Friday, March 20
Tuscon, Ariz.
Kansas State University
vs
MountainView Collegiate
Chen Ties for Second, Cats Place Sixth at MountainView Collegiate
Mar 22, 2026 | Women's Golf
TUCSON, Ariz. – Kansas State sophomore women's golfer Kelsey Chen turned in a final-round total of 6-under par 66 on Sunday to climb seven spots up the leaderboard and tie for second place at the MountainView Collegiate held at the par-72, 6,405-yard Preserve Golf Club.
As a team, K-State put together a score of 3-under par 285 in the final round, finishing in sixth place with a 54-hole score of even-par 864. The Wildcats, ranked 33rd in the nation, were one of six squads in the 16-team field to finish at even or below par. They concluded the event two shots behind No. 34 Missouri for fifth place, while they were three shots ahead of UTSA and six shots clear of No. 32 Houston.
"We never really got our fourth score today, which we needed to help us move up," head coach Stew Burke said. "However, there were some really bright spots, especially Kelsey shooting a 66 the final round and Keen going under par to help carry the team. We have had a pretty mid performance in the desert the last three weeks, so maybe San Francisco will inspire some better golf. I know the ladies are frustrated, and I am too due to the quality of iron shots that I have seen this week. Unfortunately, we just did not take advantage of a good play. It is a quick turnaround, so I am glad we are playing well as we look to put three good rounds together in the Bay Area."
A native of Dalian, China, Chen produced the lowest round of her collegiate career and tied for the ninth-lowest round in program history on Sunday. Starting on No. 4, Chen was 4-under par through 13 holes before a bogey on No. 17 and a par on No. 18. However, she ended her round with three-straight birdies on Nos. 1 through 3 to give her a 54-hole score of 8-under par 208, tied for the 13th-lowest three-round total in school history. It was the third time in her collegiate career – all coming this season – that Chen earned a top-three finish.
Freshman Keen Visavapattamawan joined Chen with an under-par final round by posting a score of 70 on Sunday en route to a tie for 25th place at 1-over par 217. Visavapattamawan, who hails from Bangkok, Thailand, tallied four birdies over her final 18 holes of the event as she recorded her fourth under-par round this season.
Senior Noa van Beek tied for 28th place at 2-over par 218 after parring 15 of her 18 holes on Sunday in a 1-over par 73 round. Sophomore Nanami Nakashima tied for 56th place at 8-over par 224, while junior Julia Ballester Barrio rounded out the scoring lineup by tying for 65th place at 11-over par 227.
Competing as an individual, freshman Stalee Fields finished her first appearance of the spring in a tie for 44th place at 5-over par 221 after recording a score of 1-over par 73 on Sunday. Another freshman, Casey Kang, finished two shots back of Fields in a tie for 50th place, while junior Alenka Navarro finished in 79th place at 16-over par 232.
No. 25 Iowa State held off a final-round charge from Texas Tech as the Cyclones earned a wire-to-wire victory at 20-under par 844, four shots ahead of the Red Raiders. Texas Tech had the top individual in Denisa Vodickova, who earned a one-shot victory at 9-under par 207.
Kansas State is right back to action next Sunday through Tuesday when the Wildcats compete in the Silicon Valley Showcase held at Green Hills CC in Millbrae, California.
As a team, K-State put together a score of 3-under par 285 in the final round, finishing in sixth place with a 54-hole score of even-par 864. The Wildcats, ranked 33rd in the nation, were one of six squads in the 16-team field to finish at even or below par. They concluded the event two shots behind No. 34 Missouri for fifth place, while they were three shots ahead of UTSA and six shots clear of No. 32 Houston.
"We never really got our fourth score today, which we needed to help us move up," head coach Stew Burke said. "However, there were some really bright spots, especially Kelsey shooting a 66 the final round and Keen going under par to help carry the team. We have had a pretty mid performance in the desert the last three weeks, so maybe San Francisco will inspire some better golf. I know the ladies are frustrated, and I am too due to the quality of iron shots that I have seen this week. Unfortunately, we just did not take advantage of a good play. It is a quick turnaround, so I am glad we are playing well as we look to put three good rounds together in the Bay Area."
A native of Dalian, China, Chen produced the lowest round of her collegiate career and tied for the ninth-lowest round in program history on Sunday. Starting on No. 4, Chen was 4-under par through 13 holes before a bogey on No. 17 and a par on No. 18. However, she ended her round with three-straight birdies on Nos. 1 through 3 to give her a 54-hole score of 8-under par 208, tied for the 13th-lowest three-round total in school history. It was the third time in her collegiate career – all coming this season – that Chen earned a top-three finish.
Freshman Keen Visavapattamawan joined Chen with an under-par final round by posting a score of 70 on Sunday en route to a tie for 25th place at 1-over par 217. Visavapattamawan, who hails from Bangkok, Thailand, tallied four birdies over her final 18 holes of the event as she recorded her fourth under-par round this season.
Senior Noa van Beek tied for 28th place at 2-over par 218 after parring 15 of her 18 holes on Sunday in a 1-over par 73 round. Sophomore Nanami Nakashima tied for 56th place at 8-over par 224, while junior Julia Ballester Barrio rounded out the scoring lineup by tying for 65th place at 11-over par 227.
Competing as an individual, freshman Stalee Fields finished her first appearance of the spring in a tie for 44th place at 5-over par 221 after recording a score of 1-over par 73 on Sunday. Another freshman, Casey Kang, finished two shots back of Fields in a tie for 50th place, while junior Alenka Navarro finished in 79th place at 16-over par 232.
No. 25 Iowa State held off a final-round charge from Texas Tech as the Cyclones earned a wire-to-wire victory at 20-under par 844, four shots ahead of the Red Raiders. Texas Tech had the top individual in Denisa Vodickova, who earned a one-shot victory at 9-under par 207.
Kansas State is right back to action next Sunday through Tuesday when the Wildcats compete in the Silicon Valley Showcase held at Green Hills CC in Millbrae, California.
– 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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