Kayley Roberts makes her debut at Delaware as Blue Hens finish 10th in Nittany Lion Invitational

   It wasn’t quite the college debut that Kayley Roberts, a four-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Phoenixville, envisioned.

   Kayley Roberts was in the lineup for Delaware as the Blue Hens opened their season in the 50^th Nittany Lion Invitational, which wrapped up Tuesday at Penn State’s Blue Course, where Kayley Roberts had finished in second and fourth place in two of her four appearances in the state tournament.

   Kayley Roberts finished among the group tied for 52^nd place with a 9-over-par 225 total over the 6,363-yard, par-72 Blue Course layout, struggling to a 7-over 79 in Tuesday’s final round. Kayley Roberts had opened with a 2-over 74 and matched par with a 72 in the afternoon of a Labor Day double round.

   Kayley Roberts capped her junior career this summer with a second straight trip to the Girls Junior PGA Championship at PGA Frisco at the PGA of America’s headquarters in Frisco, Texas. Kayley Roberts failed to survive the 36-hole cut in the brutal midsummer Texas heat.

   Delaware, the runnerup in its first appearance in the Conference USA Championship last spring, finished in 10^th place in the Nittany Lion Invitational with a 14-over 877 total.

   Kayley Roberts probably saw being accompanied in the Delaware starting lineup by her older sister, Kate, a junior for the Blue Hens, in her college debut.

   It didn’t quite play out that way. Kate Roberts did not make the starting lineup for the Blue Hens, but teed it up at Penn State’s White Course in what Penn State billed as the Happy Valley Individual, a 36-hole event to accommodate the overall field.

   This early in the season, coaches want to give as many players as possible a chance to compete and will bring as many individuals as they’re allowed to evaluate them in a competitive environment.

   With the White Course available, the Happy Valley Individual allowed teams to bring as many individuals as they wanted.

   Penn State head coach Kristen Simpson, for instance, sent her top freshman, Maddie Koshko, to the White Course and Koshko, a State College native and winner of back-to-back PIAA Class AA crowns in each of the last two falls for Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy, responded by taking the top spot in the Happy Valley Individual with a sizzling 8-under 136 total.

   Koshko carded back-to-back 4-under 68s over the 6,164-yard, par-72 White Course layout, where she captured her second state title a year ago.

   Delaware’s Kate Roberts struggled a little on a course she was pretty familiar with, having finished in ninth place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship at the White Course as a junior in the fall of 2022.

   Kate Roberts added an 80 in Tuesday’s second round to the 3-over 75 she opened with on Labor Day as she finished in a tie for 24^th place in the Happy Valley Individual with an 11-over 155 total.

   Virginia Tech, which plays out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, rolled to the team title in the Nittany Lion Invitational behind individual champion Valentine Delon, a senior from France coming off a massive victory over Stanford star Andea Revuelta, a Spaniard and the No. 1 player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), in the final of the Royal & Ancient Women’s Amateur Championship earlier this summer at Muirfield in Scotland.

   Delon, No. 40 in the Women’s WAGR, added a 6-under 66 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening-round 69 before closing with a 68 for a 13-under 203 total that left her four shots clear of Yale’s Hanny Wang, a freshman from China, and Maryland’s Nicha Kanpai, a graduate student from Thailand.

   Delon’s 203 total broke the Nittany Lion Invitational record of 11-under 205 set by Penn State’s Sarah Willis in 2018.

   The Hokies opened with a solid 2-under 286 and added a 10-under 278 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with an 8-under 280 for a 24-under 844 total. That easily bested the Nittany Lion Invitational team record of 13-under 851 set by Penn State in winning its home event in 2021.

   Maryland, a Big Ten rival of Penn State’s, finished five shots behind Virginia Tech in second place with a 15-under 849 total, which would have won the team title in every previous Nittany Lion Invitational.

