Casey LaBarbera
The Northern Illinois University women’s golf team finished fourth Tuesday in the UMKC Kangaroo Fall Invitational at Shoal Creek Golf Club.
NIU shot a final round 313 to finish the tournament with a 932, the fifth lowest score in school history for a 54-hole event and well below their 959 shot at the Redbird Invitational in the season opener. The three rounds the Huskies shot at Shoal Creek were the lowest of the season.
Despite the low scores in the three rounds, NIU head coach Kim Kester knows her team could have played better.
“We couldn’t play the way we played yesterday in the final round today,” Kester said. “Overall, it was a good tournament. Still it’s not where we want to be. We’ll learn from this tournament and use it to get better next week at The Preview.”
Junior Casey LaBarbera (Marinette, Wis./Marinette), senior Jenny Niemiec (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) and freshman Sydney Brickey (Burtchville, Mich./Shattuck-St. Mary’s) were the top finishers for the Huskies. LaBarbera shot a final round 82 to finish with a 232, and in 13th place. Niemiec and Brickey finished in 14th with a 234. Brickey shot her lowest score of the tournament, carding a final round 75, while Niemiec shot a final round 80.
Junior Taylor Ellett (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) also improved as the tournament went on. She shot a final round 76 to go along with her first and second round scores of 81 and 78 respectively. She finished in 16th with a 235. Samantha Coyne (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) took 39th with a 251 (78-87-86) to round out the Huskie competitors.
NIU returns to the course Monday, Oct. 7, when the Huskies travel to Fishers, Ind., for The 2013 Preview at The Hawthornes Golf Club. Tee time is set for 8 a.m. CT.
For more information on NIU women’s golf and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
