Monday, September 28
Manhattan, Kan.
Kansas State University
vs
Powercat Classic
Chen Sets School Record as Wildcats Capture Powercat Classic Title
Sep 29, 2026 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State junior women's golfer Kelsey Chen produced a school-record 54-hole score of 15-under par 201 en route to an individual title, leading the Wildcats to the team victory at the Powercat Classic following Tuesday's final round at the par-72, 6,503-yard Colbert Hills Golf Course.
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A native of Dalian, China, Chen broke the previous record of 202 held by Noa van Beek, who set the mark last February at the Westbrook Invitational. Chen guided the Wildcats to an 18-shot victory at even-par 864 as K-State earned the team and individual titles on their home course for a third-straight season.
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"Winning at home is always special, and I am really proud of the way this group battled from start to finish," said head coach Stew Burke, whose team recorded a final-round score of 4-under par 284. "There were a lot of moments this week where we had to dig deep, and the team showed a lot of fight and belief. To get the win in front of our home fans at Colbert Hills is something we can be proud of. At the same time, we know we have some brushing up to do before our next event. We are a young group that is continuing to learn, and the margin for error gets smaller as we move forward. We will enjoy this one, but we will get back to work quickly and use what we learned this week to keep getting better."
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Chen posted three-straight rounds in the 60s, the first player in school history to accomplish the feat. Beginning the day on No. 3, her third-round total of 5-under par 67 was jumpstarted with a hole-in-one on No. 5 as she birdied or eagled four of her first six holes of the day. Her only bogey of the entire tournament did not occur until the 51st hole.
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"Kelsey's performance this week was incredibly impressive," Burke said. "To win at home while putting together a school-record score is something really special. She was in control of her game all week and showed tremendous confidence, composure and maturity. I couldn't be more proud of her. She had a slow start to the season by the standards she's set, but she has been smart in practice, and it's really rewarding to see that translate into a performance like this.
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"A school record and a win at Colbert Hills is a pretty special combination, and Kelsey deserves a lot of credit for the team win as well."
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K-State also had the runner-up finisher in fellow junior Nanami Nakashima, who tallied a score of 1-under par 215 as she and Chen were the only two individuals in the 70-player field to finish under par. A native of Kani, Japan, Nakashima offset five final-round bogeys with four birdies in addition to an eagle on the par-4 13th hole.
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Competing as an individual, Julia Ballester Barrio recorded a score of 1-under par 71 for the second time in the event as she tied for fourth place at 2-over par 218. Playing in her final tournament at Colbert Hills, the Castellon, Spain, native tallied the second top-five finish of her career and first since a tie for third place in the White Sands Invitational in October 2023.
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Sophomore Keen Visavapattamawan chipped in a counting under-par round of 1-under par 71 on Tuesday thanks to a trio of birdies. She moved 19 spots up the leaderboard during the final round to tie for 13th place at 8-over par 224.
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Freshman Mia Ingham also posted a score of 1-under par 71 in the final round, which was highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 13th. Playing as an individual, the Surrey, England, native improved 24 spots during the final round to tie for 18th place at 10-over par 216.
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Another freshman, Amy Wang, tied for 30th place at 12-over par 228 following a round of 3-over par 75 on Tuesday, while sophomore Stalee Fields finished three shots back and in a tie for 37th place. Sophomore Casey Kang tied for 60th place at 28-over par 244.
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The Wildcats are quickly back in action this Saturday through Monday when they compete in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational held at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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A native of Dalian, China, Chen broke the previous record of 202 held by Noa van Beek, who set the mark last February at the Westbrook Invitational. Chen guided the Wildcats to an 18-shot victory at even-par 864 as K-State earned the team and individual titles on their home course for a third-straight season.
Â
"Winning at home is always special, and I am really proud of the way this group battled from start to finish," said head coach Stew Burke, whose team recorded a final-round score of 4-under par 284. "There were a lot of moments this week where we had to dig deep, and the team showed a lot of fight and belief. To get the win in front of our home fans at Colbert Hills is something we can be proud of. At the same time, we know we have some brushing up to do before our next event. We are a young group that is continuing to learn, and the margin for error gets smaller as we move forward. We will enjoy this one, but we will get back to work quickly and use what we learned this week to keep getting better."
Â
Chen posted three-straight rounds in the 60s, the first player in school history to accomplish the feat. Beginning the day on No. 3, her third-round total of 5-under par 67 was jumpstarted with a hole-in-one on No. 5 as she birdied or eagled four of her first six holes of the day. Her only bogey of the entire tournament did not occur until the 51st hole.
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"Kelsey's performance this week was incredibly impressive," Burke said. "To win at home while putting together a school-record score is something really special. She was in control of her game all week and showed tremendous confidence, composure and maturity. I couldn't be more proud of her. She had a slow start to the season by the standards she's set, but she has been smart in practice, and it's really rewarding to see that translate into a performance like this.
Â
"A school record and a win at Colbert Hills is a pretty special combination, and Kelsey deserves a lot of credit for the team win as well."
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K-State also had the runner-up finisher in fellow junior Nanami Nakashima, who tallied a score of 1-under par 215 as she and Chen were the only two individuals in the 70-player field to finish under par. A native of Kani, Japan, Nakashima offset five final-round bogeys with four birdies in addition to an eagle on the par-4 13th hole.
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Competing as an individual, Julia Ballester Barrio recorded a score of 1-under par 71 for the second time in the event as she tied for fourth place at 2-over par 218. Playing in her final tournament at Colbert Hills, the Castellon, Spain, native tallied the second top-five finish of her career and first since a tie for third place in the White Sands Invitational in October 2023.
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Sophomore Keen Visavapattamawan chipped in a counting under-par round of 1-under par 71 on Tuesday thanks to a trio of birdies. She moved 19 spots up the leaderboard during the final round to tie for 13th place at 8-over par 224.
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Freshman Mia Ingham also posted a score of 1-under par 71 in the final round, which was highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 13th. Playing as an individual, the Surrey, England, native improved 24 spots during the final round to tie for 18th place at 10-over par 216.
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Another freshman, Amy Wang, tied for 30th place at 12-over par 228 following a round of 3-over par 75 on Tuesday, while sophomore Stalee Fields finished three shots back and in a tie for 37th place. Sophomore Casey Kang tied for 60th place at 28-over par 244.
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The Wildcats are quickly back in action this Saturday through Monday when they compete in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational held at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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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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