DALLAS — Paced by Hunter Nugent's 3-under-par, final-round scorecard, the UTSA women's golf team raced up the leaderboard into a tie for fourth place on the final day of the Trinity Forest Invitational on Tuesday.
Nugent registered five birdies as part of her 69 on the 6,460-yard, par-72 Trinity Forest Golf club layout to help the Roadrunners turn in a 1-under 287, the best team score of the tournament.
UTSA entered the final 18 holes in ninth place and climbed all the way into the fourth-place deadlock with USF with a 903, only two shots behind New Mexico and three back of runner-up Tulsa's 900. The Roadrunners jumped ahead of Texas State, which placed sixth with a 906, and they finished in front of No. 38 UNLV, host SMU and Dallas Baptist, the fourth-ranked NCAA Division II team in the 16-team field won by No. 23 Texas Tech (886).
Camryn Carreon led the UTSA lineup by tying for 13th place for the fifth top-20 showing of her junior campaign. The San Antonio opened with a pair of 76s on a cold and windy opening day before using three birdies to record a 1-over 73 and finish at 9-over 225.
Ana Gonzalez and Hannah Holzmann were two shots behind their teammate in a tie for 18th (227). Gonzalez, a super senior from Mexico, bounced back from a 78-76—154 for the first 36 holes with a 1-over 73 that was headlined by four birdies. Holzmann, a senior from San Antonio, also posted a marked improvement from her opening two rounds of 79-76—155 with an even-par 72 that featured four birdies, three as part of a 2-under 34 on the back nine.
Nugent's 3-under final round sent her into a tie for 24th (228). After logging rounds of 81 and 78, the junior transfer posted a 69, the second-best scorecard in the field and her fourth sub-70 round of the season. Her five birdies over the final 18 holes also gave her a team-best 10 for the week, just ahead of nine apiece from Carreon and Gonzalez.
Morgan Ellison closed out the lineup with a share of 43rd (233). The freshman from Georgia had a 77 in the first round and battled back from an 82 with a 2-over 74 on the strength of a quartet of birdies in the final round.
Playing as an individual, Nicole Polivchak was the top finisher among all Roadrunners, tying for 11th with an 8-over 224. The super senior opened the tournament with a 76 before registering back-to-back 74s, including a 2-over final round that was highlighted by back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13-14.
Melanie Green of USF and Lovisa Gunnar of Tulsa shared individual medalist honors with an even-par 216.
The Roadrunners will be back in action on March 27-29 at the Chattanooga Classic.
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