   The Terrapins, behind Kanpai, added a 7-under 281 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to their opening-round 282 and led Virginia Tech by a shot going into the final round. Maryland closed with a 2-under 286.

   Kanpai added a 4-under 68 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening-round 69 before closing with a 2-under 70 to get a share of runnerup honors with Yale’s Hanny Wang at 9-under 209, four shots behind Delon.

   Penn State and Harvard, the Ivy League runnerup last spring, finished in a tie for third place, each landing four shots behind Maryland with an 11-under 853 total.

   Penn State opened with a 1-over 289 and added a 4-under 284 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before finishing strong with an 8-under 280.

   The Nittany Lions were led by Jirattchaya Jiratthitinun, a junior from Thailand who finished in a tie for fifth place with a 6-under 210 total, and Mara King, a sophomore from Lake Mary, Fla. who finished in a tie for seventh place with a 5-under 211 total.

   Jiratthitinun sandwiched a 4-under 68 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round with a pair of 1-under 71s. King closed with a sparkling 5-under 67 after she had opened with a 1-under 71 and added a 1-over 73 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round.

   Harvard matched par in the first and final rounds with 288s around an 11-under 277 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round.

   Harvard was led by freshman phenom Rayee Feng, a product of The Pingry School from Short Hills, N.J. who finished alone in fourth place in the individual standings with an 8-under 208 total.

   Feng sandwiched a 4-under 68 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round with a pair of 2-under 70s.

   James Madison, playing out of the Sun Belt Conference, finished nine shots behind Penn State and Harvard in fifth place with a 2-under 862 total.

   The Dukes added a solid 7-under 281 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to their opening round of 3-under 285 before struggling a little in the final round with an 8-over 296.

   Jams Madison got a really strong debut performance from freshman Kate Sowers, a four-time PIAA Class AA qualifier at West Middlesex who was the runnerup to Penn State’s Koshko each of the last two falls.

   Sowers led the way for the Dukes as she finished in the trio tied for 12^th place at 2-under 214. Sowers added a 2-under 70 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening-round 71 before closing with a 1-over 73.

   Penn, out of the Ivy League, finished a shot ahead of Delaware in ninth place with a 12-over 876 total in its season debut. The Quakers added a 1-over 290 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to their opening round of 6-over 294 before closing with a 4-over 292.

   Penn was led by Juliet Oh, a freshman from Diamond Bar, Calif. who shared fifth place with Penn State’s Jiratthitinun at 6-under. It was a solid debut performance for Oh as she matched par in the opening round with a 72, added a 2-under 70 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round and closed with a solid 4-under 68.

   Delaware struggled in the opening round with a 9-over 297, bounced back with a solid 2-under 286 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round and finished up with a 6-over 294 to end up a shot behind Penn in 10^th place with a 13-over total.

   The Blue Hens were led by junior Rhianna Gooneratne, who was playing on the same Penn State Blue Course where she captured the PIAA Class AAA championship as a junior at Plymouth-Whitemarsh in 2023.

   Gooneratne bounced back from an opening round of 2-over 74 with a 2-under 70 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with a 1-under 71 that left her among the group tied for 15^th place with a 1-under 215 total.

   The fledgling Saint Joseph’s team finished last of 18 teams with a 959 total. The Hawks, playing out of the Atlantic 10, opened with a 20-over 308 and added a 331 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with a 320.

   St. Joe’s was led by Mariana Forero, a sophomore from Colombia who finished among the trio tied for 70^th place with a 16-over 232 total. Forero matched par in the opening round with a 72, but struggled to an 82 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before finishing up with a 6-over 78.

   Raquel Walker, a freshman from Burke, Va., and Xin Yao Wang, a sophomore from Malaysia, gave Virginia Tech two more top-10 finishers as they were two of the three players tied for ninth place, each ending up with a 4-under 212 total.

   Walker added a 3-under 69 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening-round 71 before matching par in the final round with a 72. Yao Wang matched par in the opening round with a 72 and contributed a 3-under 69 to Virginia Tech’s surge in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with a 1-under 71.

