for her."
Bernat is pleased where the Wildcats are at — and where they could be headed.
"We're going to be a big surprise in regionals and conference," she said. "I think people might start to see our potential now. We just need to keep doing what we're doing and hopefully we get the same kind of results.
"I think we're good enough to be inside the top 20 or top 15. That's the goal this semester."
The Wildcats won't have to wait long for a chance to expound upon their success.
K-State next competes in the Yale Invitational West at PGA WEST in La Quinta, California, on Monday and Tuesday. The field will feature No. 12 Vanderbilt, No. 15 North Carolina, No. 23 Kansas and No. 27 Oklahoma State.
Burke and Bernat both spoke for an interview on Wednesday afternoon and less than 12 hours after the team arrived back in Manhattan from Tucson, Arizona, with a pair of trophies in hand. After seemingly sailing through MountainView, the Wildcats encountered their biggest obstacle — snow and wind traveling from Kansas City to the Little Apple.
"We got home at 1:30 a.m. and it took us about 3 ½ hours to get home from Kansas City International with the weather, so that was less than ideal," Burke said. "The ladies have the day off to rest up. We'll lift tomorrow (Thursday) morning and stay on schedule with our lifts. Practice will be focused on some of the things we need to accomplish for this coming week, and then we get out to Palm Desert and have a day before the practice round. It's a quick turnaround, but they're experienced. They've played tournament golf before, and they know what works for them. Rest and recovery are a premium when we come back.
"We want to make sure they're as fresh as they can be when we go again."
After the Yale Invitational West, the Wildcats get two weeks rest before the Silicon Valley Showcase in Millbrae, California. Then comes the Big 12 Championship in Hockley, Texas in mid-April.
After that comes the waiting game for a hopeful NCAA Regional berth.
"Without a doubt," Burke said when asked whether the Wildcats were deserving of a NCAA spot. "One of the best things for us is we've got KU down the road doing well and we play in one of the top conferences in women's golf, and we've seen and competed against some of the best teams in the country. They know what the standard is, and that's half the battle for players is knowing what the level of competition is out there and constantly striving to get better and make a push up the rankings."
After a big tournament win and long night of travel, Burke paused.
"I'm just hoping for some sunshine and warmer weather," he said, "sooner than later."
Stew Burke, during his first year as Kansas State women's golf coach, guided the Wildcats to a third-place finish in the Big 12 Championship, their highest ever finish at a league championship, and with one tournament victory and four top-five finishes the squad came excruciatingly close to being selected for a NCAA Regional.
This year, Burke and senior All-America candidate Carla Bernat along with the rest of the talented Wildcats are apparently leaving no doubt as No. 30 K-State is playing at peak performance as the spring season wears on.
The Wildcats' latest conquest — a team title at the MountainView Collegiate on Tuesday while rolling past No. 18 Arizona and No. 13 TCU by 10 shots — gave them six top-five finishes this season, which are tied for fourth in school history and the most since 2003-04.
Message sent.
"We talked last year and wanted to be the new K-State," said Burke, a former K-State assistant coach who was named the Wildcats' head coach on June 30, 2023. "We wanted to be the team that was recognized not just on our own campus but regionally and nationally, and I think they definitely put themselves into a position to do that at the beginning of the year.
"They believe that they're good enough to compete with these teams, and they're starting to see what (assistant coach) Rinko Mitsunaga and I see on a daily basis."
K-State, which turned in the best final-round score (5-under par 283) among the 14-team field by eight shots at the Preserve Golf Club, was led by Bernat and her nine-shot victory at 11-under par 205 for her seventh collegiate win and fourth as a Wildcat to tie for second in school history.
Bernat, whose career stroke average of 70.52 is the lowest in school history, fired a bogey-free round of 5-under par 67 as she was the only player to go under par in all three rounds. Her nine-stroke victory was the largest margin of victory in event history.
"I had no idea (the lead) when I was playing," said Bernat, a former transfer from Tulane who a year ago became the first K-State women's golfer to be named an All-American. "I was just trying to make birdies for the team because I had no idea we were so far ahead, too.
