Guided by individual champion Carla Bernat, Kansas State women’s golf achieved the Powercat Invitational team title, delivering an impressive performance on Sept. 10 at Colbert Hills Golf Course.
In the final round, the Wildcats received a score of 9-under par 279 at the par-72, 6,439-yard course, marking the fourth-lowest team round in school history.
The Wildcats’ winning total of 4-under par was 20 strokes ahead of second-place North Texas and ranks as the sixth-lowest 54-hole score in the program’s history.
The victory marked the 18th team championship in program history and the second under second-year head coach Stew Burke, following last year’s White Sands Invitational win. It was also K-State’s first home victory since the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational in September 2019.
The Wildcats dominated their home course with four members of their scoring lineup — Bernat, freshman Nanami Nakashima, sophomore Alenka Navarro and senior transfer Sophie Bert — earning spots in the top 10.
“The ladies did an excellent job closing out the event,” Burke said to K-State Athletics. “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.”
Bernat, a senior and second-year Wildcat, secured her third victory as a Wildcat, placing her alone in third on the program’s all-time wins list. With a final-round score of 5-under, she tied for the 11th-lowest individual round in school history.
Bernat clinched a seven-shot win with a tournament total of 8-under par. This victory marked her seventh 54-hole score of 209 or better in 11 three-round events as a Wildcat. Additionally, her final score of 208 at the Powercat Invitational was tied for the fifth-lowest in school history.
“Carla continues to excel and came up with a big final round to pull away from the field,” Burke said. “It’s the start we were looking for and gives us the momentum moving into our practice for Schooner Fall Classic.”
Finishing in second place, Nakashima earned a score of 1-under par 215 after a round of 4-over par 75 on Tuesday.
In the final round, Navarro earned a spot on the leaderboard with a score of 2-under par 70. Bert shot 2-under par 70 during the last 18 holes, and climbed 12 spots to finish in a tie for seventh place with a total of 5-over par 221.
Competing individually, sophomore Julia Ballester Barrio finished in a tie for 15th place and carded a score of 7-over. She finished just two strokes ahead of junior Noa van Beek, who tied for 20th place at 9-over. Freshman Natalia Fiel Rios tallied 14-over, tying for 25th.
K-State will compete in the Schooner Fall Classic Sept. 21-23 hosted by the University of Oklahoma.