   Rounding out the Virginia Tech lineup were a pair of seniors in Savannah Dupre of Boerne, Texas, and Emily Mathews, of Mebane, N.C., both whom finished in the group tied for 38^th place at 4-over 220.

   Dupre closed with a 1-under 71 after she had opened with a 2-over 74 and added a 75 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round. Mathews also finished strong with a 2-under 70 in the final round. She had opened with a 4-over 76 before adding a 74 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round.

   A pair of Hokies, Olivia Meinecke, a junior from Germany, and Emerson Dever, a sophomore from Durham, N.C. finished in a tie for eighth place in the Happy Valley Individual, each landing on 1-over 145.

   Meinecke added a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening round of 1-over 71. Dever matched par with a 72 in the Labor Day opening round and closed with a 1-over 73.

   Alina Ho, a sophomore from Great Falls, Va., also teed it up in the Happy Valley Individual for Virginia Tech and finished in the tie for 24^th place along with Delaware’s Kate Roberts at 11-over 155. Ho opened with a 5-over 77 before adding a 78 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Yale’s Hanny Wang got off to a great start with a 5-under 67 in the opening round and matched par in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round with a 72 before closing with a 68 that gave her a share of runnerup honors in the individual standings with Maryland’s Kanpai at 9-under, four shots behind Delon, the individual champion.

   Joining Penn State’s King in the tie for seventh place at 5-under was Quinnipiac’s Sophia Fujita, a junior from Torrance, Calif. After opening with a 3-over 75, Fujita matched the low round of the tournament with a sizzling 6-under 66 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with a 2-under 70.

   Mattea Issa made an impressive debut for Bucknell as the freshman from Jamaica joined Virginia Tech’s Walker and Xin Yao Wang in the trio tied for ninth place at 4-under. After opening with a 2-over 74, Issa added a 1-under 71 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with a sparkling 5-under 67.

   Backing up Jiratthitinun and King for Penn State was Lauren Thompstone, a junior from France who finished in the group tied for 23^rd place at even-par 216. Thompstone added a 1-over 73 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening-round 74 before contributing a 2-under 70 to the Nittany Lions’ strong finish.

   Zeynep Sualp, a junior from Turkiye, finished among the group tied for 29^th place with a 2-over 218 total. Sualp added a solid 1-under 71 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening round of 2-over 74 before closing with a 73.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was junior Hannah Rabb, the 2022 PIAA Class AA champion as a junior at Warrior Run, as she finished in the group tied for 38^th place with a 4-over 220 total. Rabb matched par with a 72 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round after opening with a 1-over 73 and finished up with a 75.

   Backing up Oh for Penn was Mi Li, a senior from Orlando, Fla. who finished in the group tied for 29^th place with a 2-over 218 total. After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Li added a pair of 1-over 73s in the final two rounds.

   Claire Lu, a junior from Edison, N.J., finished alone in 51^st place for the Quakers with an 8-over 224 total as she added a solid 1-under 71 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to an opening-round of 3-over 75 before closing with a 78.

   Adrienne Ahn-Upton, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, finished in the group tied for 52^nd place with a 9-over 225 total as she opened with a 3-over 75 and added a 77 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with a 73.

   Rounding out the Penn lineup was Madeline Zeng, a senior from Princeton, N.J. who finished in a tie for 74^th place with a 234 total. Zeng added a 4-over 76 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening-round 80 before finishing up with a 78.

   Backing up Gooneratne for Delaware was Anushka Sawant, a junior from South Brunswick, N.J. who finished among the group tied for 29^th place with a 2-over 218 total. Sawant added a 1-under 71 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening round of 1-over 73 before closing with a 74.

   Kayley Roberts finished in the group tied for 52^nd place 9-over followed by Hyunji Kim, a junior from England who finished among the group tied for 57^th place with a 10-over 226 total for the Blue Hens. Kim added a 1-over 73 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round to her opening-round 76 before finishing up with a 77.