"It's a great feeling, but for me the most important thing was winning as a team and then individually just making as many birdies as I could. My teammates played really well."
K-State continues to trend upward in the NCAA ranks. After beginning the spring finishing eighth out of 18 teams at the Puerto Rico Classic on February 4, then finishing third out of 14 teams at the Westbrook Invitational on February 24, the Wildcats made a statement at MountainView.
At the Puerto Rico Classic, K-State finished ahead of four teams ranked in the top 50 and four shots behind a sixth-place tie between No. 16 LSU and No. 20 Auburn.
Senior Sophie Burt caught fire by finishing with a 54-hole score of 12-under par 204, which tied the school record, as she led the Wildcats to a school record-tying score of 24-under par 840 to finish third place at the Westbrook Invitational in Peoria, Arizona. Bert, a transfer from East Tennessee State, finished in a second-place tie, her fifth collegiate top-five finish and first this season.
Bert ranks second on the team with a 73.13 stroke average with sophomore Alenka Navarro (73.25), freshman Nanami Nakashima (73.57) and junior Noa van Beek (74.04) close behind.
Burke guided his squad to a program-record scoring average of 290.25 last year. This year, the Wildcats average 287.13.
Navarro contributed mightily in the final round at MountainView with a 3-under par 69, rising 26 spots up the leaderboard to tie for 11th place at 5-over par 221. Navarro, a native of Mexico City, recorded her third top-20 finish this season thanks to her second-lowest round of the year.
Bernat, who last season earned an individual bid into the NCAA Regional and became just the second player in school history to advance to the NCAA Championship, topped them all.
"I mean, she's the best we've ever had at K-State," Burke said. "Having a player like that on your roster certainly makes your job as a coach easier. She's organically getting better as the semester has gone on. We want to make sure that's something she can do and that she peaks at the right time. At the tournaments and especially with the postseason coming up, we want to make sure we maintain that momentum for her."
Bernat is pleased where the Wildcats are at — and where they could be headed.
"We're going to be a big surprise in regionals and conference," she said. "I think people might start to see our potential now. We just need to keep doing what we're doing and hopefully we get the same kind of results.
"I think we're good enough to be inside the top 20 or top 15. That's the goal this semester."
The Wildcats won't have to wait long for a chance to expound upon their success.
K-State next competes in the Yale Invitational West at PGA WEST in La Quinta, California, on Monday and Tuesday. The field will feature No. 12 Vanderbilt, No. 15 North Carolina, No. 23 Kansas and No. 27 Oklahoma State.
Burke and Bernat both spoke for an interview on Wednesday afternoon and less than 12 hours after the team arrived back in Manhattan from Tucson, Arizona, with a pair of trophies in hand. After seemingly sailing through MountainView, the Wildcats encountered their biggest obstacle — snow and wind traveling from Kansas City to the Little Apple.
"We got home at 1:30 a.m. and it took us about 3 ½ hours to get home from Kansas City International with the weather, so that was less than ideal," Burke said. "The ladies have the day off to rest up. We'll lift tomorrow (Thursday) morning and stay on schedule with our lifts. Practice will be focused on some of the things we need to accomplish for this coming week, and then we get out to Palm Desert and have a day before the practice round. It's a quick turnaround, but they're experienced. They've played tournament golf before, and they know what works for them. Rest and recovery are a premium when we come back.
"We want to make sure they're as fresh as they can be when we go again."
After the Yale Invitational West, the Wildcats get two weeks rest before the Silicon Valley Showcase in Millbrae, California. Then comes the Big 12 Championship in Hockley, Texas in mid-April.
After that comes the waiting game for a hopeful NCAA Regional berth.
"Without a doubt," Burke said when asked whether the Wildcats were deserving of a NCAA spot. "One of the best things for us is we've got KU down the road doing well and we play in one of the top conferences in women's golf, and we've seen and competed against some of the best teams in the country. They know what the standard is, and that's half the battle for players is knowing what the level of competition is out there and constantly striving to get better and make a push up the rankings."
After a big tournament win and long night of travel, Burke paused.
"I'm just hoping for some sunshine and warmer weather," he said, "sooner than later."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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