Chen Guides Wildcats to Lead at Powercat Classic
Sep 28, 2026 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Powered by a pair of bogey-free rounds from junior Kelsey Chen, the Kansas State women's golf team holds a nine-shot lead after the first two rounds of the Powercat Classic on Monday held at the par-72, 6,503-yard Colbert Hills Golf Course.
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K-State is at 4-over par 580, highlighted by a second-round score of even-par 288. Along with Chen, the Wildcats also have two other players in the top 10 in fellow junior Nanami Nakashima – who is tied for second place at even-par 144 – and senior Julia Ballester Barrio – who is tied for ninth place at 3-over par 147.
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"There is lots to be proud of today by battling back after what was a really rough start," head coach Stew Burke said. "Playing at home is always tough as there is a little bit more pressure to perform and do well in your home course. There are things that we need to do a lot better tomorrow, and we need to cut out some of the unforced errors, but I am sure they heard the message loud and clear. Tomorrow is another opportunity to compete and continue to improve."
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Chen is at 10-under par 134, leading the 70-player field by 10 shots. She sprinted out of the gate with a first-round score of 6-under par 66, which tied K-State's lowest competitive round ever at Colbert Hills. Chen matched the score of 66 put together by Connie Jaffrey during the first round of the 2017 Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational.
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A native of Dalian, China, Chen recorded four-consecutive birdies in the first round on Nos. 13 through 16 in addition to birdies on Nos. 9 and 18, while she totaled another four birdies in the second round, including three in a four-hole stretch on Nos. 13 through 16. It was her second and third rounds in the 60s this season, growing her career total to 11.
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"Kelsey really did a fabulous job of staying in the present," Burke said. "These are things she has been working on this season, and I am really happy for her that it is starting to translate in competition to impressive scores."
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Nakashima and Ballester Barrio – the latter of whom is competing as an individual – each recorded first-round totals of 1-under par 71. A native of Kani, Japan, Nakashima worked around five first-round bogeys with six birdies, including four-straight birdies on Nos. 14 through 17.
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Sophomore Stalee Fields is tied for 20th place at 6-over par 150. She began the day with a 6-over par first round, but the Fort Worth, Texas, native rose 14 spots on the leaderboard in the afternoon by going even par over her second 18 holes.
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Rounding out the scoring lineup, sophomore Keen Visavapattamawan and freshman Amy Wang are tied for 33rd place with a 36-hole score of 9-over par 153. Visavapattamawan's day was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 4th.
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Freshman Mia Ingham and sophomore Casey Kang are also competing as individuals. Ingham enters Tuesday's final round in a tie for 43rd place at 11-over par 155, while Kang is tied for 54th place at 16-over par 160.
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The Powercat Classic concludes Tuesday with a shotgun start to the final round beginning at 8 a.m. The event is free and open to the walking public, and live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
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K-State is at 4-over par 580, highlighted by a second-round score of even-par 288. Along with Chen, the Wildcats also have two other players in the top 10 in fellow junior Nanami Nakashima – who is tied for second place at even-par 144 – and senior Julia Ballester Barrio – who is tied for ninth place at 3-over par 147.
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"There is lots to be proud of today by battling back after what was a really rough start," head coach Stew Burke said. "Playing at home is always tough as there is a little bit more pressure to perform and do well in your home course. There are things that we need to do a lot better tomorrow, and we need to cut out some of the unforced errors, but I am sure they heard the message loud and clear. Tomorrow is another opportunity to compete and continue to improve."
Â
Chen is at 10-under par 134, leading the 70-player field by 10 shots. She sprinted out of the gate with a first-round score of 6-under par 66, which tied K-State's lowest competitive round ever at Colbert Hills. Chen matched the score of 66 put together by Connie Jaffrey during the first round of the 2017 Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational.
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A native of Dalian, China, Chen recorded four-consecutive birdies in the first round on Nos. 13 through 16 in addition to birdies on Nos. 9 and 18, while she totaled another four birdies in the second round, including three in a four-hole stretch on Nos. 13 through 16. It was her second and third rounds in the 60s this season, growing her career total to 11.
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"Kelsey really did a fabulous job of staying in the present," Burke said. "These are things she has been working on this season, and I am really happy for her that it is starting to translate in competition to impressive scores."
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Nakashima and Ballester Barrio – the latter of whom is competing as an individual – each recorded first-round totals of 1-under par 71. A native of Kani, Japan, Nakashima worked around five first-round bogeys with six birdies, including four-straight birdies on Nos. 14 through 17.
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Sophomore Stalee Fields is tied for 20th place at 6-over par 150. She began the day with a 6-over par first round, but the Fort Worth, Texas, native rose 14 spots on the leaderboard in the afternoon by going even par over her second 18 holes.
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Rounding out the scoring lineup, sophomore Keen Visavapattamawan and freshman Amy Wang are tied for 33rd place with a 36-hole score of 9-over par 153. Visavapattamawan's day was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 4th.
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Freshman Mia Ingham and sophomore Casey Kang are also competing as individuals. Ingham enters Tuesday's final round in a tie for 43rd place at 11-over par 155, while Kang is tied for 54th place at 16-over par 160.
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The Powercat Classic concludes Tuesday with a shotgun start to the final round beginning at 8 a.m. The event is free and open to the walking public, and live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
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– k-statesports.com –
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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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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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