Kearney, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney set new school records for 18 and 36 hole team score, and senior Faviola Gonzalez broke the individual 36-hole school mark, as the Lopers placed runner up a the Grace Shin Memorial Invite Tuesday in Edmond, Okla.

The two-day, 20-team tournament was held at the par 71 Golf Club of Edmond. The field included schools from the MIAA, Great American Conf. (GAC), Lone Star Conf. (LSC), Great Lakes Valley Conf. (GLVC) and an Oklahoma junior college. Weather on both days was in the 80's with minimal wind. 

Having a third straight top three team finish, UNK managed rounds of 299 and 290 (589). The previous 36-hole mark was a 607, set at the 2019 Central Region Fall Preview in Blue Springs, Mo. Playing the par 72 Adams Pointe G.C., the Lopers shot a 294 in the second round of that tourney to set the 18-hole standard.

MIAA-member and No. 21 Rogers State carded a 586 (291-295) to win the team title. UNK came in ahead of, among others, No. 11 Henderson (Ark.) State and longtime MIAA powers Central Oklahoma, Central Missouri and Northeastern State.

Gonzalez (Puerto Rico) tied for fifth with a 2-over par 144 (72-72). She had three birdies in each round as well as 23 pars. The previous 36-hole UNK record was a 145 (73-72) set by Samantha Crawford at the Midwest Classic in the fall of 2017. That tourney was held in Warrensburg, Mo., at Mules National G.C.

NSU's Aitana Hernandez earned medalist honors with 1-under 142 (72-70) with two RSU golfers a stroke ahead of Gonzalez.

Next for UNK, Colombian freshman Juliana Botero Molina tied for 16th (149; 79-70), Kansas freshman Brooke King (77-73) and Arizona junior Paige Lucero (75-75) both shot a 150 to tie for 18th with Kansas sophomore Allison Comer tied for 31st (153; 75-78). To reach her score, King had 23 pars with Botero Molina at six birdies and Comer carding three and Lucero tying for the tourney lead on par 3 holes (-2). Finally, the field consisted of 108 golfers.

UNK is in the busiest portion of its schedule as it heads to Norfolk this weekend (Oct. 8-9) for the Nebraska Intercollegiate (two individuals to play) and then goes to Arkansas early Sunday/Monday for the HSU Region Preview.