Led by individual winner Carla Bernat, the Kansas State women’s golf team earned a wire-to-wire victory at the Powercat Invitational with a strong showing during Tuesday’s final round at the par-72, 6,439-yard Colbert Hills Golf Course.
The Wildcats fired a final-round score of 9-under par 279 – the fourth-lowest team round in school history – as their winning total of 4-under par 860 (72-77-61) was 20 shots better than second-place North Texas and represented the sixth-lowest 54-hole score in school history.
It was the 18th team championship in program history and second under second-year head coach Stew Burke after winning last year’s White Sands Invitational. Additionally, it was the first home victory by K-State since the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational in September 2019.
The Wildcats ran away from the field thanks to four members of the scoring lineup earning top-10 finishes in Bernat, freshman Nanami Nakashima, sophomore Alenka Navarro and senior transfer Sophie Bert.
“The ladies did an excellent job closing out the event,” Burke said in a written statement. “This week was a total team effort. I’m really impressed by our newcomers, especially Nanami with her runner-up finish and Sophie with her top-10 showing. Our final round speaks volumes for the team’s desire to improve, learn and win. Carla continues to excel and came up with a big final round to pull away from the field. It’s the start we were looking for and gives us the momentum moving into our practice for Schooner Fall Classic.”
Bernat earned her third victory as a Wildcat to sit alone in third place in program history. With a final-round score of 5-under par 67 – tied for the 11th-lowest individual round in school history – Bernat earned a seven-shot victory at 8-under par 208 (70-71-67). It was her seventh 54-hole score of 209 or better in her 11 three-round events as a Wildcat, and her score of 208 in the Powercat Invitational was tied for the fifth-lowest in school history.
A native of Castellon, Spain, Bernat went bogey-free on the day, which included a 4-under par showing over the first nine holes.
Nakashima finished in second place at 1-under par 215 (69-71-75) following a round of 4-over par 75 on Tuesday.
Navarro climbed seven spots on the leaderboard in the final round thanks to a score of 2-under par 70, ending her three round total with 3-over 219 (74-75-70). Bert also shot 2-under par 70 over the final 18 holes to rise 12 spots on the leaderboard to a tie for seventh place at 5-over par 221 (75-76-70).
Playing as an individual, Julia Ballester Barrio tied for 15th place at 7-over par 223 (73-73-77), two shots ahead of Noa van Beek, who tied for 20th place at 9-over par 225 (75-78-72) after a final-round total of even-par 72. Freshman Natalia Fiel Ros, who also competed as an individual, tied for 25th place at 14-over par 230 (75-78-77).
Next action for the Wildcats is September 21-23 when they compete in the Schooner Fall Classic held at Belmar Golf Club in Norman, Oklahoma.