   Rounding out the Delaware lineup was senior Mary Grace Dunigan, the Unionville product who captured the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur crown in July at Gulph Mills Golf Club and got a chance to tee it up in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.

   Dunigan struggled in the Labor Day double round, adding an 82 in the afternoon to her opening round of 5-over 77. She found her game in the final round, matching par with a 72 to finish alone in 69^th place with a 231 total.

   Backing up Forero for Saint Joseph’s was sophomore Olivia Kury, a three-time PIAA Class AA qualifier at York Catholic, as she finished in a tie for 81^st place with a 241 total. After opening with a 79, Kury added an 85 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before finishing up with a 5-over 77.

   Ruby Haloukas, a sophomore from Farmingdale, N.J., finished alone in 83^rd place at 242 for the Hawks as she opened with a solid 2-over 74, but struggled after that, adding an 86 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with an 82.

   Junior Abigail McCorkell, a Perkiomen Valley product, finished alone in 86^th place with a 248 total as she bounced back from a opening-round 86 with a 7-over 79 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round before closing with an 83.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was Stella Bodensteiner, a freshman from Edina, Minn., as she finished in a tie for 89^th place with a 251 total. Bodensteiner sandwiched an 85 in the afternoon of the Labor Day double round with a pair of 83s.

   Bucknell got a nice showing from senior Nicole Yun, a scholastic standout at Spring-Ford, as she finished in the trio tied for 48^th place at 7-over 223. Yun struggled a little with a pair of 4-over 76s in the Labor Day double round, but finished up with a solid 1-under 71.

   Bucknell, the Patriot League runnerup last spring, finished alone in eighth place in the Nittany Lion Invitational with a 9-over 873 total.

   Koshko’s closest pursuer in the Happy Valley Individual was Maryland’s Noa Terroba Toro, a sophomore from Spain who earned runnerup honors with a 4-under 140 total. Terrobo Toro recorded back-to-back 2-under 70s to finish four shots behind Koshko.

   Simpson, the Penn State head coach, sent two more of her Nittany Lions along with Koshko to the White Course for the Happy Valley Individual.

   Audrey Lam, a sophomore from Belgium who is coming off a solid freshman season, matched par in the second round with a 72 after opening with a 1-under 71 as she finished in a tie for fourth place with a 1-under 143 total.

   Lilian Guleserian, a sophomore from Westwood, Mass., finished alone in 14^th place with a 5-over 149 total as she matched par in the opening round with a 72 before adding a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Penn head coach Mark Anderson had three of his Quakers tee it up in the Happy Valley Individual and Sophia Lu, a freshman from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. matched par in both trips around the White Course to finish in a tie for sixth place at even-par 144.

   Maggie Ni, a senior from Cypress, Texas, finished among the trio tied for 26^th place with a 156 total as she added a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 79.

   Rounding out the Penn contingent in the Happy Valley Individual was Chelsea Ngyuen, a senior from Oviedo, Fla. who finished alone in 38^th place with a 163 total. Nguyen added an 81 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 82.

   Patty Post, the director of golf programs at Delaware, sent out senior Marissa Malosh, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at South Fayette, along with Kate Roberts in the Happy Valley Individual.

   Malosh added a 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s final round to her opening round of 1-over 73 as she joined Penn’s Lu in a tie for sixth place at even-par 144.

   Malosh and Dunigan were the Blue Hens’ top finishers, ending up in a tie for sixth place, in last spring’s Conference USA Championship at Stonebrier Country Club’s Fazio Course in Frisco, Texas.

   Hanna Mitchell, a junior from Guilderland Center, N.Y., joined the Saint Joseph’s contingent and finished in 43^rd place in the Happy Valley Individual with a 168 total as she tallied an 81 in the Labor Day opening round and added an 87 in Tuesday’s second round.