Mavericks Open Season at SIUE, Nebraska
Sep 5, 2014 | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
This Week
The Omaha men's and women's golf teams begin their respective seasons next week at two familiar tournaments. The men will travel to Edwardsville, Ill. for the Derek Dolenc Invitational hosted by Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 8-9 at the Sunset Hills Country Club. The women will make their annual trip to Lincoln to tee up in the Chip-N Club Invitational hosted by Nebraska on the same days. The tournament will be played at the Wilderness Ridge Golf Course.
The Coaches
Tim Nelson is in his 12th season at UNO, the third as Director of Golf, leading both the men's and women's teams. Nelson has led the UNO women's golf team to four conference championships including three straight Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association titles before the Mavericks began their reclassification to Division I in 2011. The 1980 UNO grad also has guided the women's team to three NCAA regional titles and three appearances in the NCAA Championship. He is assisted by Seth Porter who is in his fourth year coaching the UNO men's team. The 2002 graduate of Nebraska was a four-year letter winner there and a former professional player on the Gateway and Canadian Tours.
Trailblazers
Four members of the Omaha men's team will conclude their careers this season. Three of those players make up the first four-year class in school history after golf was added as a Division I sport in 2011. Alex Holtan, Karl Krieser and Taylor Sidzyik are three-year letterwinners entering this season. Krieser has led the Mavericks in scoring in each of the last two seasons and has a career scoring average of 77.7, the best among his class.
The Core Returns
The Omaha women's team returns three members of last year's team, just half of the six total who were on the roster in 2013-14. Senior Sophie Peters, junior Katie Kesti and sophomore Makenna Kroeker are all back to lead a team that will feature just as many newcomers. Kesti led the Mavericks in scoring last year as a sophomore with a stroke average of 80.1. She had UNO's top two rounds last year including a career-best score of 70 at the Bellevue Shootout on Oct. 18. Peters had the other three top five scores for the Mavericks and finished the season with a stroke average of 81.1, second-best on the team.
The Newcomers
The Omaha men's team welcomes five new players to its roster this season including four true freshmen and a transfer. Brandon Sletmoen will be a junior at UNO after transferring from Minnesota State Community & Technical College in Fergus Falls. Sletmoen, a native of Hawley, Minn., was a qualifier for the USGA's U.S. Amateur Championship in 2014. Phillip Baumberger comes to UNO from Lincoln where he starred for Lincoln East; Caleb Haight of Wichita, Kan. was first team all-state for Wichita Heights High School; Ryan Mayer of Eden Prairie, Minn. was twice first team all-state and all conference for Eden Prairie High School; and Ryan Milks finished fourth overall at the state tournament while playing for Gibbon High School.
The women's team has three newcomers. Alexa Ruwe of Omaha went to Elkhorn South and played last year at Hastings College before transferring to UNO. Katelyn Strudthoff was a four-year letter winner at Millard West where she finished ninth overall in the state tournament as a senior; and Megan Vetrovsky of McCook, Neb. was the state Class B individual medalist and a member of the all-state team.
Up Next
The Omaha men host their only tournament of the season, the UNO Invitational at ArborLinks Golf Course in Nebraska City on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 15-16. The women will turn around even more quickly, taking part in the WIU Autumn Invitational at Western Illinois on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13-14.
The Omaha men's and women's golf teams begin their respective seasons next week at two familiar tournaments. The men will travel to Edwardsville, Ill. for the Derek Dolenc Invitational hosted by Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 8-9 at the Sunset Hills Country Club. The women will make their annual trip to Lincoln to tee up in the Chip-N Club Invitational hosted by Nebraska on the same days. The tournament will be played at the Wilderness Ridge Golf Course.
The Coaches
Tim Nelson is in his 12th season at UNO, the third as Director of Golf, leading both the men's and women's teams. Nelson has led the UNO women's golf team to four conference championships including three straight Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association titles before the Mavericks began their reclassification to Division I in 2011. The 1980 UNO grad also has guided the women's team to three NCAA regional titles and three appearances in the NCAA Championship. He is assisted by Seth Porter who is in his fourth year coaching the UNO men's team. The 2002 graduate of Nebraska was a four-year letter winner there and a former professional player on the Gateway and Canadian Tours.
Trailblazers
Four members of the Omaha men's team will conclude their careers this season. Three of those players make up the first four-year class in school history after golf was added as a Division I sport in 2011. Alex Holtan, Karl Krieser and Taylor Sidzyik are three-year letterwinners entering this season. Krieser has led the Mavericks in scoring in each of the last two seasons and has a career scoring average of 77.7, the best among his class.
The Core Returns
The Omaha women's team returns three members of last year's team, just half of the six total who were on the roster in 2013-14. Senior Sophie Peters, junior Katie Kesti and sophomore Makenna Kroeker are all back to lead a team that will feature just as many newcomers. Kesti led the Mavericks in scoring last year as a sophomore with a stroke average of 80.1. She had UNO's top two rounds last year including a career-best score of 70 at the Bellevue Shootout on Oct. 18. Peters had the other three top five scores for the Mavericks and finished the season with a stroke average of 81.1, second-best on the team.
The Newcomers
The Omaha men's team welcomes five new players to its roster this season including four true freshmen and a transfer. Brandon Sletmoen will be a junior at UNO after transferring from Minnesota State Community & Technical College in Fergus Falls. Sletmoen, a native of Hawley, Minn., was a qualifier for the USGA's U.S. Amateur Championship in 2014. Phillip Baumberger comes to UNO from Lincoln where he starred for Lincoln East; Caleb Haight of Wichita, Kan. was first team all-state for Wichita Heights High School; Ryan Mayer of Eden Prairie, Minn. was twice first team all-state and all conference for Eden Prairie High School; and Ryan Milks finished fourth overall at the state tournament while playing for Gibbon High School.
The women's team has three newcomers. Alexa Ruwe of Omaha went to Elkhorn South and played last year at Hastings College before transferring to UNO. Katelyn Strudthoff was a four-year letter winner at Millard West where she finished ninth overall in the state tournament as a senior; and Megan Vetrovsky of McCook, Neb. was the state Class B individual medalist and a member of the all-state team.
Up Next
The Omaha men host their only tournament of the season, the UNO Invitational at ArborLinks Golf Course in Nebraska City on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 15-16. The women will turn around even more quickly, taking part in the WIU Autumn Invitational at Western Illinois on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13-14.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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/ Women's Golf
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/ Women's GolfTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
