FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Camryn Carreon became the first UTSA golfer to advance past NCAA Regional play in leading the Roadrunners to the program's best postseason team finish, a sixth-place showing at the Franklin Regional, which wrapped up Wednesday at Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course (par 72/6,406 yards).
Carreon carded a 5-under-par 211 that was capped by a 5-under 67 on Wednesday to finish in a tie for fourth place overall and first among players not on one of the four advancing teams: Vanderbilt, Alabama, Wake Forest and Texas A&M. The San Antonio native will continue her junior season as the first Roadrunner to compete in the NCAA Championships, which are scheduled for May 20-25 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Behind Carreon's top-five finish, which beat the program's previous top NCAA finish of 29th, the Roadrunners fired an even-par 288 to close out an 875 and finish sixth in the 12-team field, all school records for the postseason. UTSA finished at 11-over par, eight strokes out of the fourth and final team qualifying spot claimed by No. 3 seed and 15th-ranked Texas A&M.
The Roadrunners placed ahead of a trio of nationally ranked squads, ending up four strokes in front of No. 41 BYU, eight shots ahead of No. 27 Oregon State and 21 swings better than 45th-ranked Kent State. UTSA was only seven shots behind fourth-seeded and No. 21 Duke.
Carreon's 54-hole total eclipsed the previous program standard for an NCAA postseason by nine strokes. After opening with a 74-70—144 for the first two days, she fired a career-best 67, which smashed the previous low NCAA score of 70 set by Ana Gonzalez and Nikki Long in 2018 and matched by Carreon on Tuesday. Her 67 is tied for the second-best score in school history and her 211 is the fifth-best 54-hole tally by a Roadrunner, as she placed ahead of 14 top-100 players in the 66-person field.
Carreon registered five birdies in a bogey-free final round to leap 10 places up the leaderboard and earn one of the two individual qualifying spots out of the Franklin Regional. The first-team All-Conference USA performer birdied the 506-yard, par-5 seventh hole as part of a 35 on the front nine before catching fire on the back with birdies on four of the first six holes, including back-to-back on Nos. 14-15.
Meanwhile, Hannah Holzmann and Gonzalez posted top-25 finishes to help UTSA to its top NCAA Regional finish.
Holzmann claimed sole possession of 20th place with a 2-over 218. The senior from San Antonio used four birdies to turn in a 1-under 71 in the final round after opening with a 72-75—147. She was one of only four players in the entire field to record an eagle, doing so with a three on the 477-yard fourth hole on Tuesday.
Gonzalez finished out her illustrious UTSA career with a 3-over 219, earning her a share of 21st. The super senior from Mexico, who is the only Roadrunner to collect five all-conference certificates, posted her third consecutive 73 on Wednesday on the strength of three birdies, including two over her final four holes. She ends UTSA career as the program's all-time leader in scoring average (73.86), rounds played (142) and par-or-better rounds (45).
Nicole Polivchak also closed out her career as a Roadrunner this week, tying for 45th with a 227. The super senior opened with a 74-76—150 before turning in a 77 that featured three birdies in her final round.
Hunter Nugent was one shot behind Polivchak in a tie for 48th. The junior transfer from Canada posted a 74 in the first round before logging back-to-back 77s over the final two days.
Vanderbilt, the host institution and No. 6 seed, won the team title at 16-under par, followed by No. 2-seed and ninth-ranked Alabama (-8) and top-seed and fourth-ranked Wake Forest (-3).
Polly Mack of Alabama, the seventh-ranked player in the nation, captured medalist honors with a 12-under 204 (65-73-66).
-UTSA-
