Cats Tied for Fifth after First Day in Tucson
Mar 20, 2026 | Women's Golf
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Kansas State women's golf team received a 2-under par first round from sophomore Kelsey Chen, as the Wildcats are tied for fifth place following the first round of the MountainView Collegiate on Friday at the par-72, 6,405-yard Preserve Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona.
K-State recorded a first-round total of 1-under par 287 as the 33rd-ranked Wildcats are tied with No. 32 Houston. The Wildcats and Cougars are two shots behind Iowa for fourth place but within striking distance of the top two as second-place North Texas is at 6-under par.
"We really did the tough part of the job well today. However, we didn't finish like we would like, which is obviously disappointing," head coach Stew Burke said. "I feel for the group. The greatest part is we have two more rounds to play, and I know the girls are looking to make amends with how they finished. The energy is good, and we saw a lot of great golf today. There is lots to look forward to tomorrow."
A native of Dalian, China, Chen posted a 2-under par 70 first-round score with six birdies on the day, and she enters Saturday's second round tied for seventh place.
Senior Noa van Beek and freshman Keen Visavapattamawan each tallied rounds of even-par 72 as they are tied for 19th place. Beginning on No. 10, van Beek birdied the first two holes and parred the rest of the inward 9 before occasionally running into trouble on the final 9 holes. Visavapattamawan's first-round performance included a bogey-free and 1-under par back 9 before recording a birdie and two bogeys on the front.
A product of Kani, Japan, Nanami Nakashima is one shot back of van Beek and Visavapattamawan and tied for 33rd place. She birdied two of her first eight holes before a double bogey on No. 18. The sophomore was able to bounce back by parring each of the first eight holes on the front 9 but ended her round with a bogey on No. 9.
K-State's scoring lineup is rounded out by junior Julia Ballester Barrio, who is tied for 75th place at 6-over par 78.
Playing as an individual, freshman Stalee Fields is tied with van Beek and Visavapattamawan for 19th place at even par. In her first appearance of the spring, the Fort Worth, Texas, native was 3-over par after finishing the back 9, but she went bogey free and 3-under par on her final 9 holes to balance her score.
Also playing as individuals, junior Alenka Navarro is tied for 41st place at 2-over par 74 and freshman Casey Kang is tied for 75th at 6-over par 78. A native of Mexico City, Mexico who is making her first start of the spring, Navarro began her round with a double-bogey on No. 10 but played the rest of the 17 holes at even par, including a birdie to close her round on No. 9.
No. 25 Iowa State has sprinted out in front following a first-round total of 15-under par 273, nine shots ahead of North Texas. Iowa State's Alexandra Vidal Rivera holds a three-shot advantage on the individual leaderboard following a first-round total of 8-under par 64.
K-State begins second-round play at the MountainView Collegiate on Saturday with tee times off No. 1 starting at 8:20 a.m. (MST). Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
K-State recorded a first-round total of 1-under par 287 as the 33rd-ranked Wildcats are tied with No. 32 Houston. The Wildcats and Cougars are two shots behind Iowa for fourth place but within striking distance of the top two as second-place North Texas is at 6-under par.
"We really did the tough part of the job well today. However, we didn't finish like we would like, which is obviously disappointing," head coach Stew Burke said. "I feel for the group. The greatest part is we have two more rounds to play, and I know the girls are looking to make amends with how they finished. The energy is good, and we saw a lot of great golf today. There is lots to look forward to tomorrow."
A native of Dalian, China, Chen posted a 2-under par 70 first-round score with six birdies on the day, and she enters Saturday's second round tied for seventh place.
Senior Noa van Beek and freshman Keen Visavapattamawan each tallied rounds of even-par 72 as they are tied for 19th place. Beginning on No. 10, van Beek birdied the first two holes and parred the rest of the inward 9 before occasionally running into trouble on the final 9 holes. Visavapattamawan's first-round performance included a bogey-free and 1-under par back 9 before recording a birdie and two bogeys on the front.
A product of Kani, Japan, Nanami Nakashima is one shot back of van Beek and Visavapattamawan and tied for 33rd place. She birdied two of her first eight holes before a double bogey on No. 18. The sophomore was able to bounce back by parring each of the first eight holes on the front 9 but ended her round with a bogey on No. 9.
K-State's scoring lineup is rounded out by junior Julia Ballester Barrio, who is tied for 75th place at 6-over par 78.
Playing as an individual, freshman Stalee Fields is tied with van Beek and Visavapattamawan for 19th place at even par. In her first appearance of the spring, the Fort Worth, Texas, native was 3-over par after finishing the back 9, but she went bogey free and 3-under par on her final 9 holes to balance her score.
Also playing as individuals, junior Alenka Navarro is tied for 41st place at 2-over par 74 and freshman Casey Kang is tied for 75th at 6-over par 78. A native of Mexico City, Mexico who is making her first start of the spring, Navarro began her round with a double-bogey on No. 10 but played the rest of the 17 holes at even par, including a birdie to close her round on No. 9.
No. 25 Iowa State has sprinted out in front following a first-round total of 15-under par 273, nine shots ahead of North Texas. Iowa State's Alexandra Vidal Rivera holds a three-shot advantage on the individual leaderboard following a first-round total of 8-under par 64.
K-State begins second-round play at the MountainView Collegiate on Saturday with tee times off No. 1 starting at 8:20 a.m. (MST). 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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