FORT MYERS, Fla. — Led by top-10 finishes from Aimee Ponte and Nikki Long, UTSA finished in third place at this week's Conference USA Championship, which wrapped up on Wednesday at Verandah Golf Club (6,081 yards/par 72).
Ponte finished sixth and Long tied for seventh to lead the Roadrunners to a 54-hole scorecard of 7-over-par 871 that was capped by a school-record-tying 283 in the final round, the low score of the day in the 11-team field. On the heels of a runner-up showing last year in its C-USA debut, UTSA finished just six shots behind FIU (865) and 14 back of team champion Middle Tennessee (857), but ahead of North Texas (878) and Old Dominion (880) in turning in the program’s eighth-straight top-four league finish, including five in the top three.
Leading the way in the record-tying final round was Long, who fired a 5-under 67 that was highlighted by six birdies, four as part of a 32 on the front nine. It marked the best round of her freshman campaign by four strokes and the San Antonio Johnson High School product also etched her name in the school record books with UTSA's best round in a conference tournament and the second-lowest 18 in program history behind Paola Valerio’s 66 at the 2010 Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. Long, who carded a 72 on Monday and a 71 in the second round, finished in a tie with Abbi Shaddix of North Texas for seventh place at 1-under 215.
Meanwhile, Ponte capped her second career conference event one shot ahead of Long and in sole possession of sixth place with a 2-under 214. The sophomore from the United Kingdom opened with a 72 and then registered back-to-back 71s, including a final round that featured four birdies to give her 12 for the tournament and match Long with the third-best total in the field. Ponte’s career-best 214 now stands as tied for the seventh-best 54-hole total in school annals and the second-lowest score in a league event behind 2014 C-USA Champion Fabiola Arriaga’s school-record 207.
Becky McGeehan recorded a season-best 70 on Tuesday to finish at 7-over 223, the top scorecard of her freshman campaign. The Gutersloh, Germany, native produced five of her eight birdies in the final round on her way to tying for 21st.
Libby Thomas posted a 75 on Tuesday to close out a 224 and tie for 25th. The sophomore from Midland also carded a 75 on Monday and a 74 in the middle round while writing down a tournament-best 40 pars.
Brogan Townend rounded out the UTSA lineup in a tie for 28th after posting a 71-77-77—225.
FIU’s Meghan MacLaren captured individual medalist honors after closing a tournament-record 206 with a 65.
UTSA’s 871 now ranks as the fifth-best 54-hole score in school history and the second-best in a conference tournament behind last year’s 866.