KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ana Gonzalez is in contention for her third collegiate crown after the first two rounds of the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, which began Monday at Cherokee Country Club (par 71/5,900 yards).
Gonzalez is in sole possession of third place at 4-under par 138 and the junior from Monterrey, Mexico, is just two shots off the pace of 6-under set by Kent State's Pimnipa Panthong with 18 holes remaining on Tuesday.
Behind Gonzalez, the Roadrunners are in 11th place in the team standings after carding a 294-302—596. UTSA is two shots in front of South Dakota State and only one stroke behind Middle Tennessee in the 16-team field led by Kent State (555).
Gonzalez opened the 54-hole event with an even-par 71 on Monday morning. She wrote down three birdies, including back-to-back on Nos. 15-16.
The reigning Conference USA individual champion then posted a collegiate career best-tying 67 in the afternoon on the strength of five birdies, two of which came on the 442-yard, par-5 15th and 497-yard, par-5 16th holes again.
Seeking her third collegiate win — all in the current calendar year — Gonzalez posted a 67 for the third time as a Roadrunner, the first of which came two years ago on this same course — also in the second round — when she set the program's 54-hole score record with a 205 (70-67-68) in earning runner-up honors. In fact, Gonzalez, who won the 2019 LSU Tiger Classic, now owns eight career sub-70 rounds. Four of those have been recorded on the Cherokee Country Club layout, as she posted a 68 in the opening round on her way to tying for eighth place last year.
Camryn Carreon is tied for 50th after posting a 75-77—152 that included seven birdies, while Nicole Polivchak is in a tie for 61st after carding a 76-78—154.
Katia Mexsen is tied for 64th (75-80—155) and Hannah Holzmann rounds out the UTSA lineup in a tie for 78th (73-85—158).
The final round is slated for an 8 a.m. CT shotgun start.
