Freshman Paola Valerio finished sixth at this week's Southland Championships.
HUNTSVILLE — Freshman Paola Valerio and sophomore Summer Batiste both recorded top-10 finishes on Wednesday and helped the UTSA women’s golf team finish in fourth place at the Southland Conference Championships.
"I am pround of our effort the last two days," head coach Carrie Cole said. "Although, we are very dissappointed to have come this close again at the conference tournament, this team has far exceeded my expectations this year and they continue to get a little better every day. We will continue to learn, work hard and improve. The future looks very bright for this young team."
Texas State posted the best round on the day with a 292 and overcame a 15-stroke deficit to claim the Southland Championship with a final score of 885 (297-296-292), earning the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals. Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas both were two shots back in third, while the Roadrunners finished the tournament with a final scorecard of 889 (307-289-293).
Valerio closed out her stellar rookie campaign with a sixth-place showing (77-70-73—220). The Mexico City native recorded seven birdies during the three-day event, including five in the second round, and ended the season with a pair of top-10 finishes, including an individual title at the Husky Invitational two weeks ago. The Southland's Golfer of the Month for April joined Laura Baker as the only Roadrunners in program history to record a top-10 performance in their first conference championship appearance.
Meanwhile, Batiste carded an even-par 71 in the final round to finish tied for seventh with a 221 three-day total. The Spring native ended the year with three top-10 showings that included two in the top five.
Senior Shelly Martinez wrapped up her career with a 12th-place effort after shooting a 224 (78-72-74) and the Pecos native finished in the top 10 four times this season.
UCA’s Rebecca Sorensen won the individual title with a three-round scorecard of 213.