MANHATTAN, Kan. - The Kansas State women’s golf team will host the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational on Sept. 28 and 29, at Colbert Hills Golf Course. The tournament begins Monday with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start for the first 36 holes. The final 18 holes will be played on Tuesday, also beginning with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.

THE FIELD:  K-State is joined by Big 12 foe Kansas, which hosts the invite every other year. The Wildcats will boast two teams in the field. The entire 13-team field consists of: Arkansas, Creighton, Houston Baptist, Illinois State, Kansas State Purple and White, Kansas, Northern Iowa, Oral Roberts, St. Johns, Tulsa, UMKC and Wichita State.

SUNFLOWER PREVIEW:  Head Coach Kristi Knight has drawn up two teams to compete in the Wildcats’ only home competition of the season. K-State Purple will mix veteran leadership with some young talent as freshmen Hanna Roos and Whitney Pyle will get the first action of their young college careers. The two freshmen will be joined by the two seniors on the team in Morgan Moon and Abbi Sunner, as well as junior Emily Houtz, who have over eight years of collegiate golf competition between them. The second team, K-State White, will comprise of rising talent that will look to make their own impact on the links. Elise Houtz will lead the team after coming off a 17th-place finish at the Chip-N-Club Invitational two weeks ago. A similar story will be mentioned for this team, as Kristen Dorsey will be getting her first taste of collegiate competition after redshirting last season due to injury. Joining Houtz and Dorsey will be Paige Osterloo and Ami Storey.

2008 SUNFLOWER INVITATIONAL:  Last season the event was held in Lawrence, Kan., at Alvamar Golf Course. The Wildcats finished seventh out of 16 teams, shooting a three-round score of 955 (+91). Paige Osterloo led the Wildcats as she tied for 20th and finished 10-over par. Osterloo also shot a team 18-hole low of 75.

COLBERT HILLS GOLF COURSE:  Kansas State University will host the competition at Manhattan’s premiere public golf course, Colbert Hills. K-State’s men’s golf team fielded a competition on the same course on Sept. 21 and 22, winning the tournament over nine other teams.

LAST TIME OUT:  K-State competed in the Chip-N-Club Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course two weeks ago and finished seventh out of 14 teams. The Wildcats were unable to improve on their first round score of 305 as they backed that up with another 305, putting them in sixth place after day one.  The next day did not prove to be any different as they carded a 306, dropping them to seventh. K-State was led by Elise Houtz througout the competition as the junior finished tied for 17th and tallied a three-round score of 226 (+10).

K-State’s Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational Lineup (2009-2010 Stats)

PURPLE

Name                               Yr-Exp     Hometown            Rnds              Avg.

Emily Houtz                          Jr.-2L     Manhattan, Kan.          3                   78.00

Morgan Moon                      Sr.-3L     Amarillo, Texas            3                   77.33

Abbi Sunner                       Sr.-3L     Ankeny, Iowa              3                   77.66

Hanna Roos                       Fr.-HS     Uppsala, Sweden        -                      --

Whitney Pyle                      Fr.-HS     Blue Mound, Kan.         -                      --

White

Elise Houtz                          Jr.-2L     Manhattan, Kan.          3                   75.33

Ami Storey                         So.-1L     Woodlands Park, UK    3                   76.33

Paige Osterloo                   So.-1L     Rapid City, S.D.            3                   80.00

Kristen Dorsey                 RFr.-HS     Gulf Breeze, Fla.          -                      --