MANHATTAN, Kan. – Riding the momentum of back-to-back top-five finishes, the No. 33 Kansas State women’s golf team is set to co-host the MountainView Collegiate from Friday through Sunday at the Preserve Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona. The par-72 course stretches 6,405 yards and serves as a familiar venue for the Wildcats.
Kansas State, co-hosting alongside Missouri, enters the tournament as the defending champion after capturing last year’s title by a commanding 10 strokes, finishing at 4-over par 868.
Head coach Stew Burke expressed confidence heading into the event, noting the team’s comfort level at the course while also acknowledging that conditions will present new challenges. With warmer temperatures expected, Burke emphasized the importance of adjusting strategy rather than relying on past experience. He added that the team has spent significant time sharpening its short game and course management, and he is eager to see how that preparation translates into results.
Now in its 27th year, the MountainView Collegiate has been a staple on the schedule since 1999, aside from a pause in 2020 due to COVID-19. The tournament has featured a wide range of champions, with 19 different programs claiming titles over the years. Iowa State and Texas Tech lead the way with three wins each, while Kansas State, Arizona, and Nebraska have each won twice.
Following a fourth-place finish at the Yale Invitational West and a 10-day stretch of practice, the Wildcats are aiming to build on an already strong season. Their six top-five finishes are tied for the sixth-most in program history, while their three top-three results rank tied for seventh.
The field in Tucson includes four teams ranked inside the top 50 nationally: No. 25 Iowa State, No. 32 Houston, No. 33 Kansas State, and No. 34 Missouri. Additional competitors include Cincinnati, Colorado State, Iowa, Long Beach State, Marshall, Nebraska, North Texas, San Diego State, Texas Tech, UTSA, Wichita State, and Wisconsin.
Kansas State will once again rely on a consistent lineup that has featured prominently this season: senior Noa van Beek, junior Julia Ballester Barrio, sophomores Kelsey Chen and Nanami Nakashima, and freshman Keen Visavapattamawan. Competing as individuals will be junior Alenka Navarro and freshmen Stalee Fields and Casey Kang.
Van Beek, a native of the Netherlands, leads the team with a 71.74 scoring average and has recorded four top-10 finishes this season, including a victory at the Westbrook Invitational. She has also compiled seven career top-10 finishes and placed tied for seventh at last year’s MountainView Collegiate.
Chen and Nakashima have both been steady contributors, each posting a 72.09 scoring average over 23 rounds. Chen, from China, earned co-medalist honors at the Puerto Rico Classic, while Nakashima, a Japan native, secured a win at the Powercat Invitational in the fall.
Visavapattamawan has made an immediate impact in her freshman season with a 74.00 average and four top-20 finishes, while Ballester Barrio has added depth with a 74.55 average.
Navarro returns to action for just the third time this season and brings a strong career scoring average of 73.94, one of the best in program history. Fields will make her fifth appearance of the year, while Kang enters her second consecutive event after posting a career-best 54-hole score at the Yale Invitational West.
With a balanced lineup, strong recent form, and familiarity with the course, Kansas State will look to successfully defend its title against a competitive field this weekend.
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