K-State Women’s Golf Dominates Home Tournament, Secures Powercat Invitational Title
MANHATTAN, KS – The Kansas State women’s golf team delivered a commanding performance at the Powercat Invitational, held at Colbert Hills Golf Course this week, finishing 27 strokes ahead of the competition and securing a decisive victory. The Wildcats‘ team score of 13-over par marked their first outright win of the fall season and a strong finish too their competitive schedule.
K-State led the 16-team field in all three rounds, including a team-best four-under par performance in the opening round – the only sub-par team round of the entire tournament. Cincinnati finished second at 40-over par.
“We are delighted to defend Colbert Hills and go back-to-back in our home tournament in such emphatic fashion,” said K-State head coach Stew Burke. “The ladies did an incredible job all week.”
The Wildcats’ success extended to the individual leaderboard, claiming the top three spots. Nanami Nakashima secured her first collegiate win with a remarkable 5-under par total, the only player in the 54-hole tournament to finish under par. Her performance included rounds of three-under and two-under par.
“I am really delighted for Nanami to get her first college win – especially being the only player under par over three days – and how she handled herself in the final round, especially coming down the stretch,” Burke added.
Teammate Noa van Beek finished in second place at even par, closely trailing Nakashima after a tight competition between the two Wildcats for the individual title. Jiarui “Kelsey” Chen rounded out the K-State podium finishers, securing third place at 7-over par after a strong final round propelled her up the leaderboard. Thitaree “Keen” Visavapattamawan also contributed to the team’s success, finishing 11th at 12-over par.
The Wildcats now turn their focus to the spring season, with five tournaments scheduled, including the Big 12 tournament. They are aiming for a strong postseason push and a potential bid to the NCAA tournament regionals.
“These ladies have truly earned some time off,” Burke said. “I am looking forward to meeting with them all individually to break down the season and put our blueprint in place so we can start the spring hot and make a postseason push.”
